The name of Mondavi is almost always associated with wine. The late Robert Mondavi, brilliant and strong-willed, shaped today’s California wine industry more than any other single individual.
Mondavi’s grandson Carlo shares the family’s traditional love of wine (in Carlo’s case, pinot noir especially), but he is making a mark in another area as well: regenerative agriculture, reports The New York Times. Robert Mondavi Changed Wine. His Grandson Aims to Change Farming. – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Unlike many agriculturalists 40 years ago, for whom “environmentalist” was a term of abuse, the 43-year-old Mondavi represents a new attitude toward ecology. He wants to rein in farming’s carbon footprint. He intends to do this with regenerative agriculture, increased biodiversity, and renewable farming. Other approaches include maintaining ecosystems and avoiding agrichemicals.
Mondavi has also been instrumental in pioneering a new, climate-friendly tractor called the Monarch (in honor of the butterfly, not the House of Windsor). It is a compact tractor intended for small fruit and vegetable farms, as well as, of course, vineyards.
“Monarch Tractor is a mission driven company that is committed to elevating farming practices to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable solutions for today’s farmers and the generations of farmers to come,” says the company’s website. The Monarch is “100% electric, driver optional, and data driven,” the site adds.
The Monarch can also serve as something of a farm research hub to provide growers with data about crop health.
The company claims that its tractor will save an estimated 54 metric tons of CO2 emissions—and $18,000—annually.
The Monarch MK-V XLR, whose battery has an estimated 14 hours of running time, starts at $88,998. A lower-priced model, the MK-V LR (starting at $74,998), has a battery with 8 hours of running time. Batteries are swappable, making 24-hour operation possible.
“Monarch MK-V will charge from zero to 100% in 5-6 hrs with an 80 amp charger, or 10-12 hrs with a 40 amp charger,” the company claims.
Other MK-V models are designed for dairy use and to serve as utility vehicles.
The tractor provides 40 hp continuously, with a 70-hp peak. This seems rather low compared to conventional tractors (John Deere models range from 110 to 440 hp), so anyone seriously thinking about a Monarch would have to take this into consideration.
The Times article quotes Steve Matthiasson, a farmer, winemaker, and vineyard consultant who is an enthusiastic proponent (with two models on order), as saying that the Monarch makes organic farming, which often requires more diesel-powered cultivation to replace chemical treatments, more climate-friendly.
As far as pollution is concerned, Mondavi says, “Tractors are far worse than ordinary cars.”
The Monarch probably represents an innovative early phase of electric tractors rather than the summit of possibilities, but it looks like a good place to start.
The name of Mondavi is almost always associated with wine. The late Robert Mondavi, brilliant and strong-willed, shaped today’s California wine industry more than any other single individual.
Mondavi’s grandson Carlo shares the family’s traditional love of wine (in Carlo’s case, pinot noir especially), but he is making a mark in another area as well: regenerative agriculture, reports The New York Times. Robert Mondavi Changed Wine. His Grandson Aims to Change Farming. – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Unlike many agriculturalists 40 years ago, for whom “environmentalist” was a term of abuse, the 43-year-old Mondavi represents a new attitude toward ecology. He wants to rein in farming’s carbon footprint. He intends to do this with regenerative agriculture, increased biodiversity, and renewable farming. Other approaches include maintaining ecosystems and avoiding agrichemicals.
Mondavi has also been instrumental in pioneering a new, climate-friendly tractor called the Monarch (in honor of the butterfly, not the House of Windsor). It is a compact tractor intended for small fruit and vegetable farms, as well as, of course, vineyards.
“Monarch Tractor is a mission driven company that is committed to elevating farming practices to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable solutions for today’s farmers and the generations of farmers to come,” says the company’s website. The Monarch is “100% electric, driver optional, and data driven,” the site adds.
The Monarch can also serve as something of a farm research hub to provide growers with data about crop health.
The company claims that its tractor will save an estimated 54 metric tons of CO2 emissions—and $18,000—annually.
The Monarch MK-V XLR, whose battery has an estimated 14 hours of running time, starts at $88,998. A lower-priced model, the MK-V LR (starting at $74,998), has a battery with 8 hours of running time. Batteries are swappable, making 24-hour operation possible.
“Monarch MK-V will charge from zero to 100% in 5-6 hrs with an 80 amp charger, or 10-12 hrs with a 40 amp charger,” the company claims.
Other MK-V models are designed for dairy use and to serve as utility vehicles.
The tractor provides 40 hp continuously, with a 70-hp peak. This seems rather low compared to conventional tractors (John Deere models range from 110 to 440 hp), so anyone seriously thinking about a Monarch would have to take this into consideration.
The Times article quotes Steve Matthiasson, a farmer, winemaker, and vineyard consultant who is an enthusiastic proponent (with two models on order), as saying that the Monarch makes organic farming, which often requires more diesel-powered cultivation to replace chemical treatments, more climate-friendly.
As far as pollution is concerned, Mondavi says, “Tractors are far worse than ordinary cars.”
The Monarch probably represents an innovative early phase of electric tractors rather than the summit of possibilities, but it looks like a good place to start.
Richard Smoley, contributing editor for Blue Book Services, Inc., has more than 40 years of experience in magazine writing and editing, and is the former managing editor of California Farmer magazine. A graduate of Harvard and Oxford universities, he has published 12 books.
