At today’s LIVE annual meeting of environmentally innovative Pacific Northwest winegrowers in Newberg, Oregon, Salmon-Safe presented our 2026 Hero of Salmon award to Tony Soter and the vineyard management team of Soter Vineyards-Mineral Springs Ranch for holistic and low input farming practices that include a particular focus on landscape-level pollinator habitat, including the recent establishment of nearly 30 acres of permanent fescue pathway with wildflowers. Soter Vineyards-Mineral Springs Ranch is Salmon-Safe certified through our partnership with winegrower certification initiative LIVE.
Over nearly two decades, Salmon-Safe has awarded the Hero of Salmon to some of the region’s most ecologically committed winegrowers. Soter Vineyards-Mineral Springs Ranch has the distinction of being the first Hero of Salmon to back that commitment through five leading certifications including Salmon-Safe, LIVE, organic, biodynamic and B Corp.
As part of its commitment to biodynamic agriculture, Soter Vineyards-Mineral Springs Ranch integrates chickens, cows, and turkeys through the farm and vineyards for pest control, fertility, and soil vitality. The operation also is notable for native oak restoration with the goal of planning a thousand oaks in the next decade. Tony Soter describes the project’s goal as “restoring an ecosystem inspired by nature and indigenous history.”
Constructed from a reclaimed Oregon highway sign, the Hero of Salmon wall mountable salmon sculpture is awarded each year to a Pacific Northwest vineyard for exceptional conservation of biodiversity.
