A Thousand Gods
I like to think that when Simon Sharpe and Lauren Keenan heard they'd been named The Real Review Rising Star of the Year, they cried out "miladiou!"
The ‘walk-in-the-rain vineyard survey’ – checking for runoff and potential contamination – is part of Project Raumatatiki, a digital tool being developed to integrate with Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand when the revised Freshwater Farm Plan regulations come into place.
Bridget is project coordinator for Project Raumatatiki, and Stanley Estates is one of the 38 vineyards around the country involved in the pilot since March.
Steve, who completed the plan, says he identified several risks on their vineyard, including grazing stock, waterways on the block and boundary, and the use of fertiliser. But there weren’t any surprises for the grower, who knows the 12-hectare estate rain and shine, and already mitigates those risks through permanent and grazing fencing, along with judicious timing for fertiliser.
He says much of Project Raumatatiki’s freshwater guidance should be common sense for growers who know their land. “With good viticultural farming practice, one would be doing those things already… You just have to think about how you do things to meet the requirements.”
Bridget says the digital tool starts by gathering a short history of the vineyard, including any riparian plantings or fencing already in place. It then moves into mapping the vineyard, infrastructure and waterways, and any cultural or community sites, including special plants and spaces significant to tangata whenua or the wider community. Then come more in-depth questions about potential risks, such as nitrogen, sediment, phosphorous, and pathogens from stock grazing the vineyard, and an assessment of the risk level as low, medium or high.
Stage four requires actions to mitigate the risks, with guidance given on the likes of stock management and fencing, which needs to be set back from any waterway, and also on riparian planting, such as gossamer grass to contain sediment. It also explains why spraying the edge of waterways increases the risk of runoff, Bridget says. Growers can also tap into existing industry guidelines for insights. Some blocks will have very few risks that require additional mitigation, Bridget says. “It might be that you are already doing everything. But all growers will need to consider their obligations under the Freshwater Farm Plan regulations when they are released later this year.”
Find information on the pilot, including industry guidelines, the walk-in-the-rain-survey and explanatory webinars, at nzwine.com/members/sustainability/SWNZ/fwfp/
