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Pioneering Vineyard Program Honored With Prestigious Environmental Award |
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The Central Coast Vineyard Team has received the "IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Award" from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for their leadership and creativity in advancing reduced-risk techniques in pest management. Dana Merrill, president of CCVT, says that the group is accomplishing three important things, "We're leading the way in encouraging natural farming, providing a means to measure successful environmental practices over time, and enhancing the public's understanding of our vineyard practices." The Team has developed a "Positive Points System" (PPS) which can be used by growers to rate their effort in such areas as pest management, disease and erosion control, water management and vineyard development policies. A series of questions in six different areas of vineyard management make up the 12-page protocol. The PPS provides growers with a means to measure their success in two important areas: producing quality winegrapes while providing for environmental quality. Through a series of workshops and meetings, the system is now being discussed with growers in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties to solicit additional input and to explain the PPS. The IPM Innovators Award recognizes leaders in adopting techniques that increase the benefits and reduce the risks of pest control. IPM is an approach to managing pests that combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks. DPR, a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, recognized the first twelve IPM Innovators in 1994. Robert LaVine, Robert Mondavi Winery Director of Grower Relations, sums up the innovative program this way: "Here is an excellent example of Central Coast winegrape growers taking the concerns of growers and the community quite seriously. Happily, this is a win-win situation, as the use of the PPS impacts the quality of wines extremely positively and therefore benefits the growers, wineries, and the environment." For more information, contact Kris O'Connor of CCVT at (805) 434-4848. Related
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