Who we are
We are the living descendants of Miluk Coos of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.
Our tribes trace their ancestry back to the aboriginal inhabitants of the South-Central coast of Oregon.
The founders are the sons of Chief Warren Brainard, who traces our family’s heritage to Coos Bay, Oregon and has emphasized the importance of preserving our unique tribal identity.
Chief Brainard’s tenure is marked by a commitment to cultural preservation, economic development, and community empowerment, ensuring the Tribes continue to thrive while honoring our ancestral legacy. https://ctclusi.org/history/
Our vineyard estate has adopted sustainable farming practices centered around three core pillars:
Farmworker Fairness: We are committed to living wages, safe working conditions, transparency, accountability, and a collaborative environment for everyone involved in vineyard operations.
Soil Health: Through grazing with our llamas, we promote carbon capture, build soil organic matter, support soil conservation, maintain cover crops, and enhance biodiversity across the estate.
Animal Welfare: We ensure the highest standards of care for our team of llamas, freedom from hunger, discomfort, pain, injury, disease, and freedom from distress.
By integrating our llamas into the farm ecosystem, we work in harmony with nature to maximize the expression of terroir. This approach helps produce grapes of exceptional intensity and character while caring responsibly for animals, soil, and people alike.
Llamas are used in two ways on the farm:
They graze directly on weeds, cover crops, and grass between the vine rows. They eat the lower vegetation but are moved out once the vines leaf out, so they don’t damage the crop.
They also act as guard animals to our calves during calving season, keeping them safe from predators like coyotes.
Our goal is to work in harmony with nature. By using our animals, we help the vineyard express its true character and grow grapes full of flavor and intensity.