Since 1994, our non-profit organization the Vineyard Team has educated and guided growers towards sustainable farming practices through a number of award winning programs. We conduct research on sustainable farming practices. We also reach both English and Spanish speaking workers through our far reaching education programs. One of the most recent incarnations of our work was the creation of meaningful, robust and verifiable sustainable certification program for vineyards and wines. After many years of development and peer review, the Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certification program was launched in 2008.
That’s great, but what about Earth Day?
We worked a lot with vineyard growers, and thought, “There are other people doing cool stuff in terms of sustainability, and there are eaters and drinkers that care about the same things we do. Why don’t we have a party that highlights the great work being done and celebrates the farmer for Earth Day?”
A lot of people thought we were crazy. What does food and wine have to do with Earth Day?
Well, it’s our core belief, that there’s nothing earthier than a farmer. And there’s nothing better than giving folks a chance to meet these earthy epicureans and taste their creations.
Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend was born!
The Earth Day/SIP Connection
The Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend is now officially presented by SIP (Sustainability In Practice). SIP helps growers, vineyards and consumers consider their approach to sustainability. Over 34,000 vineyard acres are SIP Certified, and 1.5M cases of wine carry the SIP seal. Growers and winemakers in the SIP program recognize that mindful fruit production and care for workers’ well-being are important components of quality wine.
We thought that Earth Day was a perfect way to showcase these wines and raise awareness with consumers who care. We were right.
We can go on and on about the technical requirements for SIP Certification, but we’re here to talk about our little party. If you’d like the nitty-gritty on SIP, visit www.sipcertified.org