Classes from SA’s first regenerative verified wine farm

Many South African farmers have adopted conservation agriculture practices through the years, corresponding to minimal tillage, crop rotation, and soil protection via stubble retention or mulches.

These practices have delivered tangible advantages, starting from improved soil well being and construction to higher water-holding capability, lowered erosion, and elevated resilience throughout droughts and floods.

Wilhelm Joubert, viticulturist of Hartenberg Wine Property in Stellenbosch within the Western Cape, nonetheless, believes these practices can solely take you thus far: “To unlock their full potential, you must add an animal issue – and handle these animals correctly.”

Whereas animal integration is commonly touted as a regenerative apply, Joubert cautions that it’s continuously used fairly as a advertising gimmick than being meaningfully applied.

“Many operations these days declare to be regenerative, however when you dig deeper, the animals will not be taking part in a useful position within the system,” he says.

At Hartenberg, authenticity drives the method. Stellenbosch College has been invited to check the impacts of their regenerative transition, with South Africa Wine persevering with the analysis to get longer-term outcomes.

Though the preliminary examine interval has been too quick for agency conclusions to be drawn, early findings counsel that fertilising cowl crops brings minimal advantages when it comes to dry matter manufacturing or cattle weight achieve.

Joubert says that features are so small that it doesn’t justify the extra enter prices.

Since embarking on this journey, the property has additionally been evaluating wines from regenerative blocks to wines from non-regenerative blocks. Nonetheless, nearly all its vineyards, apart from controls, have been switched to regenerative agriculture since 2023.

“Neither of the wines are higher than the opposite,” says Joubert, “however there’s a noticeable distinction. The regenerative wines are inclined to have decrease alcohol content material, and in my opinion are extra elegant and have a method nearer to European wines, which is consistent with the present market pattern.”

Using cowl crops had been a part of Hartenberg’s manufacturing practices, initially to suppress weeds, earlier than Joubert joined the farm in 2006.

At first, they solely used single-species grains corresponding to triticale and oats, however over time transitioned to multispecies mixes tailor-made to the distinctive wants of every winery block.

A typical combine now consists of two varieties of grains – one fast-grower like feeding barley or rye, and one slow-grower like oats – to make sure a sustained biomass via the season.

It additionally accommodates two nitrogen-fixing legumes, like medics, clover or grazing vetch, and not less than one plant with a deep taproot like chicory or radish to alleviate compaction.

After they began planting cowl crops, some soils have been so compacted that they required three rounds of discing to plant in it. The whole winery ground was additionally sprayed with herbicides to regulate weeds and stop competitors with the vines.

“At the moment, we use no herbicides, and the soil is barely disturbed as soon as through the planting of the duvet crops,” says Joubert.

A no-till planter is used wherever the row widths allow – on a lot of the farm – whereas a light-weight disc motion is utilized in narrower rows to replant seed within the earlier 12 months’s plant rests.
One of many key classes Joubert realized with regenerative farming was to begin small.

“Check your concepts on a small space, so you may establish and iron out the issues earlier than you scale up,” he advises.

He speaks from expertise: “The primary time we tried to go herbicide-free, I tackled too massive an space. By November, the weeds had grown as much as hip top and we even tried to make use of pangas to hack them down. I realized rapidly that any change wants a correct plan.”

The farm used to purchase in Nguni Angus crosses to graze and add worth to fallow land. Nonetheless, the dry summer time of 2019 pressured Joubert to rethink his method. Moderately than cut back inventory or purchase extra land, he sought methods to handle the veld extra successfully.

This led him to the work of regenerative farming pioneers corresponding to Allan Savory, Joel Salatin, Gabe Brown, and Greg Judy.

Though electrical fencing was already used to regulate the motion of the cattle, his analysis led him to modify to smaller grazing areas and shorter grazing intervals, which considerably boosted regrowth and biodiversity.

To revitalise barren clay patches, he additionally unfold seed in these areas and added straw on high of it to pay attention cattle exercise there. “Inside a 12 months, the naked spots have been gone,” he remembers.

Inspired by these outcomes, Joubert proposed integrating the cattle into the vineyards to graze the duvet crops. With buy-in from the remainder of the farm group, they ran preliminary trials on a number of rows, monitoring organic and chemical adjustments within the soil earlier than and after grazing.

“We noticed particular enhancements in soil biology range after simply seven weeks,” says Joubert.

Nonetheless, he cautions towards changing into overly targeted on short-term outcomes.

“It takes time to see adjustments in soil well being and construction. Climate and different exterior elements can even skew outcomes. What issues is constant monitoring over time, on the identical places and on the identical time of 12 months, utilizing the identical checks. That’s the way you monitor long-term tendencies.”

He additionally stresses the significance of holistic interpretation: “Don’t get tunnel imaginative and prescient about carbon ranges or any single indicator. You want to take a look at the entire image. Regenerative farming is all about stability.”

At the moment, Hartenberg has 5 livestock herds made up of both 25 Ankole cattle or 50 Dexter cattle.

The animals are divided into smaller herds of eight to 12, relying on the breed, goal, and biosecurity concerns.

These embrace two Ankole herds, every with a bull from completely different bloodlines, a herd of Dexter oxen, a herd of Dexter cows with their offspring, and a newly launched herd of Dexter oxen and heifers.

From June to October, when the vineyards are dormant, the cattle graze the duvet crops.
The duvet crops are replanted yearly from 8 to 18 April, utilizing the earlier season’s natural matter as a seedbed.

Joubert says he experimented by not replanting cowl crops on 18ha of winery blocks, of which six had not been replanted with cowl crops since 2011.

These blocks have been left to self-seed and have been able to be grazed as early as April. “Previously, we might solely graze every part as soon as. Now, these blocks enable for 2 grazing rotations earlier than the cattle have to be eliminated,” he says.

These vineyards will likely be monitored and reseeded as wanted in future seasons.
Joubert can also be exploring the acquisition of a baler, which might enable them to reap extra cowl crop biomass that is still ungrazed after October.

From October onward, surplus Dexter oxen are slaughtered and used to provide hamburger patties and steak for the Hartenberg restaurant – merchandise that, in line with Joubert, have change into so common that demand continually outstrips provide.

Managing livestock motion throughout vineyards requires a mixture of methods. The Dexter cattle, being smaller and extra docile, are simply managed utilizing sheep gates. The Dexters are moved every day and solely graze a number of rows at a time.

Over weekends the rows to which they’ve entry are doubled to stop breakouts after they may in any other case run out of recent grazing.

The bigger and extra strong Ankole cattle require each wire fencing and electrical wires to handle their motion. They’re moved much less continuously – sometimes on Mondays and Fridays – with the motion schedules tailored in line with the climate.

“If it rains, we transfer them faster to cut back the danger of soil compaction,” says Joubert.

Dorper sheep are additionally used to wash up after the cattle within the vineyards, though they’re principally stored out of sight because of the threat of inventory theft, whereas Indian runner geese have been acquired to assist with pest management, and geese to guard the geese towards predators.

With regards to recommendation to different farmers, Joubert is obvious: regenerative farming will not be a recipe that may merely be copied and pasted. It’s a systems-based method that have to be tailor-made to every farm’s particular circumstances.

“You want to observe rigorously and refine your practices to fit your context. And you will need to hold reassessing them, since you are working with a dwelling system. What works right now may not work tomorrow.”

He additionally cautions that regenerative farming will not be for everybody. “If you happen to should not have a really feel for animals, you’ll need to make use of somebody who does, as a result of livestock want cautious, attentive administration.”

Choosing the proper sort of livestock is simply as essential. Measurement, temperament, and ease of dealing with all play a job in figuring out whether or not an animal will match properly into the broader system.

Farmers additionally have to assess the carrying capability of their farms. “As a substitute of sustaining livestock year-round, some is likely to be higher off shopping for in animals for a part of the 12 months and ending them off earlier than promoting,” he explains.

At Hartenberg, a number of hectares of previous vineyards have been eliminated prior to now 12 months. Of those, 3ha will likely be planted to everlasting pastures to extend the farm’s carrying capability through the months when the cattle are faraway from the vineyards.

Does conservation agriculture make monetary sense? For the Ankole, Joubert says it’s too early to inform, because the farm continues to be build up its stud herd. The Dexter cattle, nonetheless, have proved their value – producing a brand new earnings stream, serving to to diversify dangers, and bringing the farm-to-table expertise.

The mixing of livestock and canopy crops has additionally considerably lowered enter prices. The farm not makes use of herbicides or fertilisers to spice up cowl crop development. Concurrently, the system has improved soil well being and inspired biodiversity, together with a rise in helpful bugs.

There are additionally much less tangible, however equally significant advantages. “The animals have added one other dimension to the farm. It doesn’t really feel as industrial as many wine farms lately, and is drawing extra guests,” says Joubert.

“We now have additionally developed past being simply wine farmers to cowl crop and livestock farmers too. We’re not simply adapting to alter, however constructing a system that may thrive in it,” he says.

For extra data electronic mail Wilhelm Joubert at [email protected].