Napa County wineries honored by Fish Friendly Farming
The Fish Friendly Farming (FFF) Certification Program recently presented awards to winegrape growers and wineries in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
The FFF Program is carried out by scientists collaborating with growers to complete a detailed farm assessment and plan outlining needed Best Management Practices to improve water quality and habitats on the property. The certification requirements of the FFF Program exceed those of other sustainability programs and government regulators serve as certifiers, according to a news release.
The FFF Program has 220,000 acres enrolled across 13 counties in California. Over 90% of the vineyards in Napa County are in the FFF program.
The awards were determined by certifiers from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency charged with recovering populations of endangered salmonids, working with staff from the California Land Stewardship Institute, the Napa-based nonprofit that manages the FFF program.
The Napa County honorees included Beckstoffer Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Charles Krug Winery, Constellation Brands, Domaine Chandon, Duckhorn Vineyards, Frog’s Leap Winery, Jack Neal and Son Vineyard Management, Nissen Vineyard Services, Silverado Vineyards (now Foley Family Wines), Treasury Wine Estates, Trinchero Family Estates, Vino Farms and Walsh Vineyard Management.
“Beckstoffer Vineyards is proud to receive a Founders Award from Fish Friendly Farming Certification program for our long time dedication to certifying all of our Napa and Mendocino vineyards in this important program,” said Andy Beckstoffer, founder Beckstoffer Vineyards, in a news release. “This award demonstrates our company’s dedication to maintain good water quality and restore habitats where we farm.”
FFF also presented awards for Next Wave of Sustainability, honoring growers that are newer to the FFF program, but have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in implementing Best Management Practices and projects identified in their Farm Plans.
The Napa County honorees were Foley Family Wines, Garvey Vineyard Management Company, Vyborny Vineyard Management Company and Regusci Vineyard Management Company.