Sustainability Champions

Did you know, in the right conditions certain grapevines don’t need to be watered at all?

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, my guest is Brad Alper, owner of Square Peg Winery in Sonoma County, California.

Square Peg is a unique winery Brad does not use irrigation or any herbicides in his vineyards and is able to grow delicious and award-winning Pinot Noir.

We discuss the dry farming technique, which is location-specific, requires farmers to grow vines using the St. George’s rootstock, and needs the farmer to care for each vine by hand.

We cover Sonoma County’s goal of having 100% certified sustainable vineyards and wineries by the end of 2019, and they are well on their way to this accomplishment.

Brad clarifies a misconception that sustainable and organic farming are the same, when really sustainability encompasses farming, energy consumption and production, the health of the soil, and paying your workers a fair wage. This is a much greater achievement and makes a broader positive impact on the environment than just checking a few boxes that qualify your farm as organic.

If you know someone who’s passionate about wine, unique farming techniques, or sustainability, share this episode with them! You can find us at sustainabilitymatters.today. If you’d like to learn more about Brad and the Square Peg Winery, visit the website https://squarepegwinery.com/

And let us know you’re listening to this episode on Instagram! Tag us - @sustainabilitymatterstoday and @squarepegwinery. We’d love to hear from you!

Topics Covered in this Episode:

· Square Peg Winery’s history

· What is dry farming?

· The difference between sustainable and organic farming

Resources:

Square Peg Winery Website: https://squarepegwinery.com/

Sonoma County Winegrowers: https://sonomawinegrape.org/

St George’s Rootstock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rupestris

“Science of Grapevines” by Markus Keller: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Grapevines-Anatomy-Physiology/dp/012374881X

“General Viticulture” by Albert Julius Winkler: https://www.amazon.com/General-Viticulture-J-Winkler/dp/0520025911

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Brad-Alper

Did you know fertiliser was first introduced in the 1940s because the US had lots of leftover nitrogen that wasn’t made into weapons during WWII?

Hey, this is Daniel Hartz with Sustainability Matters Today, a podcast where I showcase sustainability experts and discover their journeys.

The aim of these conversations is to share ideas from leaders in the field on the financial benefits of adopting eco-friendly methodologies. Can it really be cost-effective to be sustainable?

Through these talks, we also cover ways you as an individual can incorporate environmentally-friendly practices into your daily life.

In this episode, I interview Diana Martin, the Director of Communications at The Rodale Institute, a nonprofit considered to be the birthplace of the organic movement in North America. The Institute educates consumers and farmers on the benefits of organic and researches organic farming practices.

Diana and I talk about the significance of the Institute’s motto “healthy soil = healthy food = healthy people” and why it’s problematic that we’re losing topsoil 10 times faster than it’s being replaced.

We discuss the profitability of organic farming, especially in a time when many farmers sell their produce at break-even prices and live off of taxpayer-funded government subsidies.

Diana describes carbon farming, a practice that takes advantage of plants’ natural ability to sequester carbon dioxide and put it back into the soil, where it belongs.

This is a great interview and I’m really looking forward to it! If you know someone who’s passionate about organic food, farming, or sustainability, share this episode with them! You can find us at sustainabilitymatters.today. If you’d like to learn more about the Rodale Institute, visit their website at rodaleinstitute.org.

And let us know you’re listening to this episode on instagram! Tag us - @sustainabilitymatterstoday and @RodaleInstitute. We’d love to hear from you!

You can read the transcript of the episode here: bit.ly/Diana_Martin_SMT

Watch the episode here: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Diana-Martin

In this episode, I speak with Luke Peterson, a regenerative farmer based near Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. 

By mimicking nature, Luke believes that his farm improves the health of the soil and healthier soil grows healthier food. And healthier food means healthier communities, which in turn lead to healthier economies. 

On a grander scale, regenerative agriculture goes far beyond the importance of pollinators like bumblebees and butterflies flourishing on his farm: regenerative agriculture can actually have a direct impact on the strength of a country’s economy.

You can follow Luke and his farm on Instagram - https://bit.ly/2KrI5RS 

Resources

You can read the transcript of the episode here: bit.ly/Luke_Peterson_SMT

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Luke-Peterson

In this episode, my guest is Jay Manning, partner at Cascadia Law Group, an environmental law firm, based in Olympia, Washington, in the US.  In addition to working as an environmental attorney, Jay was the Chief of Staff for Washington Governor Christine Gregoire from 2009 to 2011.  He was the director of the Department of Ecology where he helped clean up and restore the Puget Sound and passed a bill on water management.  

Recently, Jay helped create and now currently supports the Pacific Coast Collaborative, a partnership between the states of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while spurring the economy. We discuss the economic opportunities governments have when they adopt environmentally friendly policies.  

We cover Jay’s experience of working with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make a positive impact on the environment.  From there, Jay describes his involvement at COP-21 where the Paris Agreement was signed.  Jay believes we have the capabilities to reverse climate change right now and hopes we’re able to take advantage of these advancements in technology. 

Resources  

Book recommendations:  Project Drawdown: http://bit.ly/2HKyxhR  

The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes: http://bit.ly/2HMzzKc  

Resources Cascadia Law Group website: https://www.cascadialaw.com

Cascadia policy solutions: http://cascadiapolicy.com 

Pacific Coast Collaborative: http://pacificcoastcollaborative.org/  

International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification: https://www.oaalliance.org/  

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/jay-manning-transcript

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Jay-Manning

In this episode, my guest is Camilla Goddard, founder and owner of Capital Bee (http://www.capitalbee.co.uk), an urban beekeeping operation in London, England. Camilla keeps around 70 beehives for businesses and organisations around London, teaches beekeeping courses on the rooftop of a 4-star luxury hotel, and finds homes for vulnerable bumblebees and honeybees.

Resources

Hornbeam wood purchased via https://woodlands.co.uk;

Varroa Mites feed on larvae: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor;

Quakers greatly value sustainability: https://www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/sustainability;

Beekeeping workshops at the St. Ermine's Hotel London: https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/offers/beekeeping-workshops/;

Urban beekeeping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_beekeeping;

Lime trees (aka Linden trees): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia;

Tree of Heaven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailanthus_altissima;

St Ermine's Bee and Bee Hotel: https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/about/bees-kitchen-garden/our-bees/;

To learn more about bee hotels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_hotel;

Amazon sells Insect Hotels: http://bit.ly/2H3qDQh 

Pesticide poisoning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_toxicity_to_bees;

Asian Hornets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_hornet;

Privets act as nectaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privet;

Capital Bee's Honey: http://www.capitalbee.co.uk/sites-and-honey/;

Bee Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_KD1enR3Q.

Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper: http://bit.ly/2H3qNqR

Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley: http://bit.ly/2Vk6WO9

Cooking with Honey by  Dr Paul J Vagg: http://bit.ly/2H6Ofn5

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/CamillaGoddardTranscript

 Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Camilla-Goddard