Bonterra Organic Vineyards released a study that analyzed all of Bonterra’s 1,000 acres of Mendocino County, Calif., vineyards. The results: Bonterra’s vineyards farmed with Biodynamic and organic farming methods correlate with 12.8% and 9.4% greater SOC levels, respectively, than those found in a similar vineyard site farmed conventionally.
Why This Matters: “Soil organic carbon—something regenerative farming strives to enhance—is a signal of how well a landscape captures and stores carbon, and also contributes many long-term benefits to soil health, such as improved aeration, drought resistance, and erosion prevention,” said Joseph Brinkley, director of vineyards for Bonterra.
Bonterra strives to enhance soil health on its Mendocino farms through a coordinated mix of regenerative practices, including applying compost, planting cover crops, planned sheep grazing, reduced tillage regimes, enhanced insect and wildlife programs, and conservation of nearly 50% of its land in a natural state.