Today I went and checked our vineyard Yellow Rock, which is in the Sonoma Coast area. At this vineyard for the second season in a row we are using these amazing birds of prey, the Falcon. What an success it has been.
This vineyard is 70 acres so it does save a lot on the carbon footprint side of things. We are able to not use bird netting on the Pinot Noir at this site. It saves in tractor time and diesel, saves in manpower and also one less pass that the weight of the tractor compacts the root zone.
I wish we could do this in all of our vineyards where we need protection from the Starlings. But the falcon can patrol up to 300 plus acres (contiguous acres) that is. So for smaller vineyards that are here and there this probably wouldn’t work.
It is very long hours however for the Falconers, they are at the vineyard once we have version till harvest. From dusk till dawn. Thank you!
There is more to come on this topic.
Thanks,
Tony
