Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
May 15, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People -
Some wine grape growers turning to dry farming methods
Associated Press
West Sac has new date for water fluoridation
Sacramento
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some wine grape growers turning to dry farming methods
Associated Press – 5/15/08
KENWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Vineyard manager Steve Thomas grasps the trunk of a zinfandel vine, a redwood of the vineyard, gnarled with age and planted in the days when irrigation meant a barrel of water on a horse-drawn cart.
The work horses and carts are long gone. But these old zin vines at Kunde Estate in
They call it "dry farming," which is what agriculture used to be before plastic hoses hooked up to a water supply made deserts bloom. A few vintners are returning to it.
They are driven by concerns over dwindling water supplies, the belief it produces more intensely flavored fruit, and, in Kunde's case, by a desire to return to old traditions.
"What you find out is grape vines are incredibly adaptable," said Thomas.
At the 600-acre Kunde Estate, about 100 acres are dry-farmed. The rest are grown conventionally.
Wine grapes are grown without artificial irrigation in parts of the world such as
Dry farming in
"We're learning to be much more precise early in the growing season so we can control the vegetative growth, minimize the total water consumption and then follow that with good management practices," he said.
Less water means more intensely flavored grapes and wines; too little water leads to raisins.
Wample, who has studied irrigation techniques for years, sees irrigation as a useful tool in the winegrower's arsenal, although he agrees careful water management is critical because of concerns about climate change.
"The challenge is understanding how to best utilize water as a management tool," he said.
Dry farming starts before the vines are planted, said John Williams, founder and winemaker at the Frog's Leap winery in the
Farming dry means more than just not irrigating, Williams said. "It's an active form of preserving moisture in the ground so you don't need to irrigate."
That turns out to involve getting up close and personal with dirt as fields are carefully cultivated, mulched and kept under close scrutiny.
"Oh, it's filthy, dirty work," Williams said with a rueful laugh. The reward, he believes, "is wines much more deeply connected to the soil, wines much fuller in flavor."
Thomas says dry farming is also about connecting to the past.
He uses a truck, not a horse, to navigate the twists and turns of the terraced vineyards of Kunde Estate. But sometimes when he's out in the fields seeing how the vines are doing, he thinks about past vineyard workers.
"When I visualize a family member out here at the turn of the century behind a horse, plowing this thing, that's pretty incredible when you think about it," he said. "The fact that they're pruning the same vines and worrying about the same things, frost and whatever else, this is a kind of commitment that's passionate." #
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hq0WTJx0ntVZ7pIQ-WU4isrQfjrgD90M0U000
West Sac has new date for water fluoridation
Sacramento
By Niesha Lofing, staff writer
The city will begin fluoridation Monday and expects to be at optimum levels by May 26, said Dan Mount, water services superintendent for
The water fluoridation project was supposed to start Tuesday but was delayed due to an electronic gauge malfunction. The gauge, which is a backup level indicator, tells officials when fluoride tanks are full during a delivery.
"The problem was resolved within 24 hours, but to stay on the cautious side we delayed the initial fluoride delivery so the system could be tested," Mount wrote in an e-mail to the Bee.
Residents' water bills will not increase as a result of the water fluoridation.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element found in most water supplies, but some municipalities, such as
Water fluoridation is intended to combat tooth decay.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/941394.html
DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
No comments:
Post a Comment