Dry Continued from Page 7
He’s not the only one. There are a few other dry farmers in Sonoma County. Across theMayacmasMountains, there’s a cabernet sauvignon test plot at the UC Davis research vineyard in Oakville that hasn’t been watered in 29 years and still produces 6.5 tons to the acre. The most recent UC Davis study took place in 2019 in a Napa cabernet sauvi- gnon vineyard. It was just before the cur- rent drought but when heat waves, espe- cially late-summer ones, were prevalent. Kurtural said the findings are promis- ing for water conservation. “Looking at cabernet, which grows all over California, we found you can get by with 50% of plant demand and still get a very handsome yield with top-notch quality, andwith soil microbes still living in the vineyard as well,” he said. It’s nothing Bernier didn’t already know. In the late ’70s and ’80s, when drip irrigation recast the vineyard landscape and dry farming was forgotten—almost like a lost art—he could see how the daily drip affected vines. “When you treat a vine with irriga- tion, you give it the water it needs, and it doesn’t need to expend energy going out looking for food,” he said. “So its root system is not out utilizing all the ground. It’s just hanging around where it’s wet, where the dripper is. It’s like an alcoholic
Paul Bernier, right, says he manages the soil and landscape of his vineyard with minimal water use.
at 6 a.m. waiting for the bar to open to get his shot before he goes to work.” Over the years, other grape growers and wineries have taken notice and adapted based on Bernier’s methods. In 2017, Bernier ledadry-farmingworkshop sponsoredby theCaliforniaAlliancewith FamilyFarmers, with several dozengrow- ers in attendance. “It just makes sense,” says Fred Peterson, owner of PetersonWinery, who started buying grapes fromBernier in the mid-1990s. Seeing the benefits, he start- ed composting regularly in his own vine-
yards and is now conducting a dry-farm- ing tr ial in a vineyard on Bradford Mountain. “It’s that idea of ‘healthy soil makes for healthy vines,’” he said. Applying annual compost additions, “really made a difference,” Peterson said. “It costs around $350 an acre to put on 5 tons per acre. But nowadays, with what fertilizer is going for, that’s actually a deal.” Peterson said most growers don’t dry farmbecause typicallymorewater equals more tonnage, and that equals more money. Butmore tonnage doesn’t always equate to better quality grapes. “Just having bigger yields doesn’t mean your quality is gone,” Peterson said. “But at some point, it’s diminishing returns. At some point, you’re growing bags of water. You’re just pumping them full of water and waiting for the sugars to come up.” Last year, Bernier’s average yield of 3 to 4 tons to the acre was cut in half because of the drought. As the bone-dry climate
continues, he’s now thinking about lay- ing temporary irrigation lines in his vine- yards in July for a flashwatering to sustain them into the harvest. At 73, Bernier is gradually handing the reigns over to his son, Zureal, who grew up farming side by side with both of his parents. Paul’s wife, Yael, runs Bernier Farms in Geyersville, growing organ- ic vegetables and a cult-favorite garlic prized by local restaurants. This summer, Paul and Yael are plan- ning a long-awaited, cross-country road trip in their VW bus—that is, if they can step away from the farm long enough to “semi-retire” for a fewmonths. He has this advice for his son as he takes over the family farm in the interim: “Water if you have to,” he said. “It’s not a religion.We’ve got tomake a living, too.” ( John Beck is a reporter and doc- um e n t a r y f i l mma k e r b a s e d i n Ben i c i a . He may b e cont ac t ed a t john@beckmediaproductions.com.)
It’s time to ensure increased open nuts in your PISTACHIO PRODUCTION
225
Nut Open (lb/ac)
Nut closed (lb/ac)
3,200
200
+ 13.9%
- 10%
3,088
190.3
175
171.9
2,700
150
2,712
125
2,200
100
UTC
Afrikelp
UTC
Afrikelp
Source: Barat Bisabri, Ph.D. - Bisabri Ag Research and Consulting. CA, 2021
Afrikelp ensures improved fruit set for increased yield Apply at bloom time and after fruit set
Afrikelp is standardized ensuring consistent results
8 Ag Alert April 13, 2022
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