Clay Wesson

2023 | Clay Wesson has proved his farming for biodiversity to be at the highest level. He successfully retained habitat and deciduous remnant trees during the roll-out phase of multiple vineyard development projects. He realized long-term reduction in invasive plant presence at vineyard sites, and improved growing conditions for native plant types. Clay believes in and advocates for his multi-generational crew and implements their ideas toward a more sustainable agriculture.

The Lange Family

2022 | StoneRiver Vineyards was planted on what was a 34 acre peach farm in the Rogue Valley. Under Paul Lange's ownership, StoneRiver eliminated herbicide use six years ago. They installed multiple owl and kestrel boxes to aid in rodent predation, and have restored riparian vegetation along Coleman Creek. After nearby wildfires in 2020 the Lange family offered housing to their vineyard crew leader, and helped transition him into permanent housing.

Sunnyside Vineyard

2012 Awardee

Don Hagge

2013 Awardee

Please note, Vidon Vineyard is now named Compris Vineyard and owned by Dru and Erin Allen. 

Crawford Beck

2013 | Through extensive environmental monitoring and a rigorous scientific approach, the Becks have made continuous improvement a central aim of their farming. On their 45 acre property they have managed the vineyard with minimal soil disruption. They are especially proud of the establishment of an extensive upland oak habitat restoration, plantings of pollinator and forb seeds in that restoration, and the establishment of flourishing milkweed plants throughout that habitat.

Sharon Martin

2013 Awardee

Claar Cellars

2014 Awardee

Travis Cook

2014 Awardee

Bill Wendover

2015 | Bill Wendover is one of the pioneers of the Southern Oregon region. Bill's careful water management is especially impressive - he plans irrigations with on-site evapotranspiration data and soil moisture measurements. He has an irrigation pond that is filled at high-water times so that in-stream flows are not affected during critical fish usage times. He maintains a green vineyard floor to help reduce leafhopper pressure in the canopy. He uses technology to reduce pesticide drift and uses no insecticide. Bill also produces and selectively applies his own compost on the serpentine soils of Southern Oregon.

Kevin Green

2015 | Kevin Green, winemaker for Apolloni Vineyards and La Randonnée Wines, put his mark on the LIVE community by spearheading a major recycling project. Kevin organized multiple wineries to act as collection hubs for difficult to recycle shrink wrap materials that are then picked up and brought to a local recycling facility for processing. This collection system has been wildly successful since its implementation in 2015.

Jim McGavin and Wendy Golish

2016 | Jim and Wendy made nice efforts to diversify their farmscape, including developing several islands of native vegetation in the vineyard and a flower garden around their home. They controlled Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom and poison oak with mowing. They only applied sprays on alternate rows even at full canopy, conserving fuel and reducing soil compaction. Please note, Walnut Ridge is now owned by the Young Family.

Ken Kupperman

2017 | Ken Kupperman manages over 700 acres of vines for Jackson Family Wines. Ken appreciates LIVE's whole-farm philosophy and is transitioning former grass-seed fields to perennial pasture with rotational grazing. Jackson Family Wines signed onto the Willamette Partnership’s Oak Accord, which asks signatories to maintain the baseline condition of their oak habitats and work to improve it as they manage the land.

Sadie Drury

2018 | Sadie Drury farms 300 acres in Walla Walla Valley for North Slope Management. Sadie draws inspiration on integrating diverse native plant life from the wild sage steppe surrounding her vineyards. She has eliminated the use of herbicide on nearly all of the land she farms. Sadie also chaired the LIVE Technical Committee in her region for three years, helping to adapt our program requirements to more arid regions.

Zak Laster

2018 | As viticulturist and site manager for Advanced Vineyard Systems, Zak Laster has shown his dedication to sustainability over the years on many LIVE vineyards. Zak engages with the certification process whole-heartedly with thorough reporting and enthusiasm for the process. Zak has acted as an ambassador for LIVE certification to the vineyard owners that he serves and continues to be a critical part in the sustainable wine community in the Willamette Valley.

Kelli Gregory

2019 | Kelli Gregory manages 175 acres of land for Adelsheim. In her first year on the job she eliminated herbicide use on the entire vineyard. Kelli has since worked on invasive blackberry removal and restoration of oak habitat. She has designed trails on the farm for workers to walk rather than drive from block to block, planted a flower and vegetable garden and made removed unnecessary fencing to enable wildlife corridors.

The Gladhart Family

2021 | Winter's Hill Winery has been certified sustainable since LIVE's founding in 1999. The Gladharts have worked with US Fish and Wildlife, the National Resources Conservation Service and the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District to restore oak habitat and prairie habitat around their winery. They work with the Oregon Bee Project to support native pollinator habitat and have been designated a flagship farm.