Cheers to 30 Years! Quarterly Update from Beth Vukmanic

Thanks to Members like you, Vineyard Team has grown from a grassroots organization to a multi-award-winning leader in the sustainability movement.

Since 1994, the non-profit has served farmers, winemakers, and industry partners by creating an educational network with the leadership of its staff and board of directors.

We value your support over the last three decades and will continue to help you cultivate valuable relationships.

Sincerely,

Beth Vukmanic
Executive Director

Pop Quiz:

As a Vineyard Team Member, how many free tickets do you get to Tailgates?

A: You need to pay every time

B: 2 tickets per Membership to every event

C: 2 tickets per year

(Answer at the end)

Ready to Learn Something New?

In 2023, we had 372 attendees at 8 Tailgates hosted by 7 venues (including one Webinar).

Coming up in 2024…

1/16 | Ag Order 4.0 Webianr
2/16 | Biochar in the Vineyard
3/14 | Power Up: Sustainable Energy
4/10 | Vine to Wine Water Treatment

Get registered for all of this year's Tailgates today.

Regulatory Relief

Managers of SIP Certified vineyards can save time this year.

We have partnered with Preservation Inc. to report Total Nitrogen Applied (TNA) for Ag Order 4.0.

74% of First-gen College Students Don’t Graduate

With help from community members like you, the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship makes a difference. 98% of recipients have been the first in their family to earn a higher education.

Because this program is more than a scholarship, it provides a mix of financial aid and mentorship.

This helps boost graduation rates and develop a qualified workforce that is committed to serving their community.

Look at the impact you made last year!

New Year, New Online Courses

In 2023, the first batch of Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand virtual courses gave you access to relevant education when it fits your schedule.

Take advantage of this program:

Watch 1 (or 30) courses.
Share learnings with 2 colleagues.
Complete the survey.

Over the next few months, we will be busy identifying experts, recording presentations, editing videos, uploading courses, and applying for continuing education hours for the new releases.

Made possible by Western SARE.

Top 3 Podcasts of 2023

We spent 192 hours producing 48 episodes of the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Here are your top picks:

Grape & Wine Magazine Features Sustainable Stories

Since we learned that storytelling can increase wine sales, we’ve been dedicated to helping SIP Certified members:

Write their own Sustainable Story.
Teach their team about it.
Share it with their audience.

These inspiring stories are now being released in Grape & Wine Magazine as a serial!

Planting Trees with a Bottle of Wine: Social Responsibility in the Wine Industry (pg. 22)
Water-Wise Winemaking: How Sustainable Wine Brands Reduce Their Water Footprint (pg 22)
Managing Pests in Eco-Friendly Ways: Strategies from Sustainable Winegrowers (coming soon)

Sustainable Ag Expo

The 18th premiere winegrowing event of the year was a success. But don’t take it from us…

"The conferences were incredibly interesting and informative." Helen Deneuve, Vineyard Manager, Christy & Wise Vineyard

536 Attendees:

Learned from 32 speakers
Networked with 62 ag vendors
Earned 18 DPR and 28.5 CCA hours
And ate 204 donuts!

We took the DiSC

Personality assessments like DiSC help build stronger, more effective working relationships.

Hayli, Whitney, and I took the assessment and found that it is another good tool for understanding how we communicate individually and as a team.

By sharing our results we all gain valuable insights into how we can make our Team even stronger as we support you.

What's Up Next?

Come see us at booth #701 at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

P.S. The Pop Quiz answer is B: 2 tickets per Membership to every event As a Vineyard Team Member you get 2 tickets to EVERY Tailgate! Tailgate Meetings are in-person educational events (field demonstrations and discussions). We meet up at a vineyard property to hear from experts and experienced growers on resource issues including irrigation to pest management, soil health, safety training, and more. These casual events typically last 1 to 2 hours. Come on out, join the conversation and talk directly with presenters and growers.
P.P.S. Happy Work Anniversary to Whitney and Hayli! Over the last two years, Whitney has brought a great eye for detail and engaging communication to SIP Certified. Hayli hit her first year this month. She is full of fun ideas and superb customer service. We truly have a great Team.

P.S. The Pop Quiz answer is B: 2 tickets per Membership to every event

As a Vineyard Team Member you get 2 tickets to EVERY Tailgate!

Tailgate Meetings are in-person educational events (field demonstrations and discussions). We meet up at a vineyard property to hear from experts and experienced growers on resource issues including irrigation to pest management, soil health, safety training, and more.

These casual events typically last 1 to 2 hours. Come on out, join the conversation and talk directly with presenters and growers.

P.P.S. Happy Work Anniversary to Whitney and Hayli!

Over the last two years, Whitney has brought a great eye for detail and engaging communication to SIP Certified.

Hayli hit her first year this month. She is full of fun ideas and superb customer service.

We truly have a great Team.

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