Zero Foodprint, Heirloom Sangria, and Powicana Farm
If we ask our farmers to transition to Regenerative Agriculture, we must also be willing to ask ourselves how we plan to support that transition. We did not find ourselves in this factory farming dilemma overnight, nor can we expect to get ourselves out without considerable effort. To culminate our 2020 Heirloom Series, we chose to support farmers directly through an organization called Zero Foodprint paired with our Heirloom Sangria. They are working with restaurants to commit resources that will support farmers with carbon farming projects, therefore helping to support the transition to regenerative agriculture.
Our donation will be going into the Restore California fund. The fund goes directly to supporting farmers instrumenting carbon farming projects. They pick the farms based on who is able to sequester the most carbon for the investment, with bonuses given for diversity and being in their restaurant member's supply-chain. The funds will be to implement conservation practices like compost application, silvopasture, cover cropping, hedgerows, etc. Some recent awardees of the grant funds have been Stemple Creek Ranch in Sonoma County and Solidarity Farm on Pauma Tribal land outside of San Diego. Restore CA is set up to bring together funds from many sources to make regenerative/carbon farming projects possible for the farmers and ranchers who are ready to get started on these efforts but need a boost to get on their way. It's a story about investing in lots of farms as a community of restaurants, diners, and food and beverage businesses.
In order to make good Sangria, we knew we had to find the best grapes. From the moment we met Zoubeida, the owner of Powicana Farm, we knew we had found just that. They are growing Petite Syrah grapes far beyond organic standards with the utmost love and care. It is a small family operation with lots of help and support from the community. Their grapes and wine are certified organic, biodynamic and they are practicing fully regenerative standards on their land including dry farming, which means they do not water the grapes at all. They also have chickens, goats, pigs, and ducks all contributing their part to the regenerative system. The result is one of the most delicious grapes we had ever tasted. We got the pleasure of bringing 10 Boochcraft employees to the farm to harvest our grapes and it was absolutely amazing! We harvested just shy of 4 tons of grapes along with Zoubeida, her family, some incredible volunteers, and a couple of experienced grape pickers, who made us all look like we were working in slow-motion. We got to learn about their farm, growing practices, and the obstacles they faced when they took over the farm and transitioned it to organic and regenerative practices. It is a beautiful model for what is possible on all of the world's farms. We can transition, and Powicana along with other inspiring farms are paving the way.
Ultimately, the Heirloom Series was designed to pair the best our earth has to offer while making a positive impact on one of the world’s most pressing problems. This might be one of our tastiest releases to date, especially when you think about the people that poured their heart and soul into the grapes and the impact we can make one bottle at a time. Adam Hiner Co-Founder & Director of Outreach
