A special section of The Healdsburg Tribune, Cloverdale Reveille, The Windsor Times and Sonoma West Times & News
October 30, 2014
Vintage 2014: Early, quick and dry with one this year,” said Cam Mauritson, vineyard manager for his family’s 310 acres Winegrape growers are in Dry Creek Valley and putting the final wraps on Rockpile regions. “Our their 2014 harvest as the biggest concern is next year. month of October ends. If we have a hot summer next What’s not ending is the year (without adequate worst drought in Sonoma rains), there will be a lot of County’s history, which hardship.” remains a threat to all local Although commercial farmers and next year’s grapevines look very lush water supplies. If it had not and green during their long been for some very well- growing season, the plants timed rains are actually last February low water and April, users, comvineyard pared to owners might almost all be sharing other crops. some of the The 6-9 same crop inches of rain losses that that fell over dairy, livevineyards in stock and early spring other farmers this year was have suffered just enough this year. to water the With winemid-soil prograpes ($605 file where million) grapevines equaling 75 grow roots. — Cam Mauritson, Dry percent of the Almost no county’s total Creek Valley and Rockpile rain fell crop output again until a ($813 milfew showers lion), Sonoma in September. County’s ag industry is less According to official surimpacted by the drought than veys conducted by the counother regions of California ty’s Agricultural where 42 of the 58 counties Commissioner’s office, pasremain under an official fed- ture cover for livestock and eral natural disaster declara- oat and hay crops saw losses tion. of 30 to 66 percent of normal Agriculture is still the yields this year. Apple and most dominant part of other crop reports are not Sonoma County’s overall complete and impacts from economy and job base. That extra water imports and means crop losses due to the forced sales of livestock are drought have impacts well not factored either. beyond local farms and fields. Meanwhile, the county’s The biggest concern on winegrowers continue to feel everyone’s minds is whether normal rainfall will return next year or any time soon. Rainfall totals for the past three years remain below 50 percent of normal and reservoirs at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma are under very strict monitoring. Without appreciable rains early next year, voluntary water conservation measures could become mandatory — for farmers, all city residences and industries. “We definitely got away by Rollie Atkinson Staff Writer
“We definitely got away with one this year. If we have a hot summer next year (without adequate rains), there will be a lot of hardship.”
Photos by Sara Gobets
HARVEST IN ACTION — Balletto Vineyards and Winery workers harvest zinfandel grapes early in the morning on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014.
“blessed” by comparison. After two historic yields in 2012 and 2013, this year’s grape tonnage was down as predicted, but still very favorable. “It looks like the crop will be down 15-25 percent from our two previous big years,” said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “But that may still be above average and it is just about what everybody was prepared for.” As for fruit quality and market prices, all the early vintage reports are very posi-
tive. “The only reason you almost all varietals — red couldn’t call it (2014 vintage) and white — getting ripe all ‘memorable’ is because we at the same time. “It was very compact this didn’t have any problems. Except for some spot labor year,” said Brad Petersen, shortages, everything hap- vineyard manager for Silver pened the way it’s supposed to,” said longtime grapegrower Richard Mounts, of Dry Creek Valley. “It was that mystical ‘average’ everybody talks about.” Across the county near the Laguna de Santa — Anthony Beckman, Rosa in west Russian River Valley county, Balletto Vineyards & Winery winemaker Anthony Beckman said Oaks in Alexander Valley. “there’s not a bad wine in the “We started picking 10 days whole building. The overall ahead of last year.” Vineyard owners and winquality is awesome.” The winegrape harvest ery workers took to Twitter started two weeks earlier and other social media to than average in most regions. track the fun and frenzy of Some early-ripening grapes this year’s harvest. A Harvest for sparkling wine were actu- Tracker “feed” of selfie phoally harvested in late July. tos, hashtagged (#) tweets August was a rush with VINTAGE continues on page 4
“It’s hard to say what is usual or average anymore, except to say this harvest is another great one, as usual.”
INSIDE Pedroncelli Family
[3]
Nothing flashy, just family
How’s the weather?
[5]
Growers using high-tech to track and react to the weather
Excess harvest
[7]
Local networks find solutions to harvest’s waste
Grapes in the sky
[8]
High elevation defines Pine Mountain-Cloverdale AVA
Almost gone
[9]
Growing and preserving rare fruit
Direct to consumer
[10]
Photos from the county’s varied Farmers Markets
It’s a process
[13]
Lack of processing infrastructure leaves room to grow
Certified organic
[14]
Berniers gain signage to match longtime sustainable practices.
Urban chickens become backyard trend by Robin Gordon Staff Writer City dwellers may not have to plan a weekend at the farm to gather fresh eggs for breakfast. With the rise in popularity of backyard chicken coops in city centers, many farming enthusiast are raising their own birds. Coops ranging in cost from a few hundred dollars to several thousand are popping up in neighborhoods across the county. With the rise in micro farming — the practice of mixing livestock and plant crops on a small scale — comes the idea that even homes in city limits can grow edible landscape and raise chickens for eggs. “The trend of raising chickens continues to rise,” said John Pellham, a chicken expert who handles coops and care at Western Farm Center in Santa Rosa. “We have seen the trend going strong since 2002.” Western Farm Center has been the leader in Sonoma County for years when it comes to purchasing a wide variety of chicken breeds, small backyard coops and feed and equipment. On average, the company sells over 900 chicks per week
Photo by Robin Hug
CLUCK, CLUCK — Western Farms in Santa Rosa orders approximately 40 chicken breeds every March. Check out their website, www.westernfarmcenter.com, for the Arrival Calendar. Visit their blog to find information on the best layers, raising your own flock and chicken care guidelines.
when they first arrive in the spring and carries over 40 breeds, which come sexed and vaccinated for Merek’s disease each April.
“We get all different breeds, everything from the exotics to the green and blue egg layers and the chocolate eggs, those are becoming
more popular now,” said Pellham, whose regular customers know him as JP. Pellham manages the chicken
room, where in the spring hundreds of day-old chicks get their start in the brooder-a heated metal device for rearing young chicks. The brooder is kept at 90-95 degrees, a temperature that needs to be mimicked in the enclosure that the chicks will be brought home to and grow in for the first three weeks. When the first April shipment arrives, droves of people flock to the chicken room to purchase their spring chicks. Chicks cost about $3.50 each, and Pellham said he can get almost any variety that people request. He has watched the fowl trends in the county for decades, getting his start at turkey farms including a stint with the well-known Willie Bird Turkey Farms. Now he is an expert in chicken breeds and can list the top five best sellers along with some of the more exotic types, like the Silkie, a fluffy feather bird that resembles a cotton ball. “It really matters to a lot of families what breed they take home,” he said. “Buff Orpingtons are probably our number one or two sellers. Those girls are good layers and COOP continues on page 4