Environmental Stewardship
Initiatives at Hunt Country Vineyards

Hunt Country Vineyards To Capture “Vertical Wind”

Hunt Country Vineyards plans to install a small vertical-axis wind turbine at the winery in late spring or early summer of 2008.  The turbine, a new design by Mariah Wine of Reno, Nevada, generates up to 1.2 kW of electricity and is designed to work productively at the lower wind speeds encountered in less-than-ideal sites.  In order to maximize performance, the turbine will be mounted atop of a 40 ft. pole.  If the site proves viable, it may be practical to install larger vertical-axis turbines in the future.

Vertical-axis turbines (VATs) have been designed to work in lighter and shifty air and at less cost than the more common horizontal axis propeller turbines. However, VATs are currently limited in capacity to smaller applications such as powering a home or farm. When installed, a VAT looks like a tall thin tube mounted on a pole.  They are very quiet and are not hazardous to birds as the turning blades give the appearance of a solid object that birds avoid.

The project is part of an ongoing effort at Hunt Country Vineyards’ sixth generation family farm to reduce their footprint on the land, use renewable energy and develop agriculturally and environmentally sustainable practices. 

Hunt Country Vineyards is Awarded
Sustainable Agriculture Grant by
U.S. Department of Agriculture

In 2005, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Hunt Country Vineyards a five-year SARE (Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education) grant to study options for the reduction or elimination of herbicides in vineyards.  James (Jamie) Hawk, author of the grant proposal and project leader (and Hunt Country employee-emeritus!) has an MS degree in Biological Oceanography as well as sustainable development and outreach experience gained as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia.  The research is examining the effects of establishing permanent low ground covers such as English Ground Ivy or Tall Fescue directly under the vines (as alternatives to maintaining bare earth) and between rows of vines (instead of maintaining grass). 

The grant is being conducted in the vineyard rows just south of our public parking area (at rear right in photo above).

SARE grants support innovative projects that seek to combine environmental and social responsibility with economic viability. 

Bring on Biofuels!

In a section of our original 1860's barn, we are building a simple processor to produce biodiesel, an environmentally friendly fuel to power our tractors instead of conventional diesel.  Biodiesel can be produced from used vegetable oil from area restaurants.  This fuel is non-toxic, does not contribute to global warming, costs less than conventional diesel fuel, cleans and improves the performance of engines, and biodiesel exhaust smells like hamburgers and French fries! 

Suzanne and Jonathan Hunt, daughter and son of owners Art and Joyce Hunt, are coordinating the project.  Suzanne (in photo at right with prototype processor and supplies) is a world authority on biofuels.    

Composting at Hunt Country Vineyards
A New Approach to Waste Management

Since the inception of Hunt Country Vineyards, Art and Joyce Hunt have worked to improve soil health by spreading the leftover grape pumice back in the vineyard to decompose on its own.  Grape pumice consists of the stems, skins and seeds left over from pressing the grapes. 

In the fall of 2005 the Hunt family began mixing the pumice with animal manure and then composting the mix before applying it to the vineyard.  Jonathan Hunt, a graduate of Cornell University's School of Agriculture and son of owners Art and Joyce Hunt, is coordinating the project.  Composting the combined grape pumice and manure is advantageous because it adds vital minerals and nutrients to the soil that help produce outstanding grapes for winemaking.  The increased nitrogen due to the manure may also help us reduce the use of other fertilizers.

Our compost piles can be seen in the photo (above).  The pile from 2005’s harvest, at the rear under the large tree, is nearly finished decomposing and darker in color, while the 2006 pile in front is just beginning its cycle.  During the composting process millions of microorganisms break down the leftover plant material and release large quantities of heat which can be viewed as steam in the second photo (left).

Adding compost and other organic matter improves soil health and structure, ensuring that the land upon which Art and Joyce have built their vineyard will continue to improve and produce beautiful grapes.