permaculture

[J Hobbs <hobbsj@efn.org>]

Hello Chuck,

I have been working with vineyardists assessing Best Management 
Practices for the past 6 years.  Last year I visited 75 vineyards in 
two months (observing the sites when the berries were on the vines). 
In many cases, grape growers in Oregon and Eastern Washington are 
mono-cropping with small compensation zones of mixed species outside 
the crop rows.

I am in the beginning stage of writing an On-Farm Biodiversity 
Resource Guide: For Dry lands, Uplands, & the Maritime Northwest for 
an eco-labeling organization called Salmon Safe.  My intention with 
this publication is for it to be an educational tool to support 
farmers in the design and implementation of specie diverse hedgerows, 
inter-plantings, and/or buffer zones within a variety of settings. 
There will be separate lists of plants that are easily grown in the 
areas mentioned and I'll design several guild templates that can be 
introduced to encourage biodiversity within the cropping systems. 
There will also be resource lists of nurseries and websites for 
further information.  
My hope is that this Guide will be available by mid-June.

I have not seen all inclusive permaculture principles being part of 
the vineyard system-- though since it is a drought tolerant plant it 
is an appropriate crop to grow on our southern slopes,  cover crops 
are planted to limit erosion, and most apply very few chemicals.

btw:  One of the most delicate wine bouquets I ever tasted was from a 
vineyard that grew lavender at the end of every crop row.

Jude
Agro-Ecology Northwest
Eugene, Oregon
541-342-1160
http://www.cascadiapermaculture.com

--


Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:28:06 -0700
From: cestin <cestin@earthlink.net>
Subject: [permaculture] Permaculture in viticulture?
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <46055FA6.9050109@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Does anyone have any information about permaculture practices in
viticulture?  I know that many permaculture principles of encouraging
biodiversity and soil health make sense.  But I'm curious about more
extensive applications - are there "guild plantings" that  might enhance
wine grape quality?  Does comfrey have a beneficial effect when planted
near grape vines, etc.  I'm guessing that Australia might have found a
wedding between permaculture and viticulture, more likely than in the
U.S.  With the movement toward more sustainable agricultural practices
in the wine-growing industry, it would make sense to draw on the
practices of permaculture.  Even though grape-growing tends to be a
mono-culture crop, I would imagine that there would be ways to
compensate for that and create a healthier more bio-diverse system in a
vineyard.

thanks,

-Chuck