Environmental Stewardship
at Hunt Country Vineyards
As the sixth generation of Hunts on our land, we plan and manage our farming practices with a long view toward sustaining and improving the land for the future. When you visit, we would be happy to show you our latest sustainable agriculture (environmental) initiatives.
| Hunt Country Captures "Vertical Wind" | |
| Leftovers Become Fertilizer at Hunt Country | |
| Opposition to Hydrofracking in the Finger Lakes |
Hunt Country Vineyards Captures “Vertical Wind”
Our vertical-axis wind turbine, by Mariah Power of Reno, Nevada, generates up to 1.2 kW of electricity and is designed to work productively at the lower wind speeds encountered in less-than-ideal sites. In order to maximize performance, the turbine has been mounted atop of a 30 ft. pole. If the site proves viable, it may be practical to install larger vertical-axis turbines in the future.
Vertical-axis turbines (VATs) have been designed to work in lighter and shifty air and at less cost than the more common horizontal axis propeller turbines. However, VATs are currently limited in capacity to smaller applications such as powering a home or farm. When installed, a VAT looks like a tall thin tube mounted on a pole. They are very quiet and are not hazardous to birds as the turning blades give the appearance of a solid object that birds avoid.
The project is part of an ongoing effort at Hunt Country Vineyards’ sixth generation family farm to reduce our footprint on the land, use renewable energy and develop agriculturally and environmentally sustainable practices.
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Composting at Hunt Country Vineyards
Since the inception of Hunt Country Vineyards, Art and Joyce Hunt have worked to improve soil health by spreading the leftover grape pomace back in the vineyard to decompose on its own. Grape pomace (photo at right) consists of the stems, skins and seeds left over from pressing the grapes.
In the fall of 2005 the Hunt family began mixing the pomace with animal manure and then composting the mix before applying it to the vineyard. Jonathan Hunt, a graduate of Cornell University's School of Agriculture and son of owners Art and Joyce Hunt, is coordinating the project. Composting the combined grape pomace and manure is advantageous because it adds vital minerals and nutrients to the soil that help produce outstanding grapes for winemaking. 
The increased nitrogen due to the manure may also help us reduce the use of other fertilizers.
Our compost piles can be seen in the photo at left. The pile from last year’s harvest, at the rear under the large tree, is nearly finished decomposing and darker in color, while this year's pile in front is just beginning its cycle. During the composting process millions of microorganisms break down the leftover plant material and release large quantities of heat.
Adding compost and other organic matter improves soil health and structure, ensuring that the land upon which Art and Joyce have built their vineyard will continue to improve and produce beautiful grapes.
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Opposition to Hydrofracking in the Finger Lakes
Hunt Country Vineyards has joined others in the Finger Lakes to actively oppose current proposals to extract natural gas in our area by “hydrofracking”.
Conventional drilling for natural gas in the Finger Lakes has been going on for generations. Most agree that this type of drilling is not too disruptive to the environment and that the risks to landowners and their neighbors is acceptable. The gas companies have made good profits over the years this way.
Recently, the gas companies want to use a controversial technique known as high-volume slick-water hydraulic fracturing or “hydrofracking” in the thin shallow Marcellus shale layer located under the Finger Lakes. This process involves horizontally drilling multiple wells in the shale layer from a main wellhead and injecting millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals, many of them toxic, into each well. Explosives and extremely high injection pressure pulverize the shale, which releases the gas. The process is risky, resulting in hundreds of unintended consequences such as blowouts, spills, fires, and poisoning of streams, wells, aquifers, soil and the air. The intense nature of the saturation drilling turns each area into a huge industrial site.
The Finger Lakes area is known for its pristine beauty, clean lakes and air and healthy agricultural environment. Consequently millions of visitors flock to the wineries, lakes, resorts and other attractions annually. With huge truckloads of water, sand, chemicals and equipment constantly on the move – thousands over the course of a year -- the roads and the environment will be degraded and tourism will suffer. More importantly, even one accident can permanently destroy the quality of the groundwater and lakes or the viability of the soil to produce healthy food, including grapes and wine. Other large areas where hydrofracking has been used are now becoming unsuitable for agriculture and largely unsuitable for people to live.
We have informed the New York State government that we feel it is unwise and unacceptable to allow hydrofracking in the Finger Lakes at this time.
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