The Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certification program offers consumers a way to ensure that the wines they enjoy are coming from vineyards and companies fully committed to protecting natural and human resources. Developed in 2008 by the Vineyard Team and based on over 20 years of work in sustainable farming, the SIP Certification program encompass the many interrelated elements of the whole farm system: the worker, soil fertility, cover crops, wildlife, native plants, irrigation, and more. Audits of vineyards are performed by independent investigators and are presented anonymously to the certification committee. Nearly 41,100 acres are eligible for SIP Certification and nearly 2,600,000 cases of wine bear the SIP seal.