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Meet the EcoGrowers

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Heather Webster

Region: Langhorne Creek
1.  Tell us about your experience in grape growing?
Like Ash Barty, WindSong Wines is a team effort.
The vineyard has been owned and operated by our partnership Heather Webster and Barry Featherston since our first plantings in 2002.
Nick Woods is our excellent vineyards manager. He has looked after vines here at Langhorne Creek all his working life. Heather has a background as a botanist and worked with CSIRO Division of Soils for about 10 years. 

2. What prompted you to want to be involved in the EcoVineyards project?
We are all very keen to have as much native vegetation on the property as possible and minimise our use of herbicides and insecticides, so EcoVineyards gave us a perfect framework to put that intention into practice. We also grow about 60 fruit and nut trees and have bees thanks to local Josh Nurse who provides that expertise.

3. What do you hope to achieve from your involvement in the EcoVineyards project?
We hope to achieve a more natural looking and naturally functioning vineyard ecosystem which allows native flora and fauna to thrive. Our extensive shelter belt has a good diversity of native plants and provides excellent habitat for a wide variety of native birds. Ever since I learned that blue wrens eat up to 400 mosquitos a day, I have been keen to encourage as many as possible to make their homes permanently here. The same for the micro-bats but they are nowhere near as beautiful to look at (good thing they are active in the dark).  Barry keeps the grass short around our house which is not only good for fire protection and snake deterrent but also encourages the small insectivores.

4. Have you tried to increase biodiversity on your property before undertaking this project? If so, how?
South Australia has a shocking history of de-vegetation and many people in Langhorne Creek have worked for decades to replant good tracts of native vegetation and we are happy to add our small efforts to their big ones. We also see it is very important to care for the River Bremer and its challenging water flows and bank management.

5. Why do you think it is so important for growers to try and build natural resilience on their property?
I think the EcoVineyards also aligns with what our customers are expecting. They want environmentally friendly operations and a sense of harmony. 
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6. Looking to the future, what do you see as a new 'normal' for grape growers on their properties?
Normal implies stasis, I think what I have learned is that each vintage is different and we waste a lot of energy on imagining that there is an average year. We need to manage each season as it comes and convince our population and the world to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change.

Project Partners

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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.


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  • 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