Michael has not moved far from the family farm - he grew up there, went off to college, came back and has working the farm along with his dad, David Vanni, ever since.  Michael attend Cal-Poly and has his degree is Ag Engineering.  After he graduated, he came back to Gilroy and worked for his dad first in the nursery business and now at the winery.  Michael has seen many changes in the winery since he was a boy growing up there.  Currently they have between 25 and 36 acres of wine grapes and a tasting room with plans for a bigger and better tasting room and event center.

His dad, David Vanni, was another grower who took the Irrigated Ag Short Course when it was “voluntary” and he has been very active in working to improve his property.  Dave and Michael review and discuss ideas for practices and make joint decisions on all the important practices - they make a great team!  They first heard about the Short Course though the Farm Bureau and all of its mailing.  They say that Short Course was worth the time and effort for both of them, they have improved their winery a lot and do a lot of things that have helped the soil and also stop run off.

“We are encouraging neighbors to do the same.  If everybody contributes a little, watershed issues will improve.” Don Vanni

Their techniques:

• Water Conservation:  They check the well twice a year for any leaks. 

• Minimal irrigation:  letting nature take its course and water the vines.  The Vannis use very little irrigation throughout the year, they mostly rely on rainwater – which, this year, did just fine. 

• Water and soil conservation:  The Vannis have put in cover crops and manage as a no-till vineyard.  They have found that cover crops hold the soil moisture and hold the organic matter, improving soil structure.  It also keeps dust down and makes it look nice between the rows of grapes.  The cover crop also reduces the vigor of the vine and minimizes the labor of cutting them and trimming them in the field.

The Vannis learned that their tributary to Uvas Creek is not only a spawning ground for steelhead trout, but a feeder creek that eventually gets to Monterey bay National Marine Sanctuary 100 miles away.  To protect the creek, they built a berm between their property and the creek to keep silt and pollutants out of the waterway, and prevent run off from cutting gouges in the soil.  They also planted grasses along the berm so its keeps it from eroding.  The vegetation also filters out silt before the water enters the creek.

As you can tell, they are improving there land yearly and adding and learning new techniques.  Don Vanni says,  “We are encouraging neighbors to do the same.  If everybody contributes a little, watershed issues will improve.”