Instead of paying into external carbon offsetting schemes, The Wine Society decided in 2024 to allocate funds to share between our producers to help with projects that they were working on. Part of the commitment made by the winners of our Climate & Nature fund was to provide us with progress updates and share knowledge gained with fellow wine producers.
A hive of activity at Scheid Family Wines
Scheid Family Wines in California put its support towards obtaining a Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) certification, provided by Pollinator Partnership. The project involves providing and maintaining habitat and food for these precious pollinators. Among other things, this included the planting of 1,100m of hedgerows made up of a mix of plants that ensures there is flowering all year round; planting of one acre of native crops to provide food for the bees (such as native rangeland, flowering annuals like wild mustard and fiddleneck); the planting of perennial flowers (California poppy, yellow star thistle, salt heliotrope); plus a further 1.7 acres of cover-crop flowers planted in the vine rows.
By adopting bee-friendly farming practices we can contribute to the long-lasting conservation of native bee-hive populations as well as diversify our wildlife ecosystem.
What was required to obtain certification?
To obtain Bee Friendly Farming certification the following criteria was needed:
- Offer forage providing good nutrition for bees on 3-6% of land
- Plant continuous bloom of different flowering plants throughout the growing season, especially in early spring and late autumn in temperate regions
- Offer clean water for bees
- Provide a variety of habitat for nesting and mating, through features such as hedgerows, natural brush, or buffer strips
- Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM); reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals
- Pay the annual $35 certification fee.
Scheid turned to experts Blue Moon nursery in Carmel to supply more than 800 different plants, ensuring a good variety which would come into bloom across the seasons. This was in addition to the plants sourced for the permanent hedgerows. Groundwater irrigation reservoirs provide ample water for the bees and Scheid already have sustainable spraying practices in place having farmed this plot organically for three years. When spraying is necessary, they only use approved bee-friendly products (no neonicotinoids), and only spray at night (avoiding peak –bee-foraging time) and have a buffer distance between hedge and vineyard rows.
Digging in
Paying the $35 fee was the easy part! Preparing the land for planting and maintenance of the new plants was far more demanding.
Before planting the hedges, the hardpan had to be broken up and topsoil cultivated, and a three-foot wide planting bed established. Irrigation lines had to be set up and once planted, six inches of mulch and organic compost placed around the new plantings. Weeding and maintenance is ongoing as well as taking out and replacing any plants that didn’t take in the initial planting.
Drill seeding between the rows was necessary for the cover crops after a disk was run over the land to help cultivate the ground ready for the seeds. Overhead sprinklers and rain helped irrigate the cover crops planted in four-foot-wide strips amongst the vines.
What’s next?
Scheid are now in a good place to get their BFF certification, but it doesn’t end there. Excessive heat over the summer months meant that some of the plants died and will need replacing, work planned for December.
The BFF task force will continue to monitor the success of the project after it has been running for at least six months. To help them to do this, Scheid must supply geotagged images to demonstrate that they are continuing to comply with all the guidelines and are committed to its long-term success. After this, the team will continue to complete compliance forms every three years.
We look forward to hearing from Scheid Family Wines on the long-term effects of their bee-friendly farming and how this is making a difference to the wines we enjoy.
