Episode 154: Soil, Sheep, and Superior Grapes with Ivo Jeramaz
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
AEA Marketing
4.7 • 548 Ratings
🗓️ 22 May 2025
⏱️ 70 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ivo Jeramaz, a mechanical engineer turned vintner, immigrated from former Yugoslavia (now Croatia) to Napa Valley, where he rediscovered his ancestral connection to farming. Initially resentful of agriculture due to its demands in his youth, Ivo's perspective shifted dramatically within weeks of arriving in Napa, where he embraced grape growing and winemaking as a fulfilling life's work, now leading Grgich Hills Winery with a commitment to regenerative practices.
Raised in a family that produced much of their own food and clothing, Ivo brings a deep-rooted appreciation for self-sufficiency and nature to his work at Grgich Hills. With six children and a passion for biodiversity, he is dedicated to promoting regenerative farming, aiming to convert Napa Valley's vineyards to sustainable practices while producing high-quality wines that reflect the health of the land.
In this episode, John and Ivo discuss:
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Ivo's quick adoption of regenerative practices and how it impacted soil organic matter
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How diverse cover crops and sheep grazing enhance vineyard resilience
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The impact of regenerative farming on grape quality, including thicker cuticles
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Challenges of red blotch virus and how regenerative practices help vines coexist with it
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Ivo's vision for a regenerative future in Napa Valley
Additional Resources
To learn more about Ivo, and Grgich Hills Winery, please visit: https://www.grgich.com/our-story/
About John Kempf
John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow
Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.
AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA's science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA's regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi friends, welcome to the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast. I'm John Kempf, and we're here on the podcast, we have fun conversations that are all related around the theme of how do we make agriculture healthy, be healthy for ecosystems, the environment, how do we regenerate soil health and plant health and livestock health, and ultimately human health health because as the Japanese farmer |
| 0:22.3 | ukuoka taught us he said the ultimate purpose of agriculture is the cultivation of human |
| 0:27.8 | beings and I think we would be well reminded of that so I've looked forward to this conversation |
| 0:33.8 | today for some time I'm joined by Ivo geramazmaz of Gurgich Hills Winery, who has |
| 0:39.6 | both the winery and Evo have quite the fascinating story and they've been doing some fascinating |
| 0:44.9 | work. So Evo, thank you for being here. I've really been looking forward to our discussion. |
| 0:49.0 | Tell us a little bit about the journey that you've been on and the journey that Gurgich Hills has been on. |
| 0:55.0 | John, thank you so much for having me been known each other for a few years. |
| 1:00.0 | And you were first one to introduce me to regenerative farming through podcasts like yours. |
| 1:07.0 | So I thank you so much. |
| 1:09.0 | Many, many people like me found regenerative farming through your podcasts. |
| 1:13.6 | You have no idea how influential that is and how many minds are changed. |
| 1:19.6 | As you said, knowledge is there. |
| 1:21.6 | We just have to collect it in one place. |
| 1:24.6 | So you were able to collect all the knowledge in one place, and it's free, |
| 1:29.3 | accessible to anyone. |
| 1:31.1 | All you have to do, show will and time to learn. |
| 1:35.7 | Thank you. |
| 1:36.6 | Well, thank you. |
| 1:37.3 | That's quite a compliment. |
| 1:38.8 | So, we are a small family owner-winery in Napa Valley. |
| 1:44.6 | We are originally from former Yugoslavia. |
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