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32 WINES&VINES April 2017 Grounded Grapegrowing C ertified organic and Biodynamic winegrowing are separate systems that use independent third-party organizations to verify members are following prescribed farming practices. Winegrowers have their vineyards certified for a variety of reasons, including pursuing market niches, addressing environmental stewardship and also wine quality. There are costs that are incurred when cer- tifying and following the standards of these alternative farming systems. Before deciding to commit to a different way of wine- growing, it is helpful to know what the potential costs are relative to what you can expect in income from the sales of fruit. A recent University of California cost study can help winegrowers by giving them a reference point to begin a potential budget for determining what expenses to antici- pate if a winegrower is interested in certifying their vineyard as organic or Biodynamic. The process Cost studies are developed by economists from the UC Agriculture and Resource Economics Department at UC Davis in collaboration with UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors. The UC Davis economists track typical farming costs across many farming enterprises including general operational expenses for tractors, imple- ments, harvesters, pesticide applications, fuel, fertilizers and general overhead including ranch vehicles, office expenses and other variable costs. Additionally, they work with UC farm advisors to describe "typical" farm- ing system production practices in a calendar year in specific regions. Vineyard size, fixed assets and land costs are determined, and assumptions about farming practices are made in terms of vineyard floor manage- ment, canopy management, pest management, harvesting and any other needs to farm the vineyard in a way that is typi- cal of the region. Finally, a panel of growers is con- sulted to review the practices and share production costs incurred. The data are aggregated and tabulated, reviewed by all participants and then made available online, where they can be viewed and downloaded as PDF files. Growers are encouraged to com- pare their costs against those of the cost study to determine their own budgets. The cost studies are updated fairly often and also are used by lending institutions, insurance com- panies and others wanting to find accurate production costs. The study referenced in this article is "2016 Sample Costs to Produce Wine Grapes Red & White Varieties Using Bio- dynamic Farm Standard-Principles North Coast Mendocino County Crush District 1." It can be accessed at coststudies. ucdavis.edu/current/. Scroll down to the section on Grapes/ Wine North Coast Mendocino 2016 Biodynamic and Or- ganic Production Practices. Assumptions in the study Our study is based on farming practices in the Northern Russian River Watershed of Mendocino County, which is warm and dry for most of the growing season. Organic and Biodynamic growers farm in very similar ways. Organic farming practices are the base from which Biodynamic winegrowers start, but then they must follow additional farming practices set out in the Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard. This document outlines how the farm must be organized and details additional activi- ties and limitations of materials used in crop production. Both systems require the use of naturally derived fertilizers and crop protec- tants (yes, organic and Biodynamic growers do have naturally occurring chemicals that they spray to control pests and diseases). Both groups use under-the-vine cultivation or mowing for weed control since traditional herbicides aren't allowed. A major differ- ence is that all the area of a Bio- dynamic farm has to be c o m p l e t e l y c e r t i f i e d , whereas organic farms allow certification of particular blocks within the vineyard as long as buffer zones are main- n GLENN McGOURTY Production Costs for Alternative Winegrowing Farming Systems