Yesterday marked the official end of the growing season and what a season it was, amiright?? 2023 has proven to be polarizing. For some growers and winemakers, this was a remarkable year for quality, and others are just thankful to have crop insurance. Let’s take a look at why this is. I wrote...

If this year is defined by a singular emotion, it’s anxiety. That’s nothing new in farming, however I’m talking about anxiety over the abysmal grape market rather than any natural phenomenon. Many of us were so busy scrambling for buyers, we may have forgotten to notice just how great the weather...

With the conclusion of harvest, it’s easy to shift focus from irrigation. The crops are in, and the season’s busiest time is nearly wrapped. However, the irrigation practices in the immediate post-harvest weeks are crucial for next year’s growth, yield, and quality. Market conditions often tighten...

“Lumo has been the linchpin in the re-engineering of our approach to water management.” Michael and Kara Busselen, the Owners of Woodhawk Vineyards, farm 21 acres of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon for Silver Oak, situated 1,000 feet above sea level, overlooking the Alexander Valley and Russian...

Knowledge Is Power. Small business owners spend their days concentrating on their particular specialty, but there’s one thing they have in common: they all have to contend with a host of similar workforce issues. Below, we've provided the top three business resources you should use to tackle common...

February 10th – Novato, CA – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Preliminary Grape Crush Report for 2020 has been released. It is a summary for the supply of the wine and grape industry, containing tons crushed and prices of wine grapes sold during the 2020 harvest. The Crush Report...

HotSpot AG founder James Nichols lived the daily challenges of farming when he returned home to Hanford after his UC Davis graduation. His family tasked him with implementing a water budget for irrigating their 4,600 acres of almonds and pistachios. After researching and testing automated...

Growers Enjoy Near Perfect Growing Season SANTA ROSA, Calif. (October 31, 2024) – The 2024 winegrape harvest has just completed in Sonoma County and both growers and vineyard employees are raving about what may be one the best vintages in the past 50 years. According to Karissa Kruse, president and...

We are wrapping up a particularly hot July. The last time I had to write about heat stress was 2022, so this year seems to be making up for 2023’s persistent coolness. We all remember 2022. We had a couple hot days in late June that did quite a bit of damage in some vineyards. Then in late August,...

Pulling the lower-the-price lever to gain market share in a highly competitive category such as adult beverages is tempting. But it is not a good idea for all of the following reasons: Erodes profit margins Provides short-term gains at the expense of long-term strategy Reduces ability to invest in...