aerial view of vineyard on hilltop with oak forests at margins

2023 Benefit Report

The Elk Cove Mission: To craft consistent 100% estate-grown Willamette Valley wines while taking good care of the land we love, doing business sustainably and contributing to the health of our local community.

We believe in business as a force for good. In addition to earning a profit, we consider our impacts on society and the environment when making business decisions. We have adopted B Corp third-party standards that honor the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit as we strive to do good for our local community.

We are stewards of the land, protecting this beautiful place we call home for the next generation and beyond.

rooftop solar cells with vineyards and fir trees in the background

What makes Elk Cove a Benefit Company?

We have made a legal commitment by registering Elk Cove as a Benefit Company with the state of Oregon. In 2023, we applied to be a B Corporation and we expect our application to be finalized in mid-2024. This combination of a legal commitment and third-party sustainability standards is what makes us an Oregon Benefit Company.

What public benefits does Elk Cove provide?

An Oregon Benefit Corporation is required to provide a benefit to the community and adopt a third-party sustainability standard. We have adopted the B Lab standards to confirm our benefits to the environment and to society. Here are some highlights of the benefits we have reported to B Lab as part of our B Corp certification:

man in cowboy hat and sweatshirt working with grapevines in the spring to remove extra buds

SOCIAL BENEFITS: We Contribute to the Health of our Local Community and The Sustainability Of The Oregon Wine Industry.

Ways we contribute to the health of our local community:

  • Our full-time employees receive healthcare benefits, a living wage and opportunities for education and career advancement.
  • We donate wine to 100s of healthcare and family charitable causes each year.
  • We have organized our agricultural calendar to maximize the number of full-time employees earning a living wage with full benefits including healthcare, retirement, and paid time off.
  • We are founding members of ¡Salud! Auction for Vineyard Worker Healthcare which we support every year as members of the Vintners Circle.
Cover crop growing in a vineyard in the springtime

Ways we contribute to the sustainability of the Oregon Wine Industry:

Clover cover crop in bloom

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: We Contribute to Biodiversity & Elk Habitat

Ways we contribute to biodiversity on our properties and beyond:

  • Sustainable agricultural practices: we farm using organic practices and our vineyards are certified Salmon-Safe.
  • We plant cover crops to increase biodiversity in the vineyard, increasing habitat for beneficial microbes, insects and birds.
  • We limit our water use by dry farming all 4+ year-old vines.
  • We protect and rehabilitate 100s of acres of forest and wetland areas adjacent to our vineyards.
  • 1% for the planet: We donate over 1% of Elk Cove’s revenue to environmental causes.
elk grazing in the rain

Ways we contribute to available Roosevelt Elk habitat:

  • Elk are big animals that need large amounts of range, water and food. We protect 100s of acres of wooded and open areas adjacent to our vineyards to provide habitat for the herd.
  • Oak Forest Protection: as members of the Oak Accord, we protect Oregon oak woodlands on our properties. Elk use oaks for cover and forage.
  • We conserve wetlands to provide drinking water for elk and other animals.
  • We limit farming activity in areas frequented by the local elk herd.

Why B Corp?

We chose B Corp certification because it’s the third-party certification that aligns best with our values:

  • Rigorous standards of both social and environmental impacts
  • Emphasis on continuous improvement and long-term resiliency
  • Standards that adapt to current environmental and business best practices
  • Consideration of all stakeholders including employees and customers

B Corp stood out among third-party environmental certifications because of its additional focus on the social and financial impacts of our business on the larger community. We farm using organic methods, and we share many values with our friends who are LIVE or Biodynamic certified, but these certifications lack requirements in areas of governance and community and do not consider the impacts a business has on workers, customers and other stakeholders in the wider community. With roots in rural Oregon, it’s important to us that we help make rural Oregon a better place for plants, animals, farms and people.

Results Of Our 2023 B Impact Assessment:

A total of 80 points out of 200 are required to become a B Corporation and we scored 90.5 points on our initial assessment in 2023. Companies reapply every three years and are encouraged to improve their score. Learn more about B Corp.

We are currently working with B Lab to finalize our B Corp certification. While we still have documentation to provide to B Lab, we are confident that we have achieved the standard and Elk Cove be certified as a B Corp in mid-2024. Measuring a company’s social and environmental impact takes time!

two kids in the vineyard, Adam with baby Anna riding on his back. Adam is wearing velour sweatshirt with a big collared shirt underneath and grinning under a mop of blond hair

Why Certify Now?

Over our first 50 years in business, Elk Cove’s founders Pat and Joe Campbell modeled a strong sense of environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Our goal in adopting a third-party standard is to continue to improve as environmental stewards and community members so that we can continue to provide social and environmental benefits to society over our next 50 years in business.

Cheers to sustainable winegrowing!