Q. What is your company name, product, and brief origin story?
A. Our company is Off the Grid Organic Winery, we grow and make wine
We come from a long line of farmers on our property. Originally owned by Edwin Paynter, my husband's great grandfather in 1919, our land has been farmed by a total of 4 generations.
Now, with my daughter working for us, she is the 5th.
Q. Why is being certified organic important to you?
A. Being certified is important to us as its proof of the hard work and dedication that goes into making a pure product that has been made with intention and a tremendous amount of care for the quality of the wine and for the person who is consuming it.
Q. What specific questions did you have when learning about organic certification?
A. Organic certification was hard to navigate as many questions didn't apply to wine but to other farming. There was a large learning curve as to how to fill out the paperwork, and maybe still is.
Q. If someone you know is thinking of certifying organic, what advice would you offer?
A. I would suggest that anyone should talk to another company in their field about the process in order to make it smoother, help them understand what applies to them and what doesn't, and how to answer and fill out the paperwork. Also, they can help with questions on products they use and don't use. Organic growers tend to want to help other organic growers. I know I was helped when I started, and I have helped others along the way. It's all part of the community.
Q. Why did you choose PACS as your certifying body?
A. We choose PACs as it was a referral from Kalala Organic Winery
Q. What has been the most rewarding part of your organic journey?
A. The most rewarding part of the process has been presenting the finished product to the customer who is really interested in what organic means in wine. We love being able to share our story, how organic wine is really about doing less than doing more, and about the difference to a person's health that organic makes.
I am proud of what we have build here, making compost, using sheep in our vines, and working with mother nature and all the creatures that come along with no pesticides.
