Soil

We are more than a little obsessive about soil—building it, repairing it, feeding it. It is the basis of all life on our farm and as such, it receives a lot of our care and attention. In September 2019, Beaufort became the first organically certified vineyard on Vancouver Island. All our vineyard acres and crop lands are certified through the Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS #16-799). A wholehearted commitment to sustainable and regenerative farming guides everything we do at Beaufort. In addition to grapes, we grow apples, hazelnuts, haskap berries, sour cherries, garlic and a host of cover crops like barley, clover and legumes. Land stewardship, responsible land management and accountability are the core tenets of our farming practice. 

Crop Diversity

Crop diversity underpins much of what we refer to as sustainable farming.  This also allows us to inch closer to a closed loop farming system, whereby the inputs we require for our fruits, nuts and vegetables are provided from within the boundary of our farm. While many of our cover crops work in symbiosis with vines as nitrogen fixers, we also harvest these plants for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to our soils by way of green manure. Green manure (or green compost) creates nitrogen-rich humus, which in turn increases soil fertility and tilth. In organic farming, robust soils that teem with minerals and microfauna are of the utmost importance; healthy soil helps channel nutrients to crops in the most effective, and most efficient way. 

Research & Experimentation

Our farming practices are not always proven however; many are experimental in nature. Our aim is to find the most sustainable way of producing food—a task we undertake with patience and humility. We continue to collect data on the efficacy of amendments and various techniques, like regulated deficit irrigation for example. Our Irrometer stations record temperatures and moisture levels in the soil, as well as temperatures in the vineyard canopy. There are multiple probes throughout the vineyard, which, when hooked up to a computer, provide us with metrics to better understand our vineyard’s overall health. We also experiment with various mulches and weed suppressors (like barley straw and wood chips), as well as biochar to increase soil biodiversity. 

By employing technology in tandem with ancient techniques, we can adapt our practices quickly to bolster our resilience in the face of a global climate crisis. We are always eager to discuss what we’re up to on the farm so drop us a line, or better still–visit our tasting room during the season.