We’ve talked a lot about our commitment to long-term sustainability, from smart use of energy and water to innovation in the vineyards. This week, we are honored The New York Times highlighted our efforts in, “Falcons, Drones, Data: A Winery Battles Climate Change,” a compelling feature by David Gelles outlining some of our most impactful practices.

Though we’re now in our rainy season, access to and availability of water continues to be one of our core focus areas, and we’re deploying both the latest technologies and classic farming techniques to make sure we’re doing all we can to conserve this resource. 

The story notes, “the Jacksons are going beyond the usual drought-mitigation measures. They are using owls and falcons, to go after pests drawn by the milder winters. They are finding new ways to capture rainfall.”

Our reservoirs and owl boxes are the low-tech end of the spectrum. At the other, “Jackson recently installed devices that measure how much sap is in the vines. They transmit the data over cellular networks to headquarters, where software calculates how much water specific areas of vineyards do or don’t need.” 

This “data-driven farming,” as Katie calls it in the article, means we’re able to be incredibly precise in reacting to the needs of our vineyards.

The article also highlights our participation in a water release program to help save Coho salmon, along with the specific new technologies and techniques we’ve deployed.

Our vision for the future means we need to be good stewards of the earth now. You can read the full story here or look for it in the hard copy of the Sunday paper.