Organic vs. Conventional Agriculture

Updated 12/29/2011

Conventional agricultural practices were adopted after the end of World War II.  Rather than building soil health and biological diversity, they often strip essential minerals from the soil, which in turns requires the use of artificial and unnatural inputs to replenish nutrients in the soil.  In conventional farming and grape growing insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides are used in 99% of operations.  

Organic practices produce the same premium grapes (and wine).  The cornerstone of organic farming is the soil, and every organic farmer ties to maintain the health, biological activity and nutritional balance of his soil.  In an organic vineyard, that might mean cultivating the soil and planting cover crops instead of applying dangerous herbicides. It also may mean using natural fertilizers (for example, composted animal manure) as opposed to the conventional, chemical fertilizers.  Organic farms and vineyards rely on natural processes and do not use growth regulators (like Alar). Instead of using chemicals, the organic alternative uses natural insect predators to control pest outbreaks. 

Most organic farms and vineyards promote the concept of biodiversity, mimicking nature and allowing a diverse, complementary set of plants to grow in and around the vineyard.  This is healthy for the vineyard, the planet and farmers!  The biodiversity model helps regulate the vineyard environment by attracting beneficial insects, spiders and predatory mites. It provides shelter and food (pollen, nectar and other bugs) for natural predators, and replaces the need for chemical pesticides or insecticides.

 Conventional farmers and vineyards see weeds as a danger (or eyesore) to their crop and employ the use of chemical weed killers. The organic alternative is to allow the weeds to grow, then remove or trim them so that the cut weeds decompose, providing a source of natural compost. If it can’t be controlled through the biodiversity model, a vineyard or farm can still be managed organically with the use of naturally occurring plant or mineral extracts, leaving no residues in the soil.  Instead of poisoning the soil with synthetics, organic practices strictly forbid the use of all synthetic chemicals in the soil.  After observing first hand (or even just reading here) the conventional philosophy of “just spray it,” one starts to wonder why organic practices have been considered such a far out idea.  Nature should be natural?
 
Growing with organic principles and techniques protects the environment and the people who work in the vineyards. Organic is more than simply a way of farming. It is also a philosophy. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "We did not inherit the Earth from our forefathers, we are borrowing it from our descendants."