Passionate, hard-working and sustainably minded, our team are custodians of Gusbourne's vines, wines and experiences. They're a humble, knowledge-hungry bunch, who are continually thinking about how we can improve the way we work.
One of the most fascinating areas of change right now is the conversation around sustainability. Here, our vineyard manager Jon Pollard shares his most inspiring reading and podcast recommendations to help fire up your thinking.
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Entangled Life is a wonderful exploration of the mysterious kingdom of fungi. The images and illustrations are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Jon called this: "fascinating and ultimately very readable," for what, on the surface, might seem to be a niche topic. Read our interview with Merlin here.
Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown
This is a must-read, says Jon. "It's the compelling story of Gabe Brown’s transition from a conventional arable farmer (and nearly going out of business) in North Dakota to God-like status within the Regenerative Agriculture movement. You can see how the incorporation of animals back into his farming system made such a big difference, and it really highlights how - in the vast majority of cases - farming has become removed from life in the soil and above it."
Restoring Your Soil by Dale Strickler
Healthy soil is key to our future ability to farm food. This, according to Jon, is "a handbook for what to do", guiding you through the fundamentals of how to make practical changes to improve your soil. "Strickler is one of the world’s experts on the topic."
English Pastoral by James Rebanks
Rebanks is a Lake District farmer; he still lives and works on the land his family have farmed for more than six hundred years. This is Jon's favourite of Rebanks' books (his No.1 bestselling debut, The Shepherd's Life, has been translated into sixteen languages. Jon says: "When looking at the history of agricultural chemical use in previous family generations and how this has changed, Rebanks manages to end up on a hopeful note for the future. Very heartening."
Regerative Agriculture Podcast with John Kempf.
"This is amazing," says Jon. "I am slowly working my way through every episode (they release a new one almost every week). This is very US-based but he does interview people from other areas of the world, occasionally from the UK. There are a handful of episodes that are related to viticulture but but lots of other information to read across from other agricultural industries. Some really fascinating stuff."
Jon's thoughtful and informed approach to viticulture and farming is a cornerstone in how we produce our high-quality fruit. Find out more about the ways in which we work sustainably here.
