Continuing Education
It's one thing to be able to say that your grapes are grown sustainably, but to be able to explain to someone what that really means is a different story.
But what exactly does it take for a winery to be more sustainable?
To celebrate California Wine Month, we're highlighting winners. From farm hiking trails open to the community to a bio-fuel-powered fleet, you’ll be inspired by these stories.
By acting environmentally and socially responsible today, we get future generations, a healthy place to call home. The actions that you as an individual take, have an impact.
Have you ever been asked “What’s the difference between organic and sustainable?”
Did you know that employees who are regularly trained report higher levels of motivation, performance, and company loyalty?
Research conducted by Harris Poll revealed that 82% of shoppers prefer a consumer brand’s values to align with their own, and they’ll vote with their wallet if they don’t feel a match.
There are a lot of buzzwords today surrounding eco-friendly production...
“Food disconnect” is a term used to describe the average consumer's lack of knowledge about where their food comes from and how it’s made. When it comes to wine, most people only see the finished product: what’s in their glass.
Talley Vineyards believes that when each member of the team has a diversity of skills, the team as a whole is stronger.
Sustainable Ag Expo - the premiere sustainable winegrowing event of the year - is coming November 14-15, 2023.
Looking for a fun group project for the upcoming slow season? Grab your team and create a Sustainable QR Tour!
We are making it easy for you to regularly create content that entices, educates, and inspires your audience on social media.
97% of people start their search for a local business online. When someone looks up your business, what do they find? Are your images and videos up to date? If not, we can help.
Cliff Ohmart, Principal of Ohmart Consulting Services reflects on his 40-year career in agriculture.
Sustainability is being talked about more and more these days. This online course helps you learn what it means to be sustainable, how sustainability adds value to your wine, and how you can use storytelling to sell more wine.
In 2017, Jean-Pierre Wolff decided that rather than replanting his vines on the same rootstocks, he would convert to drought-resistant rootstocks and plant them three feet into the ground.
When it comes to labor and employment, the best thing that you can do is be proactive, says Anthony P. Raimondo, Attorney, and Founder of Raimondo Miller A Law Corporation.
Not all wine tasters are alike - a major understatement. As traffic ebbs and flows in tasting rooms, it’s evident that interests, price points, and preferences differ. It’s important to know how to talk to each of them about sustainability.
As a wine producer, you owe it to yourself to talk about your sustainable practices as much as you can. Amanda Wittstrom Higgins, Principal at Full Cup Solutions explains that you never know what unique story about your brand will engage your next consumer, trade account, team member, or press writer.
Your website is the hub for your brand’s core information: location, history, shop, and more. It’s where people come to learn more about what you have to offer and why they should support your business.
While telling your sustainable story serves a practical purpose in educating consumers about the real-world impact of your sustainable practices, it also goes deeper than that: it builds meaningful emotional connections.
Employees who are regularly trained and educated report higher levels of motivation, performance, company loyalty, and more. Here's how you can easily train your team.
It’s here! The tool that you need to tell your Sustainable Story.
We know our SIP Certified members are generous donors in the community. Last week, we shared the exciting news about the expansion of our Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship. In the same spirit of giving back, this week, we want to acknowledge some of the ways SIP Certified brands give back.
Vineyard Team’s Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship provides multi-year, higher education investments in the children of vineyard and winery workers on California’s Central Coast based on academic excellence, financial need, and community involvement. The majority of awardees are first-generation college students. This funding supports students and their families in achieving their dreams of successful graduation from a trade, or two- or four-year school to pursue a professional career.
We talked to a few of our IP Certified members about how they make sustainability a familiar and comfortable topic among their sales and hospitality staff.
Does your team understand what sustainable winegrowing is? We have made a great online course that will help anyone learn the basics of sustainability and the SIP Certified Program! And, do not worry, you do not need to be in the SIP Certified program to take advantage of this class.
People today are growing increasingly environmentally conscious. WWF commissioned global research by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2021 (An Eco Awakening) that found that searches for sustainable goods have increased globally by 71% since 2016. If you're not telling consumers that your business is run sustainably, now's the time to start!
The warm summer months attract tourists and locals alike to the beautiful wineries and tasting rooms of popular winegrowing regions. With this predictable increase in consumer traffic in mind, it's a good idea to educate your consumer-facing staff about your sustainable practices so they are prepared to share your brand's values with new and returning patrons while serving up your latest creations.
Your brand's website is an excellent hub for consumers to find your brand's core information, such as your address, hours of operation, menu, shop, history, and awards. But what can you to do connect with your loyal supporters in their daily lives? Regularly post on social media, of course!
Any employee working during “Night Work”, defined as Between Sunset and Sunrise, must be working with illumination no less than as stated in Table 1 of Section 3449. The employer shall provide and maintain hands-free portable personal lighting or area lighting or both to employees. There is a note that does state there can be a combination of area lighting and a headlamp to help meet the requirement.
When agricultural work is conducted outdoors during hours of darkness, employees face hazards due to a decrease in their ability to see, as well as be seen by others, including those operating mobile agricultural equipment and vehicles. Two Cal/OSHA standards address these hazards. California Code of Regulations, title 8, section 3449 sets requirements to prevent employee exposure to hazards during agricultural operations at night.
The pandemic changed many things about our daily rituals, not least among them being the way we shop and the businesses we choose to support. Wine Club memberships and various online channels continue to offer consumers easy ways to stock up on a selection of wines curated to their unique preferences. Gaynor Strachan Chun, Head of Brand Strategy for WineGlass Marketing explains what these changes mean for wine clubs in her article, Is Your Wine Club Keeping Up With Modern Subscription Models?
While many industries slowdown in the summer, the warmer, longer days bring a boost of activity in the world of wine. We can always expect to see an increase in tourists and locals looking to explore the wineries and vineyards in the coming summer months, all while the excitement of harvest brews behind the scenes. Here are some tips to help prepare you for the busy season ahead!
The introductory voice and producer of this podcast, Beth Vukmanic, joined Jaime Lewis of CONSUMED in the much-awaited season nine. The CONSUMED podcast stokes candid conversation about life and flavor, ten episodes at a time. Today we are sharing this interview where we talk not only about sustainable vineyard farming but also the Bethercize fitness programs, being born on a freeway, and playing the harp. Enjoy this rebroadcast.
The 2020 pandemic showed many brands how social media can be an important means of communication. Heather Daenitz of Craft & Cluster helps wines brands tell their grape to glass story with photography and social media.
Today, 40% of the California wine industry does not have a Farm Advisor. Four industry veterans discuss retirements and recruitment for UC Cooperative Extension and brainstorm how the industry can fill this void through PCAs, consultants and organizations like the Vineyard Team and Lodi Winegrowers.
While wineries can maintain business operations during COVID-19, day to day operations look much different than they did the first few months of 2020. Hear how three wineries are adapting to their new way of doing business.
Kacy Smith, Health and Wellness Coordinator & Michael Parola, Assistant Ranch Manager and Sustainability Director, Smith Family Wines talk about the social equity component of sustainability at Smith Family Wines.
Dr. Stephanie Bolton, Sustainable Winegrowing Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission, talks about sustainable farming in the Lodi winegrowing region.
Paul Crout, Agronomist, Helena AgriEnterprises and Vice-Chair, California Association of Pest Control Advisers, talks about the mismatch between farming and the perceptions and beliefs people have about agriculture.
Kris Beal, M.S., Executive Director of Vineyard Team, recounts some of the history of the organization, it’s current activities and what the future holds in store.
Marc Lea, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, San Luis Obispo County Ag and Lottie Martin, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office talk about using pesticides safely and recycling pesticide containers.
Ashley Poupart explores why sustain practices are important to the wine and winegrape industries followed by an overview and comparison of the major sustainability certifications available to vineyards.
Betsey Nash, owner of Nash HR Services, brings the listener up to speed on best hiring practices, HR regulations and HR best practices.
This chart shows the relative impacts on beneficial insects of 36 common insecticides.
Peter Work - Owner, Winemaker, and Vineyard Manager of Ampelos Cellars - recounts how becoming a certified organic vineyard led to becoming Demeter® biodynamic certified and eventually Sip Certified®.
A list of topics that must be discussed during training sessions with employees over the course of the year as part of require Worker Protection Standard training. (Current as of March, 2018)
Amy Wolfe, President/CEO of AgSafe, discusses changes to the Worker Protection Standard including worker training, decontamination, and emergency response training.
Chandra Krintz, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science, University of California Santa Barbara explains how scientists and engineers are working on a computer system that will help farmers make better decisions using data analytics.
A list of questions you should discuss with your irrigation dealer before purchasing an irrigation system. This will help you make better decisions about system design options. You will also understand the obligations of both yourself and the dealer when designing your irrigation system.
Night harvesting has many benefits, but it also comes with its own safety concerns. Here’s how to keep your people safe this harvest.
Doug Beck, Science Advisor for Monterey Pacific Inc., talks about the different types of technology used in the vineyard.
Greg Gonzalez, Director of Vineyard Operations at Scheid Vineyards, discusses the ins and outs of sustainability practices.
On Jan 1, 2017, Worker Protection Standards (WPS) were updated. Here's what you need to know. In English and Spanish.