WGCSA
  • Home
  • About
    • Our People >
      • Adrian Hoffmann
      • Troy van Dulken
      • Nick Price
      • Ben Pridham
      • Lachlan Allen
      • Jenny Venus
      • Helen Strickland
    • Strategic Direction
    • Industry Organisations
  • REGIONS
  • Grower Resources
    • SA Assistance Guide
    • Guide For Vineyard Removal & Waste Management
    • Code of Conduct Forum
    • Legal Services Partnership
    • Broadacre Burn-off Smoke Management Guidelines
    • AGW Factsheet for Growers
    • Personal Property Security Register
    • Grape Purchase Agreements >
      • Guide to selling wine grapes
      • Wine Industry Code of Conduct
      • Tips to recover payments
    • Transport Legislation
    • Despatch Docket Books
    • Licensing and Compliance Guide
    • Grower Guide to the Label Integrity Program
    • AWRI Fact Sheets
    • Video Library >
      • FIT4WORK
      • Grower Interviews
      • 2017 Wine Grape Grower Summit
      • WGCSA Councillor Interviews
  • GrowStrong 2025
    • GrowStrong Business Fundamentals
    • GrowStrong Events
    • GrowStrong Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Options
    • GrowStrong Pilot Program
  • Reports & Analysis
    • SA Crush & Pricing Report
    • Grape profitability by region
    • Global Market Analysis
  • PODCAST- Series 1
    • Episode 01- Tom Keelan
    • Episode 02- Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 03- Dr Ian Zajac
    • Episode 04- Lachlan Allen
    • Episode 05- Trudie Stanley
    • Episode 06- Adrian Hoffmann
    • Episode 07- Brett Smith & Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 08- Brad Case & Nicole Clark
    • Episode 09- Mary O'Brien
    • Episode 10- Ashley Ratcliff
  • PODCAST- Series 2
    • Episode 01- Anita Goode
    • Episode 02- Richard Leask
    • Episode 03- Matt Dorman, Callen Bubner
    • Episode 04- Kerri Thompson, Marnie Roberts
    • Episode 05- Simon Tolley
    • Episode 06- Steve Schiller, Rebecca Weatherill
    • Episode 07- Sheridan Alm
    • Episode 08- Nigel Blieschke, Tom Bartholomaeus
    • Episode 09- Roger, Greg and Tim Follett
  • News & Events
  • SHOP
  • EcoVineyards
Picture

Meet the EcoGrowers

Picture

Geoff Weaver

Region: Adelaide Hills
1.  Tell us about your experience in grape growing?
My life in the wine industry began as a winemaker in 1974, first at Orlando and then Hardys. My first foray into wine grape growing was in 1976 with my first vineyard at Springton. In 1982 I bought land and planted my 12ha vineyard at Lenswood in 1982. For the past 27 years I have been a wine grape grower/maker.

2. What prompted you to want to be involved in the EcoVineyards project?
I am always interested in being environmentally conscious and to this end, I use the gentlest chemical (S and Cu) as fungicides and no pesticides apart from BT for LBAM. My goal is to promote biodiversity and have a positive long term impact on the land. 

3. What do you hope to achieve from your involvement in the EcoVineyards project?
A better understanding of useful plants to aid in promoting a healthier local ecosystem.

4. Have you tried to increase biodiversity on your property before undertaking this project? If so, how?
Our vines are largely run without irrigation so biodiversity is important. We have always promoted the natural volunteer sward in our rows and I have planted hundreds of trees (mainly Eucalypts) but also acacias, oaks and plane trees around the vineyard. I’m looking forward to how the recently planted Christmas Bushes take to our property. 

In our unplanted areas of the vineyard, I have had a long and slowly successful battle with Gorse and broom.

5. Why do you think it is so important for growers to try and build natural resilience on their property?
Running a vineyard as a monoculture is done at our peril. A monoculture environment is inherently more vulnerable to damage and collapse than diverse ecosystems.
​

6. Looking to the future, what do you see as a new 'normal' for grape growers on their properties?
I think a lot of what I’m doing at Lenswood will become the new normal. Largely dry-grown grapes, using minimal or no pesticides, gentle fungicides and going back to hand pruning and picking to promote quality. I think we need to approach grape growing as part of the wider plant community so that we don’t hinder biodiversity. 
In the future I see more and more growers adopting these practices. Not only because of quality and cost, but also because it is the right thing to do in the long term. It’s just another angle we can use to help promote our wines and growing regions within the wine market.

​

Project Partners

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
This project is supported by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, through funding from Australian Government's National Landcare Program.
​This project is funded by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board through the NRM levy.


Support

Contact
Disclaimer
​
Privacy Statement
© Copyright 2020 Wine Grape Council of South Australia (WGCSA) ABN 15 358 317 535 
  • Home
  • About
    • Our People >
      • Adrian Hoffmann
      • Troy van Dulken
      • Nick Price
      • Ben Pridham
      • Lachlan Allen
      • Jenny Venus
      • Helen Strickland
    • Strategic Direction
    • Industry Organisations
  • REGIONS
  • Grower Resources
    • SA Assistance Guide
    • Guide For Vineyard Removal & Waste Management
    • Code of Conduct Forum
    • Legal Services Partnership
    • Broadacre Burn-off Smoke Management Guidelines
    • AGW Factsheet for Growers
    • Personal Property Security Register
    • Grape Purchase Agreements >
      • Guide to selling wine grapes
      • Wine Industry Code of Conduct
      • Tips to recover payments
    • Transport Legislation
    • Despatch Docket Books
    • Licensing and Compliance Guide
    • Grower Guide to the Label Integrity Program
    • AWRI Fact Sheets
    • Video Library >
      • FIT4WORK
      • Grower Interviews
      • 2017 Wine Grape Grower Summit
      • WGCSA Councillor Interviews
  • GrowStrong 2025
    • GrowStrong Business Fundamentals
    • GrowStrong Events
    • GrowStrong Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Options
    • GrowStrong Pilot Program
  • Reports & Analysis
    • SA Crush & Pricing Report
    • Grape profitability by region
    • Global Market Analysis
  • PODCAST- Series 1
    • Episode 01- Tom Keelan
    • Episode 02- Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 03- Dr Ian Zajac
    • Episode 04- Lachlan Allen
    • Episode 05- Trudie Stanley
    • Episode 06- Adrian Hoffmann
    • Episode 07- Brett Smith & Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 08- Brad Case & Nicole Clark
    • Episode 09- Mary O'Brien
    • Episode 10- Ashley Ratcliff
  • PODCAST- Series 2
    • Episode 01- Anita Goode
    • Episode 02- Richard Leask
    • Episode 03- Matt Dorman, Callen Bubner
    • Episode 04- Kerri Thompson, Marnie Roberts
    • Episode 05- Simon Tolley
    • Episode 06- Steve Schiller, Rebecca Weatherill
    • Episode 07- Sheridan Alm
    • Episode 08- Nigel Blieschke, Tom Bartholomaeus
    • Episode 09- Roger, Greg and Tim Follett
  • News & Events
  • SHOP
  • EcoVineyards