VASCM: April Newsletter & Vine Talk Online; May 4 Meeting

[Mary Lindsay]

The latest, April, edition of the VASCM newsletter is now online on our 
website at www.VASCM.org, along with an April Vine Talk column by Prudy 
Foxx. You can read both linked from the homepage, as well as find an 
archive of all our newsletters for the past 5 years (since April, 2004) 
and an archive of all the Vine Talks, listed by season. The newsletter 
is also in the mail today.

A reminder:

*Next VASCM Meeting:*
May 4, 2:00pm at Silver Mountain
The speaker: Amigo Bob Cantisano, on soil fertility, including soil 
nutrients and microbes, composting, etc. Amigo Bob is head of Organic Ag 
Advisers, and a co-founder of the California Certified Organic Farmers 
(CCOF).  He consults to vineyards and a wide range of farms, and has 
advised the World Bank and the government of Costa Rica. We contacted 
Amigo Bob in response to several requests for a program to include 
composting, and upon seeing an article by Laurie Daniel about him in the 
2009 issue of Wines & Vines (which you can read at 
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=65504).  
He will talk about composting as part of the larger issue of soil 
fertility. Whether or not you are growing or are interested in growing 
organically, his talk on soil fertility should be very valuable.

 From the Wines & Vines article: "Soil management is primary in my 
mind.  The healthier a soil becomes, with regard to ecological stability 
and biological diversity, the less problems with growing the 
crop--including less problems with fertility, pests, diseases, weeds, 
water availability and weather hardiness."

Silver Mountain is on Silver Mountain Dr., off of Miller Hill Cutoff, 
off of the Old San Jose-Soquel Rd., near Summit Rd.
You can find directions at www.silvermtn.com.

As usual, please bring a bottle of wine to share following the meeting.
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*CCSW-Sustainability Certification*
 A program with the Sustainability Alliance is in the works, now 
tentatively scheduled for late May, for them to introduce the new 
Sustainability Certification Program developed by CAWG and the Wine 
Institute.  A Q&A about the Sustainability Certification program is 
linked from our website's homepage (www.vascm.org), and more details 
will be forthcoming about this meeting.
- - -

*Future Meetings
*The Board has a schedule planned for meetings through the summer, so as 
we get them confirmed, stay tuned for the details.
- - -

**We hope to see you at the May meeting.

The VASCM Board:
- Mary  Lindsay
- Rachel Ormes
- June Salsbury
- Pete Woodruff