Farm Credit supports program that demonstrates that sustainability is not just good for the environment — it’s good for business, too
In California’s wine industry, “sustainability” can mean many different things. To identify and promote what vintners and growers were doing, Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers got together in 2002 to create a workbook to enable growers and vintners to assess their current sustainability practices and how to improve on them. A year later, the two associations established the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) to promote sustainability from grapes to glass.
Building on that foundation, CSWA developed the California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards program in 2014, said CSWA Deputy Director Lisa Francioni.
“Our industry is a leader in this space,” she said. “We’ve been early adopters and are still going strong to innovate and push for results. But sometimes communicating about it isn’t easy because sustainability includes so many aspects of growing grapes and making wine. So we use real stories and real examples of what medal winners are doing.”
Each year, four Green Medals are awarded to honor different aspects of sustainability:
- Leader Award – Recognizes a vineyard or winery excelling in the “three E’s” of sustainability: environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable practices.
- Environment Award – Honors environmental stewardship in areas such as habitat protection, resource conservation, and pollution prevention.
- Community Award – Celebrates innovative practices that enhance relationships with employees, neighbors, and the broader community.
- Business Award – Recognizes smart business strategies that drive efficiency, cost savings, and innovation through sustainable practices.
This year’s winners reflect their differing approaches to sustainability.
Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery in St. Helena earned the Leader Award for embracing soil health and biodiversity, water conservation, and helping fellow growers transition to organic farming through financial incentives and technical support.
Chandon in Yountville was awarded the Environment Award for impressive water and waste reduction efforts, a strong commitment to renewable energy and commitment to restoring natural habitats – planting three trees for every one removed to promote biodiversity.
Jordan Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg received the Community Award as a pillar of sustainability and community. The company funds the John Jordan Foundation, which has impacted over 220 organizations in education, health and youth services. In addition, this year the company’s 100 employees will receive $1,000 each to donate to a nonprofit of their choice.
And Nuveen Natural Capital earned the Business Award for improving soil productivity and enhancing carbon sequestration on its managed properties, using renewable diesel across 15,000 acres of vineyards and investing in PVC liners in canals and reservoirs to save water and energy.
You can learn more about this year’s winners on the Green Medal website and by watching a video produced by CSWA.
“Farm Credit has been proud to support the Green Medal program for many years because the winners demonstrate that sustainability is not just good for the environment – it’s good business,” said Kristin Tantarelli, Regional Marketing Manager, American AgCredit. “These wineries and vineyards preserve natural resources, protect the environment, enrich their communities and still produce great grapes and wines. That’s something everyone can raise a glass to.”
Kevin Ralph, California President, AgWest Farm Credit, agreed.
“We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the recipients of this year’s Green Medal Awards. These organizations have gone above and beyond, taking proactive steps to ensure their resiliency in a way that aligns with their individual goals and objectives. We applaud their efforts and investments and are confident they will reap the benefits for years to come,” he said.
Farm Credit associations supporting AgSafe are AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit and CoBank. These organizations are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.
Francioni said other organizations involved in the Green Medal awards program are the Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Green, the Sonoma County Winegrowers and Vineyard Team. She said the Alliance works to be a resource for wineries and vineyards throughout California.
“We’re always communicating to other stakeholders in the trade press and to consumers about what being sustainability leaders means. We have tastings and media events to help people in the industry learn about sustainable growing. From time to time, we also prepare case studies where award winners provide details about how they have focused on sustainability and distribute these to thousands of growers and vintners to encourage adoption,” she said.
“If you ask any grower or vintner why sustainability is important, they’ll give you different answers. Some believe it’s the right thing to do, some understand the business case and that it can be more efficient and save money and lead to higher-quality grapes and wine. But a common thread is once they use sustainability practices, they recognize the benefits very quickly.”
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About Farm Credit:
AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit and CoBank are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com
About the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance:
The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) has been a leader in promoting sustainable winegrowing practices within the California wine industry since 2003. Created by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), CSWA is a nonprofit organization that encourages adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices and communicates the California wine industry’s global leadership through education, outreach, certification and partnerships.