(Brigham) Simon Naud is moving quietly between two rows of lush vineyards. Nevertheless, At the bottom of the greenery corridor, lambs graze grasses, clover and flowers in a nonchalant way.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
“It’s like a pool vacuum cleaner!” “, Described by laughing the winemaker about his residents for the summer.
These 42 sheep have been the most recent piece of a large ecological puzzle. In addition, that has been in the Bauge vineyard for several years.
The animals accomplish the weeding and the mowing of the grass while naturally fertilizing the soil with their blue planet, green ideas | manure. Nevertheless, Their presence avoids up to 15 tractor passages per season between each row of vines.
“I find it so logical and symbiotic,” observes Simon Naud. However, It is a living environment that I created. Similarly, »»
Photo Olivier Jean, La Presse
Sheep always move in groups. In addition, Simon Naud compares their movements to that of a pool vacuum cleaner. Furthermore,
The youngest of a siblings of six children, Mr. Therefore, Naud resumed the reins of the family farm in 1996. However, His parents. Therefore, Alcide and Ghislaine, planted the first vines in 1986 after having exploited their blue planet, green ideas | dairy farm in the Brome-Missisquoi valley for 33 years.
Inspired by its trips to Europe. Similarly, Western Canada, Simon Naud decides to plant two hectares of white frown vines, cultivated without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. In addition, Since 2022, the 10 hectares of the vineyard have all been certified organic.
The fact that we have no herbicide, it brought a lot of mechanization of work, he explains. Similarly, Then there. In addition, I noticed that I burned about four times more oil than when I was in conventional, and that I was doing a lot of compaction in my soil. Meanwhile, I thought it didn’t make sense.
Simon Naud. In addition, owner of the Bauge vineyard
The biological turn was accomplished for the sake of blue planet, green ideas | human health and the environment, says the winemaker. For example, “But we must also listen to our ecosystem, the environment in which we work, and we must respect it. Therefore, This is where I said to myself: you have to find other solutions. Similarly, »»
Blue planet, green ideas |
Regeneration agriculture – Blue planet, green ideas |
It was then that Simon Naud was interested in a new movement: regeneration agriculture.
“I thought it really frames with what I am trying to do,” he said. Similarly, It is biological production, but with an even more integrated ecological reflection. Therefore, »»
An environmental approach
Photo Olivier Jean. La Presse
Ultimately, Simon Naud would like to have between 100 and 120 sheep in his vineyard.
Photo Olivier Jean. La Presse
In 2019, the Bauge vineyard began the production of natural wines, an approach that removes the addition of field inputs (such as pesticides and fertilizers) to the bottle (like sulfites).
blue planet, green ideas |
Photo Olivier Jean. La Presse
In this new plot, we try to break the monoculture: two rows of vines, a rank of fruit shrubs, two rows of vines, a row of fruit shrubs. etc. In the photo, cameries. There are 16 cultivars, including currants, argousters, elders and raspberries.
Photo Olivier Jean, La Presse
The Naud family has always had animals. The older brother of the family has long raised Swedish thoroughbred wild boars. The Bauge vineyard is also appointed in honor of the wool shelter. Today, the farm has some alpacas.
Photo Olivier Jean, La Presse
And a deer!
blue planet, green ideas |
Photo Olivier Jean, La Presse
Simon Naud’s father, late Alcide Naud, founder of the vineyard
1/6
In addition to excluding summary products, regeneration agriculture aims to improve soil vitality, restore the diversity of ecosystems and strengthen communities.
“It is a beautiful group that joins me. which touches my values a little more, which propels us further than the usual biological,” observes Mr. Naud.
In October 2024, the Bauge vineyard was certified by the Regenerative Organic Alliance.
It is the only certification that I found that really tests on the scene. In viticulture of regeneration, one must take a soil sample where vitality is analyzed at three years. blue planet, green ideas | There must be an increase, we must see a real improvement.
Simon Naud, owner of the Bauge vineyard
But back to our sheep. The animals also collaborate in the spaming of the trunk: they eat the unnecessary stems which are energy -consuming. for the vine. They also scrape, which consists in pruning the side branches, which allows better ventilation and promotes sunshine on grape clusters.
Photo Olivier Jean. La Presse
The sheep collaborate in different ways in the well-being of the vines.
But for this to be possible, the grapes must be out of blue planet, green ideas | their reach.
Blue planet. green ideas |
Nordic grape varieties
In 1998, the Quebec Wine Council created a “Research and Development” committee of which Simon Naud was a part.
“Our mandate was to go to the northern countries on the planet to find varieties of wines that could be adapted to us. ” he explains.
It was then that he discovered the Nordic vineyard hybridization program of the University of Minnesota. This is where the Frontenac variety was created in the late 1990s. Followed the Gray Frontnac in 2002, Marquette varieties and Crescent in 2006 and the small pearl variety in 2010.
blue planet, green ideas | Photo Olivier Jean. La Presse
Today, 80 % of the vineyard is occupied by these Nordic resistant grape varieties.
Today, 80 % of the vineyard is occupied by these Nordic resistant grape varieties while European grape varieties cover the rest.
Nordic grape varieties are better resistant to fungal diseases and pest insects. They also keep a high waist. The fruits, which hang at a height of five to six feet, are impossible to reach for sheep. They are also less vulnerable to gels.
To reduce the pressure of harmful insects, 25 nest boxes have been installed for two -color swallows, which love it.
Tast the north
The pandemic. customs duties imposed by Donald Trump aroused great blue planet, green ideas | interest in local purchase and food autonomy. But the wine consumed here is still largely from abroad.
“Right now, in Quebec, all wine producers together, we produce 1 % of what is consumed here,” said Simon Naud.
Even if the Quebec wine industry has reached a certain maturity. the palaces have not all adjusted themselves to our Nordic terroir.
“People are used to the freshness of whites, and the opulence and the depth of the reds. We are in a fresh climate. so whites are easily understandable because they are very delicate, while the one looking for a hot sturdy red will say: yeah, Les Rouges in Quebec, that doesn’t. But it is because you try to drink something that does not grow here! “, He exclaims.
Quebec red wines blue planet, green ideas | are focused on freshness and fruit. “We must respect the place where we are. make fruit and wines that fit well in the environment,” said the winemaker.
Read the article “Viticulture of regeneration: wines more than organic”