Planting for Pollinators | McIntyre Vineyards

Sara Frazer, Sustainability Manager at Monterey Pacific, learned something in 2019 that moved her deeply: the monarch butterfly was on the brink of extinction.

She felt inspired to act, and saw the CDFA’s Healthy Soils Initiative grant as the perfect opportunity.

With help from the Xerces Society and local nurseries, Sara initiated a project to help support the monarch’s habitat.

They planted a hedgerow at McIntyre Vineyards with 147 native plants:

• Plants with staggered bloom schedules to provide nectar year-round
• Native woody shrubs that are more drought- and deer-tolerant
• Narrow-leaf milkweed – the plant that monarch butterflies depend on for their lifecycles

The hedgerow provides habitat for monarchs and other pollinators, helps with erosion control, and attracts even more beneficial life to the farm.

Sara was surprised at how quickly life was drawn in and how easy it has been to maintain.

“It’s a joy walking by and seeing monarch cocoons and bees buzzing around lilac flowers, and birds eating the elderberries,” says Sara. “This vitality is infectious and creates a whole new dimension to the overall vineyard.”