SUSTAINABLE VINEYARD MANAGEMENT

RoxyAnn Winery and Hillcrest Orchard are dedicated to conserving the land for the health of our family, our wines, and for future generations. With this in mind, RoxyAnn vineyards strives to cultivate our soil under sustainable land management practices. We use cover crops, compost, and in-row cultivation to produce a natural cycle of nutrition and organic matter in the vineyard. and other time-tested agricultural techniques that support a living, healthy soil and prevent damage to the ecosystems that surround our vineyards. We take extra care to prevent soil erosion, limit our water use to protect the aquifers we share with neighbors, and respect wildlife habitat.

RoxyAnn is proud to announce that we are new members in the Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) organization. As members of LIVE, our goals and practices include creating and maintaining quality fruit production by using sustainable agriculture practices. As wine grape growers, we are concerned about making a valuable product, while at the same time promoting the quality of our land and the environment.

The LIVE program is a system of sustainable practices including: Integrated Pest Management strategies, which emphasize the use of beneficial insects to control insect pests; extensive use of ground covers in and around vineyards to prevent soil erosion, provide weed control and maintain and build soil structure and fertility; and minimum use and targeted application of pesticides to promote fruit quality and protect water quality.

The LIVE program was originally formed by a small group of Oregon wine-grape growers who wanted to establish a process of certifying vineyards that comply with a specific set of sustainable production practices. The benefits of LIVE certification are that it helps growers reduce costs by improving efficiency. It also gives recognition to growers who use sustainable production practices, and like the Salmon-Safe program, LIVE certification offers a marketing opportunity for growers to showcase their committment to sustainable farming.