Joseph Brinkley, who holds a degree in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University, was working for the Federal Reserve in Richmond, Virginia when he realized he would rather get his hands dirty than work in an office. He went back to school, the second time attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Horticulture in 2003.
Following graduation, Joseph worked with a number of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms while complementing his education with workshops at Virginia’s Josephine Porter Institute, an internationally acclaimed educational facility that advances education and research in Biodynamics. “I was enjoying learning the details of farming land, including best practices for compost and soil management—and gaining insight to anything that contributed to the overall health of the farm,” Joseph remarks.
Today, Joseph’s contributions and expertise, including his extensive knowledge of Biodynamic preparations, contribute to ongoing excellence at Bonterra.
Travel to California to look at Biodynamic wine growing with Joseph Brinkley, vineyard director at Bonterra Organic Vineyards, and explore the elegant simplicity of elemental food with chef Garrett Sathre.
Bonterra has pushed well beyond that with sustainability processes and certifications such as Climate Neutral, True Zero Waste, and now focusing on Rege…
There are several wineries listed on the BioFiltro website who have started using vermifiltration for their equipment rinsing effluent. Bonterra Organic Estates, formerly Fetzer Vineyards, was one of the earliest adopters of the technology. Joseph Brinkley, the Director of Regenerative Farming, described this as a natural extension of their overall sustainability orientation which also involves minimizing soil disturbance and building soil health.
“One piece we’ve advocated for in the Farm Bill encourages additional research. If we can obtain more funding for research on organic and regenerative farming, we can alleviate that burden from growers, and share the findings with universities and research institutions as they search for necessary solutions.”