Sustainability
Sustainability Practices on the Hill
Being green has never been more important.
In the Vines
The process of farming from its very nature leaches minerals and nutrients from soil and destroys it over time. To help reverse this process vineyards need to apply things such as potash, boron, potassium, nitrogen, etc. to their soil after about 10 years of farming.
In order to reduce the use of some pesticides, we employ a technique to flood vineyards with a specific pheromone to impede the reproduction of certain bug species instead of using harsher pesticides.
Onsite at Pippin we use a 10 year rated netting. This netting means we don’t have to put up, take down, and throw away many yards of plastic bird netting each year to reduce our waste.
Head Gardener Diane and Production Manager Brooks have tried to be cognizant of certain invasive species around the property, and specifically the spotted lantern fly has drawn our attention to one of its favorite food sources: the tree of heaven. We have removed a number of these trees around the property for the betterment of our property’s ecosystem.
Geothermal
A geothermal system was installed in 2010 to help with cooling and heating the Tasting Room & Granary.
A second and separate geothermal system was installed in 2022 to cool the Greenhouse. Vertical wells were drilled 425 feet to reach a temperature of a consistent 53 degrees. Thus this helps cooling in the summertime when it is hot and humid and heating in the winter time when it is below 50 degrees outside.
Rain Runoff
We have three 2500-gallon cistern tanks to collect rainwater from the roof of the Tasting Room & Granary and two 1500-gallon cistern tanks by the gardens to collect rainwater from the Reserve Room & Greenhouse. These tanks feed our recirculating fountains off the veranda, feed the irrigation system on the lawns, as well as help water new plantings in the gardens.
Wildflower Fields
We converted a 7-acre hayfield to a wildflower meadow in 2021. As summer turns to autumn, we have white, pink, and purple cosmos in full bloom and yellow coreopsis. This biodiverse meadow encourages a stronger ecosystem and brings back native bugs, birds, and other wildlife to the area. It is also a wonderful pollinating area for our honey bees!
Spotted Lanternfly Prevention
Pippin Hill is proactive in controlling the Spotted
Composting
Composting enriches soil, helping retain moisture, and suppress plant diseases and pests. It also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers as well as encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. We compost our chicken litter & vegetation from the kitchen and gardens.
