@hanzellfarm in the vineyard: Now that the cover crop has flowered and gone to seed, we’re out with the crimper, which rolls the cover crop and repeatedly crimps, but doesn’t break the stems. We’re essentially cultivating our own “green manure”, which among many other benefits, eliminates the need for outside fertilizers. Leaving the plants whole, rather than pulverizing with a mower aids in the formation of humus, which increases our microbial diversity and also helps tremendously with water retention in the soil. The additional water holding capacity allows us to conserve this precious resource by reducing irrigation during the growing season. Another bonus…crimping also helps us reduce our carbon footprint as it re-seeds our cover crop for next year, so in addition to minimizing tractor activity, there’s no need to truck in seeds from afar. #sonomavalleywine #sonomavalleygrown #therootsrundeep #hanzellfarm #biofarm #integratedfarming #crimping #greenmanure #waterconservation #hanzellvineyards