Vineyards

Salmon-Safe is pleased to announce the release of Good for Farmers. Good for Fish, an inspiring new video from the Washington Water Project of Trout Unlimited filmed on location in Washington's interior Columbia Basin. The four-minute video features Salmon-Safe pioneer in the Methow watershed Blue Bird Grain Farm as well as Bartella Farm in the Okanogan watershed.

We've wrapped up our vineyard site assessment season and now we're adding to the  Salmon-Safe wine list just in time to ring in the new year. Since 1996, we've joined with our collaborating certification organizations LIVE and Oregon Tilth to certify more than 250 Salmon-Safe vineyards.

British Columbia vineyards are among the most recent additions to Oregon’s expanding Salmon Safe program. “Protecting the salmon, for us, is as important as protecting all other components in the system,” said David Avery, principal of 2,000-case Lotusland Vineyards in Abbotsford. Lotusland sources grapes from 35 acres of vineyard at seven sites in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley in the shadow of Washington state’s Mount Baker.

Last month we joined with Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF)  and Fraser Basin Council to launch Salmon-Safe in British Columbia  (read the Vancouver Sun Salmon-Safe feature). A few weeks later and Salmon-Safe

A new eco-certification program that ensures B.C. ranchers, farmers and winemakers adopt practices that protect salmon and salmon habitat will officially launch Wednesday. A non-profit foundation based in Portland, Salmon Safe has already certified 22 ranches and farms in British Columbia during a one-year pilot and training program, according to Michelle Tung, manager of Salmon Safe BC. 

Salmon-Safe today released a mid-stream update to our all-new farm standards that primarily incorporates a revised list of "High Risk" pesticides that are restricted for use on certified farms. A more substantial revision 2.0 will be out by late summer that includes extensive scientific and environmental community review comments.

The first time we saw one of those billboard-sized Willamette Valley Vineyards Salmon-Safe truck wraps on I-5 near Portland, we knew that we were reaching a new audience with a message about how wine growers our helping restore our salmon watersheds.

In the current food special issue, Audubon Magazine make sense of environmental claims on food products lining grocery store aisles. Here’s what they had to say about Salmon-Safe: 

Many Oregon winemakers will tell you their pinot noir is the best wine to pair with salmon. And they are not alone in that contention. Serving pinot noir with salmon has almost become gospel, one of those "but of course!" matches that brook no debate, such as cabernet with steak... Oregon today leads the nation in certifying vineyards for environmentally friendly farming practices. An umbrella certification, Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine, encompasses organic and biodynamic certifications, as well as Low Input Viticulture & Enology (LIVE) and Salmon Safe certification.

You may have seen the words "Salmon Safe" on the wine list at your favorite restaurant. It's an earth-friendly practice that seems to be catching on in the Northwest and the Walla Walla Valley. According to the Salmon-Safe website, it says it "helps vineyards protect and restore salmon habitat by planting trees on streams, growing cover crops to control run-off, and apply natural methods to control weeds and pests." In Walla Walla, some growers have started Vinea, a trust of growers using salmon safe and sustainable practices.