Barreca Vineyards

Barreca Vineyards

From Vine to Wine since 1986

Posts filed under Regenerative Agriculture

Second Spring

Thirty-seven years ago, down here along the river (Lake Roosevelt) we could get a frost in the first or second week of September.  An extended warm season reaching into October would have been called “Indian Summer”.  As I am writing this near the end of October 2023, we still have not had temperatures below 40º. … (read more)

Soil Field Day

On September 9th, the Stevens County Conservation District hosted a Soil Field Day at Vetter Demonstration Farm near Clayton.  Craig Madsen, Agroecologist Coach, was the presenter for the workshop.  Craig’s first question when we were gathered around a test hole in a just-tilled field was “What is the most important element for plants and animals?” … (read more)

Bigtime Biochar

I was minding my own business reading email when a document came in from my brother-in-law, Roger, who as I do here, also makes and sells biochar on San Juan Island.  It announced that a big company, Myno Carbon, won the 2023 Giuliani Clean Energy Entrepreneur Award and was going to build a carbon removal… (read more)

To Compost and Beyond

Compost bin at 20°  Outside and 100° Inside November 20, 2022 “Egad” you are probably thinking, “He is writing about compost again.  Surely his brain is starting to rot.”  This article is not exactly about compost but close.  In Stevens County we have a “Soil Health Stewards” group hosted by the Conservation Districts.  You can… (read more)

The Grass is Greener

The Grass is Greener With this very wet Spring everything looks especially green.  The green color is from chlorophyll, the molecule critical to photosynthesis, which turns sunlight into plant energy, specifically sugars.  Looking at the chest-high grass and purple vetch which has taken over the aisles between my rows of grape vines, I had to… (read more)

Good Books

Start with For the Love of Soil by Nicole Masters. It was certainly both the most inspirational and educational book I read last year.  The main chapters of the book include story after story of farms that underwent almost miraculous transformations by the application of biological and sometimes chemical/mineral treatments as well as management practices. … (read more)