Huichica Creek Sustainable Demonstration Vineyard
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Huichica Creek Sustainable Demonstration Vineyard Charles Schembre, Napa County RCD Vineyard Conservation Coordinator February 28, 2017 Carbon Farm Plan
Transcript of Huichica Creek Sustainable Demonstration Vineyard
Huichica Creek Sustainable Demonstration Vineyard
Charles Schembre, Napa County RCD Vineyard Conservation Coordinator
February 28, 2017
Carbon Farm Plan
Huichica Creek Vineyard • Owned and Managed by Napa County Resource Conservation District
• Carneros AVA of Napa County
• 21 acre property • 8 acres Chardonnay • 5.25 acres Pinot Noir • ¾ acre of antique cider
apples
• 6 acres of riparian and wetland habitat
• 26 years of soil health, habitat restoration, and conservation resource management demonstration.
Huichica Creek Sustainable Demonstration Vineyard
Carbon Farm Plan
Huichica Creek Vineyard Farm Assessment
• Producer’sobjec-ves• Producer’sopera-ons• Producer’sinterest• Producer’slandscape
Objectives and Interests • Further develop property and vineyard as a
demonstration site for climate mitigation and drought resilient farming
• Enhance riparian and wetland vegetation and insectary habitat
• Improve grape yields to 4 ton/acre
Huichica Creek Vineyard Farm Assessment
Landscape • FloodzoneofHuichicaCreekand
seasonalwetland
• Ripariancorridor
SoilAnalysis
– HaireLoamSoil–SiltloamtoheavyClay– Roo-ngdepth=40inches– Topsoil%SOM
• 2.29-4.81%-Covercroprows• 2.51-3.68%-Underthevine(dripzone)
– Saltbuildupindripzone• ESP6.8-8.4%
Opportunity to build Soil Organic Matter and Organic Carbon – Yes!
• Conserva-onPlanning• On-the-GroundProjects• WaterResources• ResourceMonitoring
Farm Assessment
Opportunities to improve the following?
Tillage Practices Cover Crop Diversity & Productivity
Grape Yields Crop Diversity
Habitat Enhancement
• Conserva-onPlanning• On-the-GroundProjects• WaterResources• ResourceMonitoring
• SustainableDemoVineyard• VineyardErosionControl• Youth&Community
Educa-on
Opportunities to Sequester Carbon and Reduce GHG
Emissions?
• Conserva-onPlanning• On-the-GroundProjects• WaterResources• ResourceMonitoring
• SustainableDemoVineyard• VineyardErosionControl• Youth&Community
Educa-on
NRCS Conservation Practice Standards
CPS 329 Conventional Tillage to No Tillage
CPS 391 Riparian Buffer
CPS 380/ 657 Wetland Restoration
Wind Break
• Conserva-onPlanning• On-the-GroundProjects• WaterResources• ResourceMonitoring
Conservation Practices Standards
CPS 484 Compost/Mulch Application
CPS 327 Permanent Cover Crop Establishment
• Conserva-onPlanning• On-the-GroundProjects• WaterResources• ResourceMonitoring
• SustainableDemoVineyard• VineyardErosionControl• Youth&Community
Educa-on
Conservation Practices Standards
CPS 484 Mulch Application
CPS 379 Multistory Cropping/ Diversifying
CPS 422 Hedgerow Planting
Tools and Resources for Estimating Potential C02e Reduction
COMET-PLANNER USDA-NRCS Comet-Planner.com
Evaluate Potential carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reductions from adopting NRCS conservation practices
COMET-FARM USDA-NRCS & Colorado St U
CometFarm.NREL.ColoState.edu
A whole farm and ranch carbon and greenhouse gas accounting system
Tools and Resources for Estimating Potential C02e Reduction
Riparian Revegetation Carbon Sequestration • Lewis, D.J., M. Lennox, A. O’Geen, J. Creque, V. Eviner, S. Larson, J.
Harper, M. Doran, and K.W. Tate. 2015. Creek carbon: Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through riparian restoration. University of California Cooperative Extension in Marin County. Novato, California. 26 pgs.
Compost Application Carbon Sequestration • Ryals. R, and Whendee L. Silver. “Effects of organic matter
amendments on net primary productivity and greenhouse gas emissions in annual grasslands.” Ecological Applications, vol.23, no. 1, 2013, pp. 46-59
Carbon and GHG Reduction Summary Table Acres
2.76 45.1 902.0
0.15 0.3 5.1
4.00 1.2 24.8
4.00 5.0 100.8
14.00 218.4 1310.4
4.00 1.28 25.60
0.75 1.3 26.1
0.50 1.0 20.9
4.00 8.4 167.2
Totals 282.0 2582.9
HuichicaCreekSustainableDemonstrationVineyardApproximateCarbonSequestrationandGreenhouseGasEmissionReductions2016-Future(tonsCO2equivalentperyear)
Mulching(CPS484)
WetlandRestoration(CPS657)
HedgerowPlanting(CPS422)
ConventionalTillagetoNoTillage(CPS329)
PermanentCoverCropEstablishment(CPS340)
CompostApplication(CPS484)
MultistoryCropping(CPS379)
Windbreak/ShelterbreakEstablishment(CPS380)
1yr-MetrictonsCO2eReduction
20yrs-MetricTonsofC02eReductionNRCSConservationPractice
RiparianRestoration(CPS390)
Equivalent offset - 550 Passenger Vehicles! - EPA, 2014, “Greenhouse Gas Emission from a Typical Passenger Vehicle” = 4.7 MT C02e/yr
Relative Carbon Benefit of Practices
Huichica Creek Vineyard Carbon-Soil-Water-Climate Connection
• 25% reduction in CA’s annual vineyard water use if CA’s vineyards increase SOC by 1% (2% SOM) in plow layer
• Assumption – 1% increase in SOM results in 1 acre-inch increase in soil WHC.
• Potential increase of 7 acre feet water holding capacity
Huichica Creek Vineyard Farming Options to Quantify in the Future
• Fuel and energy use
• Graze livestock for weed management and soil fertility
• More multistory cropping and diversification
• Biochar application for carbon sequestration and soil fertility
CarbonFarmPlanImplemented
1. Compostapplica-on,CPS484§ 8acres§ 8-10tonsperacre
2. Conversionof-llagetono-llage,CPS329§ 1acre
3. Mulchapplica-on,CPS484§ Orchard
4. Wetlandrestora-on,CPS380/657§ ½acre–15treesand50wetlandgrasses
Huichica Creek Vineyard
CHALLENGES for Implementation
Climate Beneficial Wool By Lani Estill, owner
Estill Ranches, LLC and Lani’s Lana~Fine Rambouillet Wool
History of the Bare Ranch • Established in 1888 by Thomas Bare and family • Located in Northeast Lassen County and
Northwest Washoe County, NV • Cattle, Hay and Sheep Ranch • Estill Family purchased the ranch in 2003 • Expanded Sheep operation in 2005 • Learned about Carbon Farming in 2014
Why has the work of Carbon Farming and Climate Beneficial Wool struck a cord for me? – It goes back to my frustration with the wool business and the idea that all this beautiful wool was being shipped oversees for other people to process and then brought back to the US in the form of clothing. We were losing all those jobs, all the benefits of doing things at home. There had to be a better way. There is a better way.
My growing awareness increased after conversations with the founder of Fibershed – Rebecca Burgess. Then awareness turned to action in collaboration with Fibershed and the Carbon Cycle Institute. The resulted is a Carbon Farm Plan which was signed in August of 2016. Which is really just the beginning.
Collaboration
Collaborators and Partners include: • Estill Ranches, LLC • Fibershed • Carbon Cycle Institute • USDA – NRCS • Point Blue
Writing a Carbon Farm Plan
• Maps
• Soil Samples
• Current Use
• Projects that will improve Carbon Sequestration
• Grazing Plan – by Ceci Dale-Cesmat
• A Whole Lot of Math – Thanks to Dr. Jeff Creque with the Carbon Cycle Institute
• Implementation – NRCS, Bare Ranch
• Monitoring – Point Blue, Bare Ranch, CCI
• Revisit the Plan – Update, Revise
Carbon Farm Projects
Compost Application
Shelter Belts – Windbreaks
Silvopasture – Trees
Riparian Area Restoration
Prescribed Grazing
Minimum Tillage Farming
Range Planting
Water Developments
Convert Flood Irrigation to Pipe Irrigation
Compost Production
A Grant from The North Face and VF Corporation jumpstarted the Compost operation.
We started compost production in July of 2015 and spread our first compost in March of 2016.
Compost application is one of the most effective ways to sequester carbon in the soil. According to the Carbon Cycle Institute “in the original Marin Carbon Project research the
soils held 26,000 L of additional water per hectare with a single ½ inch compost application. The productivity increases on rangeland systems were 50-70% higher.”
Challenges and Solutions in Implementing a CFP
Challenges: Awareness and willingness to change.
Cost of implementation.
Cost of Monitoring.
Solutions:
Education and observation
Keep it low cost
Partners who will help fund implementation
Monitoring partners and keeping it simple.
Increased opportunity for direct marketing and vertical integration.
Community Supported Cloth Project
The Wool left the ranch in June and it’s path has been fun to watch!!
Scoured and combed at Chargeurs in South Carolina
Spun into 2/24 yarn at Jagger Brothers fine Spinnery in Springvale, Maine
Woven by Huston Textiles in Sacramento, CA and will be released in April 2017.
Launch on Nov. 19th at the Fibershed Wool Symposium in Pt. Reyes, CA and is pre-selling very well.
Lani’s Lana ~ Fine Rambouillet Wool Yarn and Fiber
´ In addition to the Community Supported Cloth I also have a small line of yarn that I have been making following a similar supply chain as the cloth. The name of my line of yarn and wool products is Lani’s Lana ~ using the Spanish word for wool in recognition of the dedication that the Mexican and Peruvian sheepherders give the animals in their care.
´ This business has been made possible by collaborating with Fibershed and is opening doors to bringing textile manufacturing back to the US and California.
What is Climate Beneficial Wool?
Quote from Bare Ranch Carbon Farm Plan page 43
“Implementation of the Bare Ranch Carbon Farm Plan, sequestering 4,068 metric tons of CO2e annually, would effectively offset 6 to 9.3 times the GHG (green house gas) emissions associated with Bare Ranch Wool production each year.”
That means the work we are doing on the ground, at the ranch, outweigh any harm the production of the wool can do. We are pleased to do our part. We feel that we are part of the solution. The only solution large enough – Sequestration of carbon in the Soils.
Sequesters carbon on farms and
rangeland and increases fertility &
water holding capacity in soils
Compost applied to rangelands is one
of numerous beneficial Carbon
Farming practices
Contribute to carbon
sequestration via
managed grazing
Climate Beneficial yarns & fabrics
Create climate beneficial textiles & garments.
Generates donations of
3% for regenerative
fiber systems
Provides seed money for
carbon farming
(These 100% natural fiber clothes can
also be composted and returned to the
land to regenerate soils.)
CARBON FARM PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION
FIBER PROCESSING
FIBER PLANTS & ANIMALS
BRANDS, DESIGNERS & MAKERS
RETAIL SALES
NON-PROFIT CARBON
FARM FUND
ClimateBeneficial
Thank you for listening to my story – I love to tell it!! Lani Estill, owner, member, partner – of Estill Ranches, LLC and Lani’s Lana ~ Fine Rambouillet Wool
Carbon Farm Planning a New Lens for Agriculture
ValerieMintonSonomaResourceConserva4onDistrict
February28,2017
4‰ Initiative, France: http://4p1000.org/understand
Crea0ng a Carbon Farm Plan 1. Farm Assessment 2. Document farming options 3. Prioritize options into a working Plan 4. Quantify the carbon benefits
1. Farm Assessment
‒ Producer’s objectives ‒ Producer’s operations ‒ Producer’s interests ‒ Producer’s landscape
2. Document Farming Op0ons
‒ Carbon sequestration potential ‒ NRCS climate beneficial
practices ‒ Site analysis ‒ Maps: Google Earth, GIS, Soil
Survey, ‒ Other plans
3. Priori0ze Op0ons
Compatibility of practices with: ◦ Grower’s priorities ◦ Crop production ◦ Farm ecology ◦ Costs ◦ Quantitative impacts of
practices
Goal is IMPLEMENTATION!
4. Quan0fy Carbon Benefits + Local Data + Other sources: R.Ryals et al 2013; M.DeLonge et al 2013 (compost on rangeland)
D.Lewis et al 2015 (riparian vegetation)
US EPA, 2011. Market Opportunities for Biogas Recovery Systems at U.S. Livestock Facilities
USDA 2014. Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity‐Scale Inventory.
‒ NorthBayRCDs-Sonoma,GoldRidge,Mendocino,Marin,Napa
‒ BuildingontheMarinCarbonProjectwithLandSmart®CarbonFarmPlans
‒ CarbonCycleIns4tute,Fibershed,ColoradoStateUniversity,NRCS,locallandowners,andmore…
‒ CarbonFarmPlanTemplatesandQuan4fica4onTools
‒ Fieldtrials/demonstra4onprojects
‒ Mul4plelanduses–rangeland,vineyard,orchard,forestland
North Bay Efforts
