Episode #80: Kelly Mulville

Kelly Mulville, a veteran agricultural consultant, is the Vineyard Director at Paicines Ranch in San Benito County, California. For more than 25 years, Kelly has been obtaining impressive results by merging his experience in viticulture with his understanding of Allan Savory’s holistic grazing management techniques. His approach to extended-season vineyard livestock grazing and other ecological practices continue to capture an audience of vineyard managers around the globe.

Kelly and John discuss in this episode:

• How Kelly developed practices around incorporating sheep into his vineyard management.
• Flooring a wildlife biologist with the bird population data on Kelly’s vineyard after implementing new practices.
• The role plant-grazing animals play in reducing insect pressures.
• Kelly’s cover cropping strategy and how it has led to a diversity of 50 species of plants growing in the vineyard.
• The specific holistic management techniques inspired by Allan Savory’s work that have contributed to vineyard success.
• The adaptability of these practices on other crops like nuts and tree crops.