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Viticulture goes high-tech
Barefoot Motors president Melissa Brandao, right, talks with customer Randy Heinzen of Saintsbury LLC, about her company’s electric ATV at the Napa Valley Viticultural Fair. J.L. Sousa/Register | Buy photos
New technologies can reduce carbon footprint of wine industry
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CommentSome of the newest technology available to grape growers was on exhibit at the Napa Valley Viticultural Fair.
Growers had an opportunity to kick the tires on an electric ATV, learn how to recycle asphalt and ask questions about new high-tech tools used to monitor conditions in vineyards.
Growers had an opportunity to kick the tires on an electric ATV, learn how to recycle asphalt and ask questions about new high-tech tools used to monitor conditions in vineyards.
An estimated 125 exhibitors were on hand for the fair, Wednesday, at the Napa Valley Expo Fairgrounds on Third Street. Cloudy skies did not dampen the turnout of about 1,400 people at the trade show.
“I was encouraged by the turnout this year. There were attendees from all over the North Coast,” said Jennifer Putnam, executive director of the Napa Valley Grape Growers, which puts on the all-day show every other year.
“I was encouraged by the turnout this year. There were attendees from all over the North Coast,” said Jennifer Putnam, executive director of the Napa Valley Grape Growers, which puts on the all-day show every other year.
“It was great to see how strong our industry is, despite the tough economic times nationally,” Putnam added.
Exhibiting inside Chardonnay Hall, Crossbow Technology Inc., of San Jose, was showing growers its new wireless sensor for crop monitoring. It replaces the more traditional weather stations found in vineyards — and it does a whole lot more.
Exhibiting inside Chardonnay Hall, Crossbow Technology Inc., of San Jose, was showing growers its new wireless sensor for crop monitoring. It replaces the more traditional weather stations found in vineyards — and it does a whole lot more.
Called the eKo Pro Series, the device has sensors that can keep track of soil moisture, temperature, humidity, disease modeling, leaf wetness and frost detection — among other things. The wireless technology came on the market in April.
Each solar-powered unit can monitor about 20 acres on the flat valley floor, whereas in hilly terrain a single unit keeps tabs on about five acres. Growers need to install the wireless devices at least three feet off the ground.
The technology is already being used by some Napa Valley growers, according to Crossbow’s sales manager Shana Farley.
A single unit has a price tag of about $3,000.
Growers can see live data from a Web browser anywhere in the world, according to Farley.
Fair attendees also discovered that asphalt has gone green.
Go Green Asphalt, of Vacaville, is introducing new technology on the West Coast, which recycles 100 percent of a deteriorated roadway and remixes it into a paving material. And this sustainable paving process can be done 12 months a year, according to Jonas Villalba, unlike traditional paving which can’t be done when temperatures drop to a certain level.
“This is sustainable and recycled,” said Villalba, of a business that has been on the West Coast less than a year.
Go Green Asphalt costs about $75 per ton, compared to around $116 per ton for the traditional method of tearing out the old asphalt, hauling it way and bringing in new asphalt.
The cost is lower with Go Green because there is not a dump fee, tax or delivery charges. And the old asphalt is being kept out of a landfill and reducing the carbon footprint.
On site, Go Green chews up the old asphalt, heats it up, adds a rejuvenator that makes it like new again and it is ready to be used, according to Villalba.
Also at the fair, an electric ATV was outside Chardonnay Hall. It looks just like a gas powered ATV, except it doesn’t make any noise.
The 100 percent electric ATV is by Sonoma County-based Barefoot Motors, a start-up company by co-founders Max Scheder-Bieschin and Melissa Brandao.
Barefoot Motors is beginning to take orders for its second generation prototype and hopes to be making deliveries in the first quarter of next year from its new assembly facility in southern Oregon.
“We are cautiously optimistic. Many people are very skeptical,” he said.
How long the all-electric ATV goes on a charge depends on how it is being used, but typically growers can expect four to five hours from a single charge.
Scheder-Bieschin said the all-electric ATV sells for around $15,000, while a traditional ATV goes for $9,000 to $11,000. He added that buyers of the all-electric ATV will realize a savings of $6,000 over the life of the vehicle, figuring with fuel costs at 30 cents per mile and 30 cents per mile for maintenance.
Similar to the traditional ATVs, the Barefoot Motors edition will fit in the back bed of a farmer’s pick up.
Scheder-Bieschin touts the pollution benefits with his all-electric model. “A gas ATV is highly polluting. It is 11 times more polluting than a gas car. Taking out one ATV is like taking three cars off the road.”
Other exhibitors at the Viticultural Fair included solar companies, vineyard management firms, bankers, nurseries, irrigation companies, a scientific aerial imaging firm along with an assortment of vineyard products ranging from trellis systems and erosion control to growing tubes.
In addition, there were seminars in English and Spanish held throughout the day on topics ranging from detecting leafroll virus to vine mealybug identification and current work on climate change and its impact on vineyards.
Outdoor demonstrations were held on wire tying and tensioning, frost protection and high-tech irrigation.
The next Napa Valley Viticultural Fair will be in 2010. For more information contact the Napa Valley Grapegrowers at 944-8311.
Each solar-powered unit can monitor about 20 acres on the flat valley floor, whereas in hilly terrain a single unit keeps tabs on about five acres. Growers need to install the wireless devices at least three feet off the ground.
The technology is already being used by some Napa Valley growers, according to Crossbow’s sales manager Shana Farley.
A single unit has a price tag of about $3,000.
Growers can see live data from a Web browser anywhere in the world, according to Farley.
Fair attendees also discovered that asphalt has gone green.
Go Green Asphalt, of Vacaville, is introducing new technology on the West Coast, which recycles 100 percent of a deteriorated roadway and remixes it into a paving material. And this sustainable paving process can be done 12 months a year, according to Jonas Villalba, unlike traditional paving which can’t be done when temperatures drop to a certain level.
“This is sustainable and recycled,” said Villalba, of a business that has been on the West Coast less than a year.
Go Green Asphalt costs about $75 per ton, compared to around $116 per ton for the traditional method of tearing out the old asphalt, hauling it way and bringing in new asphalt.
The cost is lower with Go Green because there is not a dump fee, tax or delivery charges. And the old asphalt is being kept out of a landfill and reducing the carbon footprint.
On site, Go Green chews up the old asphalt, heats it up, adds a rejuvenator that makes it like new again and it is ready to be used, according to Villalba.
Also at the fair, an electric ATV was outside Chardonnay Hall. It looks just like a gas powered ATV, except it doesn’t make any noise.
The 100 percent electric ATV is by Sonoma County-based Barefoot Motors, a start-up company by co-founders Max Scheder-Bieschin and Melissa Brandao.
Barefoot Motors is beginning to take orders for its second generation prototype and hopes to be making deliveries in the first quarter of next year from its new assembly facility in southern Oregon.
“We are cautiously optimistic. Many people are very skeptical,” he said.
How long the all-electric ATV goes on a charge depends on how it is being used, but typically growers can expect four to five hours from a single charge.
Scheder-Bieschin said the all-electric ATV sells for around $15,000, while a traditional ATV goes for $9,000 to $11,000. He added that buyers of the all-electric ATV will realize a savings of $6,000 over the life of the vehicle, figuring with fuel costs at 30 cents per mile and 30 cents per mile for maintenance.
Similar to the traditional ATVs, the Barefoot Motors edition will fit in the back bed of a farmer’s pick up.
Scheder-Bieschin touts the pollution benefits with his all-electric model. “A gas ATV is highly polluting. It is 11 times more polluting than a gas car. Taking out one ATV is like taking three cars off the road.”
Other exhibitors at the Viticultural Fair included solar companies, vineyard management firms, bankers, nurseries, irrigation companies, a scientific aerial imaging firm along with an assortment of vineyard products ranging from trellis systems and erosion control to growing tubes.
In addition, there were seminars in English and Spanish held throughout the day on topics ranging from detecting leafroll virus to vine mealybug identification and current work on climate change and its impact on vineyards.
Outdoor demonstrations were held on wire tying and tensioning, frost protection and high-tech irrigation.
The next Napa Valley Viticultural Fair will be in 2010. For more information contact the Napa Valley Grapegrowers at 944-8311.
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manxkat wrote on Nov 7, 2008 12:01 PM: