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Written by: Editor

Published: 30 December 2008

Created: 30 December 2008

Last Updated: 30 December 2008

LAKE COUNTY – Skelton's Christmas Trees, celebrating 26 years of bringing fragrant, fresh-cut trees to the Lakeport area, would like to thank their many valued customers. To show their appreciation, they gave every 100th customer their chosen tree free.

“Several lucky persons thought we were joking when we told them that their tree was free," said owner Rod Skelton. “It was fun to see their faces when they realized their tree was really free. Our plan was so well received and appreciated, we'll probably do it again next year. Also, many customers were happy that we had lowered our prices by 10 percent over previous years because of the poor economy.”

Winners of free trees were Jody Hunt, Cobb; Dewey Barnes, Clearlake; Jeff Tunnell, Lakeport; Danielle Garcia, Upper Lake; Wendy Ringer, Lakeport; and Shane Black, Lower Lake.

“We hope next year to again be at the parking lot of New hope Fellowship Church behind Mackey Tire,” said Skelton. “Come see us. Our trees are the freshest in town because we store and display them in water bowls.”

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Written by: Susan Stout

Published: 28 December 2008

Created: 28 December 2008

Last Updated: 28 December 2008

 

KELSEYVILLE – Lake County winegrape growers are taking important steps toward sustainable farming, resulting in improved operations while helping to preserve the county’s natural resources.

More than 30 representatives of local wineries recently attended the “How Sustainable is Your Winery or Vineyard?” workshop co-sponsored by the Lake County Winegrape Commission and the Lake County Winery Association and presented by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

Attendees were assisted as they answered questions and rated their wineries and vineyards on a variety of topics designed to help them assess their operations.

Area winegrape growers are taking a leading role in the statewide program, according to Shannon Gunier, executive director for the Lake County Winegrape Commission. Participation locally has been growing.

“More than 70 percent of Lake County’s growers have been involved in clinics to assess the sustainability of their farm operations,” said Gunier.

Growers recognize the potential benefits of participation, said Joseph Browde, project manager for the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

Participants can see the value in doing the self-assessment of their facilities, he added. “They always come away (from the workshops) with at least one new idea for their business.”

Browde facilitated the seminar along with Andrew Arnold, senior consultant for sustainability solutions firm SureHarvest.

“The topic of sustainable growing is on the rise,” said Arnold.

The workshops allow peers to get together and share ideas for enhancing the quality of their product, improving their practices and helping their businesses to become more efficient, he added.

Meeting at the Big Valley Grange on a crisp fall morning, winery owners and winegrape growers spread out their workbooks and spent nearly four hours on self-assessment packets provided by Browde and Arnold.

Using a specially-designed rating system, participants examined their “sustainability mission, vision, and values,” knowledge of the wine industry, ecosystem management, energy efficiency, water conservation and quality, air quality, material handling, solid waste management, soil management, pest management and ability to work with neighbors and community.

Winery and vineyard representatives defined the workshop as a way to look at improving farming methods.

“What I expected from this seminar was information on how to farm in a more friendly environmental way, which is exactly what we learned,” stated Dana DiRicco, who, along with her husband, Dr. Glenn Benjamin, owns and operates the Elk Mountain Vineyard in Upper Lake. They attended the workshop together.

“The booklet that was given to all participants attending the seminar, ‘The Code of Sustainable Winegrowing,’ was well put together and brought forth practices that could be easily and inexpensively implemented by grape growers,” added DiRicco. “It really gave us a beginning benchmark and a direction for improvement in farming practices.”

Kelseyville grower Walt Lyon agreed. “The workshops help (us) set up ideal goals in trying to work toward improving practices,” he said. Lyon has participated in a couple of the seminars and said he continues to gain new “practical” ideas for environmentally sound winegrape growing.

It has helped him to examine his methods for weed and pest control, water usage, and other aspects of farming. In addition, he said, the booklet not only helps rate the practices and business, it provides many good suggestions and reference materials, said Lyon.

Area growers who embrace the sustainable farming idea stand to “improve the quality of the overall healthiness of their ranches and increase the value of their crops,” thus making it easier to market the crops to wineries in the coming years, DiRicco noted.

Following the workshop, DiRicco and Benjamin put up bat houses and are making owl houses to install in the vineyard and around the ranch.

The statewide program is sponsored by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, a nonprofit representing California’s winegrowing industry, in partnership with many California universities and organizations, such as the Wine Institute.

For more information on the sustainable winegrape growing program, contact the Lake County Winegrape Commission by calling 707-995-3421 or sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Written by: Editor

Published: 21 December 2008

Created: 20 December 2008

Last Updated: 20 December 2008

LAKE COUNTY – The Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce has announced the launch of its new Web site to promote shop local, shop Lake County first.

Visit www.lakeportchamber.com or visit: www.shopstayplay.com.

While currently the site features accommodations and restaurants which are members of the Lakeport Regional Chamber, this site is available to all Lake County businesses.

The initial launch is featuring only accommodations and restaurants but will eventually feature all types of businesses in Lake County.

 

The goal of this site is to encourage Lake County residents to shop at local businesses, supporting those businesses which support our local communities. The businesses are being encouraged to offer discounts to anyone with a Lake County address.

“Chamber President Kenny Parlet is the champion of this program,” said incoming chamber President Jan Parkinson, “and our board of directors fully supports this concept to draw customers to Lake County businesses.”

Said Parlet, “If we, as residents of Lake County, do not support our friends and neighbors who own these businesses, they will soon be gone and we'll be forced to travel many miles for the products and services we need.”

 

Another goal of the program is to introduce residents to all the many businesses that exist in our communities.

“We may not have malls, but we have variety and uniqueness in the diversity of businesses in Lake County,” said Parlet.

If you're willing to drive to Ukiah or Santa Rosa to find what you need, why not drive fewer miles and keep your sales tax dollars at home.

As the inventory of businesses continues to grow on this Web site, Lake County residents will be surprised at what we truly do have available within county lines.

 

Currently participation on www.shopstayplay.com is free through March 31, 2009. After that date there will be a monthly fee commensurate with the level each business desires to use.

For questions concerning Shop Stay and Play, contact the Lakeport Regional Chamber at 263-5092.

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