Seasonal Vineyard Services
Skilled tractor and spray work (mowing, cultivating, discing, fungicide applications)
Water, fertilizer and pesticide reporting/compliance
Vine establishment, grafting, nutrition and fertilization
Trellis and irrigation maintenance
Pruning and canopy management through the seasons (winter pruning/pre-pruning, shoot thinning and positioning, sucker removal, hand or mechanical leaf removal, crop adjustment)
Vineyard floor management (cover crop selection, weed control)
Soil analysis, nutrition and erosion control
Disease and pest control, bird netting installation and removal
Crop estimation, phenology tracking and harvest maturity analysis (cluster/shoot counts, cluster weights, yield, °brix, pH, TA)
Weather monitoring for disease analysis and spray applications
Routine vineyard inspections and vine health assessments
Customized Farm Plans
At SJO we work to to develop comprehensive farming plans to meet the needs of the client and site. This includes a range of traditional, sustainable, certified sustainable, organic and certified organic programs.
In conjunction with our winery partner, Walnut City Wineworks, SJO has been farming under LIVE Certified Sustainable guidelines for over 15 years. Low Input Viticulture and Enology, or LIVE, is guided by standards set by the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC). The intensive certification process takes a whole-farm and whole-winery approach to sustainable and socially responsible agricultural and winemaking. LIVE partners are committed to minimizing environmental impacts, preserving agricultural fertility, and sustaining economic viability for generations of farmers, winemakers and neighbors.
Harvest Logistics & Services
Harvest is an exciting time of year; when the growing season nears its end and the effort put forth in the vineyard comes to fruition.
It’s also the most complex and challenging time for a vineyard owner. Beyond fruit data and maturity tracking, harvest requires the coordination of labor, equipment and trucking to be smartly timed with the weather. SJO organizes multiple skilled picking and trucking crews through harvest to allow for flexibility and a quick response when the time comes.
With long-established relationships with seasonal employees and a commitment to competitive wages, we successfully manage staffing complexities in a high-demand labor market.