Agriculture forum: Imbibing sustainability

Oct. 12—Last month the Leelanau Conservation District hosted a conference to highlight the benefits of implementing ecological practices on perennial farms in the region. The speakers weaved the significant wisdom of pollinator habitat, improving soil and plant root health, and tools for maximizing photosynthesis and its relationship to soil health.

Everything in nature has a relationship with everything else when looked upon with a glaring lens. Mimicking this approach on agricultural lands not only will maximize the benefits of these ecosystem services, but can improve crop quality, yields and overall profitability.

As a technician of the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), I get to visit and meet with the most progressive growers in our region. MAEAP has a mission to ensure that Michigan farmers are engaging is cost-effective pollution prevention practices on their land. It is a proactive program that helps minimize agricultural pollution in our ecologically significant region.

There are over 250 commendable area growers enrolled in MAEAP who subscribe to the programs mission of protecting the natural resources with best agricultural practices.

There are some, especially in the grape growing and wine producing industry, that take sustainability to the fullest extent. Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certification is a highly rigorous program designed to assess the environmental, social and community health of vineyards and wineries.

Winegrowers are independently audited according to standards that look at sustainability in practices on every level from farm labor to agriculture — from energy conservation to water quality. This breadth and rigor mean that not every winegrower can attain a SIP Certified designation. In the vineyard and winery, managers must address SIP's three Es of sustainability: economic viability, environmental stewardship and social equity.

The standards, require a measurable, holistic set of practices addressing habitat, water, energy, soil, recycling, air quality, packaging, pest management, social justice and business management. An important theme of integrated wine production is the ability for winegrowers to evaluate their practices as a whole from block to bottle.

Aldo Leopold highlighted the simplicity of conservation with the following message, "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

There are many growers in this region who are doing things right and need to recognized. It was very refreshing to discover that there are two regional vineyards SIP certified: Shady Lane Cellars, managed by Andy Fles, and WaterFire Vineyards, owned and operated by Chantal Lefebvre.

These two SIP Certified vineyards are committed to making delicious and superior wines with a focus on environmental stewardship on their land. They put in a great amount of effort to ensure the health of their agricultural landscape and the Great Lakes of our region by not using herbicides, and very low-risk pesticides.

Every aspect of their growing practices minimizes impacts to the air and water in the neighboring surrounding ecosystems.

WaterFire Vineyards was the first vineyard in the Midwest to be certified "sustainable' and the first vineyard to be certified outside of California by SIP.

"Like lots of like-minded small farms our choice was based on the fact that we wanted to grow grapes in a way that made the entire endeavor safe and beneficial to everyone," Lefebvre said. "And then ultimately make fantastic wines."

WaterFire was not only looking to add validation to how they farm but also to find a community of like-minded people. "Growing wine grapes is unlike growing anything else," says Lefebvre. She was searching not just guidelines for farming responsibly but for a program that offered extensive resources for grape growers and pushes vineyards to expand sustainability into all aspects of their operation. Lefebvre researched different programs but from the moment she found SIP, she knew it was the right play.

"We have a great customer base that is built around our brand," she said. "It's our fans and our certification that make this journey worthwhile."

Having a passion for growing high quality fruit with the least amount of impact needs to be highlighted and should eventually be the standard for the sake of a healthy environment and community in our region. These vineyards are proof that high quality fruit can be produced without harmful chemicals, and the reward can be world-class wines.

So, as the you appreciate the natural beauty of northern Michigan this autumn, please appreciate those folks exerting extra effort to protect the agricultural ecosystems in which we travel through and rely on. And, of course, be thankful you can literally soak it all in sipping their sustainable wines.

Adam Brown is a Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program technician with the Leelanau Conservation District. He has a background in ecology and a B.S. from Western Michigan University in earth science with minors in environmental studies and biology. Prior to becoming a MAEAP technician he owned and managed a certified organic fruit and vegetable farm with his wife Haley Breniser, called Undertoe Farm in Kewadin. He has a passion for sustainable agriculture with a focus on soil health.