Goats Help Prevent European Grapevine Moth
Goats Help Prevent European Grapevine Moth According to the biologist at the Napa County Agricultural Commissioners’ Office, the efforts to stop the spread of the European Grapevine Moth with mating disruptors are working. Only 77 male moths were trapped this season in contrast to 111 male moths a year ago and 100,000 male moths two years… Read more »
A Job Well Done!
Leaves are beginning to yellow and close down for the year. A Job Well Done! After the harvest we give the vines a deep watering, a kind of thank you for a job well done. Soon we will do series of sprays. The leaves are yellowing, closing down for the year, and before they drop,… Read more »
Harvest: End of the Day
When the harvest was finally finished, we were all tired. Pickers are sparse in the Valley, and since we only had six, each man ended up picking more than two tons. Ramon’s son David watches from the safety of his yard. Cleaning leaves from bins. The last of the grapes, end of the day. Very… Read more »
Harvest Recap in Pictures
Harvest Recap in Pictures We started at dawn. The day was cool. Only six pickers, over 12 tons. Our neighbor Jerry helped. We picked all day, eight hours, and we finished! Empty fruit bins at dawn. Jerry brought his tractor and worked all day hauling fruit bins. Ramon is understandably happy to have… Read more »
Impatience, But Almost There!!
Impatience, But Almost There!! The days have fallen into a pattern: hot midday and afternoons with temperatures into the high 90’s, too hot to be out, and then cooling some after dark. Last night the crickets chirped all night. Even in this heat, the remaining grapes have taken their time, but this morning the… Read more »
Cynthia's "Small Moments"
Do dogs have small moments? Or are they immersed in them ? Cynthia’s “Small Moments” In farming and in life it’s so easy to measure the hours of the day in terms of what’s not done. How important then to value those moments of the bat’s silent, loopy swoop in the blue light of dawn,… Read more »
Elves in the Basement
Facial Mist ready to be boxed. Elves in the Basement It is like having elves in the basement! I return after two days being out of town to find the hydrosol packaged for storage and safe keeping.
Waiting: spray Biodynamic Prep 500 to balance the hot and drying forces with earth forces.
Aaron Bader of Adler Fels Winery Waiting Our winemaker for Adler Fels Winery, Aaron Bader, tests the rest of the grapes, saying it will be another week to ten days before harvesting them. The weekend is to bring temperatures into the 90’s, which may speed the ripening up, but also be dehydrating. We will spray… Read more »
Harvest! Harvesting grapes at Harms, a Biodynamic organic vineyard.
Harvest! Ramon tells me that the winemaker says, “Good fruit!” He is understandably proud, having nurtured this crop for the last year, beginning with composting, then pruning. By 9 am three tons have been picked. We supply the pickers with water and soda, and they continue. The day is cool and foggy, ideal picking weather…. Read more »
Harvest Prep
Adler Fels Winery, Mayacamas Mountains Harvest Prep Donald picks up the fruit bins from Adler Fels, a small winery at 1500 feet in the Mayacamas Mountains between here and Santa Rosa. We have to hire a bigger truck to make the long, grinding drive back to the winery with the fruit, as our truck simply… Read more »
© 2024 Patricia Damery.
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