March 31, 2017
These tips are to help you update your certification documents a little each month to help you prepare for your June 1 through July 15 inspection to achieve SIP Certified vineyard.
Login to the database at https://app.sipcertified.org to read each specific Standard as you implement and document them. Unless noted otherwise in the Standards, documentation should reflect practices from Dec. 1, 2016 to June/July 2017.
For Full Inspection Vineyards
Take this month to complete Chapters 4 and 5.
- 4.2.1 Get your distribution uniformity test on the calendar. You need a test every five years. Contact your local RCD to see if they have funding for a free test.
- 4.3.1 You must have soil based monitoring devices to track soil moisture depletion, or plant based monitoring devices to monitor the moisture status of your vineyard, or use evapotranspiration (ET) calculations and an ET budget as one of the tools to determine irrigation requirements.
- 4.3.2 Remember to track water the vineyard receives during the season from rainfall, frost protection, and irrigation.
- 5.1.1 Get your well pump test on the calendar. You need a test every three years. Contact Advanced Pumping Efficiency Program (APEP) at www.pumpefficiency.org for funding.
- 5.1.3 Although not a Requirement, look into implementing a vineyard equipment energy efficiency plan.
For Doc. or Doc. + Onsite Inspection Vineyards
What to Document?
- Documentation – Complete Standards marked “D” in the database. Also review D+O Standards. These will be reviewed if you nave the Impromptu inspection (48 hours notice of an onsite inspection)
- Doc+Onsite – Complete Standards marked “D” and “D+O” in the database.
What to do This Month
- 4.3.2 Remember to track water the vineyard receives during the season from rainfall, frost protection, and irrigation.