Jesse Duarte, St. Helena Star

Grazing sheep are becoming a more common sight in Napa Valley vineyards — and advocates say there are good reasons for that.

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers and Napa Green organized a field day on Tuesday at Castello di Amorosa outside Calistoga to show growers and vineyard managers how sheep produce healthier vineyard soil and more fire-resilient wildlands.

Christian Cain of Perennial Grazing said there are four reasons to let sheep graze in vineyards: soil fertility, labor savings, frost mitigation and cost reduction.

Sheep are also making practical sense as more growers go organic and eliminate pesticides.
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“If you’re outlawing glyphosate … this is part of the solution,” said Robert Irwin of Kaos Sheep Outfit.

Press Release

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire, and Napa Firewise are co-hosting the 3rd annual community-wide Fire Resources Fair on Saturday, March 16, from 10am to 2pm. This annual fair brings together members of the wine industry, Napa residents, families, community organizations and local businesses to learn how they can help prevent or mitigate wildfires. The Fire Resources Fair is open to the public at the Napa Valley Expo and is complimentary to attend

“When facing community-wide challenges like wildfire risks, we are strongest when we all work together. This fair is about increasing awareness of services and access to resources that help prevent fires and keep us all safer during fire events. It’s a pleasure to team up again with our partners at Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Firewise, and CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire,” said Molly Moran Williams, Industry and Community Relations Director for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers.