New Times / News

Less pesticide spray, more awards

BY KATHY JOHNSTON

After more than 10 years of effort to help local wine-grape growers spray fewer pesticides on their crops, the Central Coast Vineyard Team has won a national award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA representative Cara Peck presented the “Best-of-the-Best” award for Sustained Excellence in Integrated Pest Management to the vineyard team’s executive director, Kris O’Connor, at the Sustainable Ag Expo in San Luis Obispo on Nov. 16.

The vineyard team’s new “Sustainability in Practice”—or SIP—certification for local wines was named as one reason for the award.

“Our growers have always worked very hard to push the envelope in terms of pest management,” O’Connor said when accepting the award.

“We’ve been doing research and education for over a decade in this area and have consistently seen positive results.”

—Kathy Johnston