Dry Farming in the News

Crack open a fresh can of depression with these headlines from around the country.

A Fracker in Pennsylvania Wants to Take 1.5 Million Gallons a Day From a Small, Biodiverse Creek. Should the State Approve a Permit? by Jake Bolster of Inside Climate News

Why waste water on drinking when you can use it to irrigate your own oil well? /s

The EPA removes federal protections for most of the country's wetlands by James Doubek of OPB

It's cool, folks, we'll just do better on Earth 2.0. /s

Artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT was built in Iowa — with a lot of water by Matt O'Brien and Hannah Fingerhut of the Associated Press

Learn about the devastating effects of the latest ubiquitous buzzword: AI.

America Is Draining Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow by Mira Rojanasakul, Christopher Flavelle, Blacki Migliozzi, and Eli Murray of the New York Times

Drill, baby, drill. /s

Organizations to Know: Culinary Breeding Network

Culinary Breeding Network

The CBN is an organization that aims to identify and promote veggies, grains, and fruits that work well when grown organically. They organize seed trials and marketing events to promote products and networking. It was founded by Lane Selman, a professor at OSU, and works closely with Dry Farming Institute, Uprising Seeds, and other local organic farms, chefs and small grocers.

The CBN recently hosted Tomato Fest, a festival in honor of one of the most delicious and versatile orbs to grace our tables. Tomato Fest was held at Wellspent Market in the Kerns neighborhood of Portland.

A photo of the outdoor market for Tomato Fest 2023 at Wellspent Market in Portland.

Dry Farming in the News

Catch up on the latest news! This batch features research vineyards, marketing, and why you might be telling the grandkids tales of dragonflies.

Wine industry ponders new marketing strategies by Lee Allen of Western FarmPress

From how to appeal to younger drinkers to sustainability, Lee Allen dives into the topic of packaging.

These Vines Aren’t for Wine. They’re for Data. by Shana Clarke of VinePair

Explore climate change research vineyards with Shana Clarke and learn the who, what and why behind testing plots of vines. Who is behind these test plots? Growers include wineries growing massale selection vines for propagation, non-profit groups, and research institutes.

Like Canaries in a Coal Mine, Dragonflies Signal Threats to Freshwater Ecosystems by Juanita Gordon

Feel like you're seeing less dragonflies? There's a reason. And it's terrible.

Tomato Fest in PDX

Join the Culinary Breeding Network at Wellspent Market on Saturday, September 16th between 11 am - 3 pm for the third annual Tomato Fest! Taste dry farmed tomatoes (and melon), talk with chefs and farmers, and more. This event is open to the public and will showcase locally grown produce.

Click here for more information!

Harvest Podcast Recommendations

Working hard this harvest, or hoping to join in the fun? Check out these podcasts featuring research into winegrowing and water usage as well as a Portland-based podcast that includes an interview with our founder, John Paul, of Cameron Winery!

Vineyard Underground:

Episode of Interest: #023 Debunking the Low Yield = High Quality Myth with Dr. Patty Skinkis

Dr. Skinkis is a well known researcher in viticulture at Oregon State University. Listen as she discusses recent research on yields. Read her recent paper with the OSU's Oregon Wine Research Institute on cluster thinning here [pdf] for more on the topic or sign up for OWRI's newsletter here.

The Four Top:

Episode of Interest: 122: Gray Water for Green Vineyards

This episodes features Dr. Peter Gleick, founder of the Pacific Institute, and Miguel García, PhD., with the Napa County Resource Conservation District. They discuss water use, recycling, dry farming and more.

A highlight of the episode? By the numbers: 80% of CA freshwater goes to agriculture and 3% goes to wine production. On average, 3-6 gallons of water are used just in the winery per gallon of wine, though that can climb up to 10-15 gallons. The target quantity for Napa Green for vineyards only water use is 240 gallons of water per gallon of wine. Listen for even more insights.

Winesplained

Episode of Interest: 2: Guest John Paul from Cameron Winery

This podcast by Adam Rack and Joel Gunderson was developed for Coopers Hall. In the featured episode, listen to their interview with John Paul of Cameron Winery, a drc founder, discuss the history of sustainability in Oregon winegrowing.

John Paul, a drc founder as well as the owner and winemaker of Cameron Winery, on his truck.

Revino's Plan to Save the Planet (With Refillable Wine Bottles)

Founded in 2021 by Adam Rack and Keenan O’Hern, Revino aims to reduce the carbon footprint of wine by offering refillable bottles. The company will collect, wash, and redistribute their proprietary bottle that is designed to last up to 50 fills. Starting in Oregon and using the Oregon BottleDrop collection sites to streamline the process for the wine consumers, their aim is national.

Bottle design by Revino; Image copyright Revino; Used with permission.

The company notes in their press release that over 16 billion glass bottles and containers are used annually, but less than 30% are recycled. The average glass wine bottle takes 1.28 kg of CO2 to produce and dispose of and is most often sourced internationally. Alternatives like cans, Tetra Paks, and bag in box do not offer the cellaring capabilities or unique presentation of a 750ml glass bottle. Recycling itself is not without carbon impacts: it takes significant amounts of energy to melt the glass down so it can be reshaped into a new product.

By offering reusable containers with an efficient distribution and collection network, the carbon impacts are significantly reduced. Revino states that it will take only three cycles for their bottles to “break even on carbon emissions.”

Bottles are launching in the spring of 2024, though interested wineries can sign up for the program now on their website. Interested end consumers can check out the list of participating wineries here and keep an eye out on shelves for bottles stamped “REFILLABLE.” The initial phase is intended for sales and consumption within Oregon, so out of state consumers wishing to participate are encouraged to talk with the winery regarding returning empty bottles.

*Please note, this post was not sponsored and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as an endorsement.

Sustainability In The News

Sustainable September: Keep up to date with the latest news about dry farming, water and sustainable agriculture.

Brooks Wine Named #28 of the World’s Best Vineyards

One of our members in the news!

Dry farm researchers’ new mapping project will give Oregon growers a resource by Brian Bull for KLCC/NPR

Read about the new dry farm mapping project helmed by Lucas Nebert of OSU and the Dry Farming Institute.

The next pandemic could strike crops, not people by Saima Sidik for Grist

Learn how our modern commodity farming could be devastated by the next pandemic.

These five cities could be one natural disaster away from a catastrophic water crisis by Rachel Ramirez and Eric Levenson of CNN

The drinking water crisis in the USA explored.

When Drought Gripped Minnesota in 2021, Farmers Increased Water Usage by Dionne Searcey and Mira Rojanasakul of the NYT

This article explores how irrigation was overused in response to the 2021 drought in Minnesota, threatening local drinking water supplies, and how this crisis is likely to be repeated.

Happy Sustainability September!

That’s right, drc is announcing a new push to encourage sustainability with our first annual Sustainability September. We’ll be featuring wineries and wine- and farming-related organizations and businesses that are revolutionizing sustainability.

Portland Wine Co.'s Electric Forklift and a stack of pallets

Forest Fires in the News

New Data Confirms: Forest Fires Are Getting Worse by James MacCarthy, Sasha Tyukavina, Mikaela Weisse and Nancy Harris of the World Resources Institute

The title says it all, though the maps and data say it louder...

Wondering how your farm can manage wildfires? Read CAFF's guide on wildfire and food safety here.

West Coast Wine in the News

Slow start to wine grape harvest by Lee Allen of Western FarmPress

A look at the start of harvest in California.

Ste. Michelle informs growers of 40% decrease in grape need by Sean P. Sullivan of the Northwest Wine Report

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates had some bad news for its grape growers.

New Data Says U.S. Produces the Most High-ABV Wines in the World by Olivia White of Vinepair

There's something happening here, but what it is, is over-irrigation it's clear.