Adding livestock to a vineyard can deliver soil-health and weed-control benefits, but growers need to plan infrastructure and labor before they bring animals into vines. Panelists at the 2026 Organically Grown Wine Conference in Salem warned that good intentions alone are not enough; handling, water and fencing are essential to keep animals healthy and vineyards safe. Clare Carver of Big Table Farm in Carlton, Ore., led the discussion and emphasized preparation as the top consideration.
Livestock can cut mower passes, reduce some fertilizer and chemical needs, and, in the case of chickens, help control cutworms. Those gains, however, come with steady daily responsibilities: feeding, monitoring, and moving animals as the vineyard season dictates. Carver stressed that growers should take an honest inventory of time and labor before committing.
Carver listed specific facility needs growers commonly overlook: a handling facility to vaccinate and treat animals, secure fencing that fits vineyard trellis layouts, and a trailer or other safe means to load and move livestock. “If you don’t have a handling facility, you can’t vaccinate your animals,” she said, noting that moving cows or other animals requires a place to hold them and a way to transport them safely.
Preparation and facilities
Carver advised talking with several farmers and visiting operations that already integrate animals in vineyards rather than relying on a single example. “Don’t talk to one farmer and then go build your program,” she said, arguing that multiple site visits help growers design systems that actually work in their specific terrain and vine spacing. She also warned that animal programs add to workload: daily checks and night monitoring are part of the responsibility.
Stephen Hagen of Antiquum Farm in Junction City, Ore., offered a concrete look at costs and tradeoffs from his 20-acre operation. Hagen put establishment costs, including trellis deterrent systems and portable shelters, at $5,200–$5,400/acre, and estimated year-over-year operating costs near $2,300/acre operating versus about $1,800/acre savings from reduced inputs — a gap he said left the system running at a loss financially. “We are losing money on this system. Make no mistake about it,” Hagen said, but he balanced that with nonfinancial returns.
Those nonfinancial returns center on ecology and visitor experience. Hagen described shifts in fruit character and what he called a deeper expression of terroir after years with animals on the land, and noted that visitors respond positively to livestock in the rows. Carver and other panelists also pointed to pest suppression, nutrient cycling and reduced fossil-fuel use as benefits that are hard to quantify but influence management choices.
Animal selection and care
Carver and panelists described a mix of species used successfully in vineyards: sheep for under-vine grazing, pigs for targeted disturbance in nonbearing areas, chickens for pest control, and cattle or goats in headlands and adjacent woods. They emphasized matching breed and behavior to the vineyard layout, ensuring reliable water delivery, and setting up fencing that accommodates both the animals and vineyard equipment. Veterinary access, biosecurity, and contingency plans for extreme weather or predator pressure should be part of any plan.
Carver’s practical directive to growers was straightforward: visit multiple farms, inventory necessary handling and transport equipment, and be realistic about the ongoing labor and costs before introducing animals to vineyard blocks. She urged builders of new programs to design systems with holding areas, trailers and water infrastructure already in place rather than adding animals first and infrastructure later.
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