Spring 2014 in the Vineyard

It's mid-May, but things are off to a slow start in the vineyard.  Michael tested the health of the buds on our Sabrevois and Louise Swenson vines back in March and, despite the severe winter, everything looked really good.  In most parts of the vineyard we are seeing "bud-swell" (enlarged buds).  However, the only buds that are popping leaves right now ("bud-break") are the ones on the trunks near the ground. We've not had enough sunshine and warmth to make that happen yet up higher on the vines.

Even our weather station hasn't had enough sunlight.  The unit outside in the vineyard has a lithium battery that is recharged by the sun.  Our console in the office was flashing a message that the battery outside was low.  It's not supposed to do that!

The wild bird life inside our deer fence is thriving, however. A few days ago, we noticed a killdeer sitting on a nest of four eggs in one of the rows of Sabrevois grapes.  Yesterday I had to mow the grass there.  The first time I passed her, the female stayed right there on the eggs with her wings extended to protect her little ones.  Unfortunately, I had to disturb her a second time on the other side.  This time she did the typical killdeer "act" of moving fifteen or so feet away from the nest and acting like she had a broken wing, hopping around to divert attention from her nest.  It is all we can do to keep our dog Hank from spotting her.  (He is wearing his electric training collar all the time in the vineyard now.)  Since he is a natural-born bird dog, we have to be vigilant to be sure he isn't going after the mama.

Four killdeer eggs in the vineyard

For the first time this year we have seen wild turkeys inside the vineyard, mostly just pecking around or flying low overhead.  Yesterday, I saw what I thought was a turkey or a pheasant (I'm not sure about identifying the females of the two species) in my prairie flowers on the west side of the pole shed.  It flew away.  Then a few hours later, I peeked around the pole shed to look at my rhubarb, and there it was again, poking it's head out of the brush in the prairie.  Later, Michael, Kate, and I went to check it out closer, when the mother wasn't there.  Sure enough, we have a nest of eight turkey eggs in the prairie! Poor Hank... He is going to be on a very tight leash for the immediate future...

Eight turkey eggs in the wildflower prairie

Harvest Day, September 21, 2013

Cannon River Winery informed us earlier this week that our Sabrevois and Louise Swenson grapes were ripe and ready to be picked.  We have been bringing them samples of 100 grapes taken randomly from both varieties for the past three weeks.  This week our numbers are where they want them, so we picked and delivered our crop on Saturday.

Here are a few fun videos.  We will also add more photos later.

Michael on Friday when we finished removing the bird netting:
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/6djtmbzco60oxz4/p72QGF4gES


Connie in the vineyard on Harvest Day:
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/7w9gx1yrwo7getl/jxmRIjekKp

Kathy using her cluster cutter

Greg holding the fruits of our labors

Sabrevois grapes in  picking bins

Taking a break on Harvest Day
Neighbor Mary helped in the kitchen, Tom in the vineyard

Lunch is served

Neighbors Tim, David, and Bill came to help

Pete, Tom, and Darcy

Connie's cousins Jim and Steve

Our bins delivered to Cannon River Winery!

Our first crop is ripening -- Early September, 2013

More videos from the vineyard--

Michael showing our Louise Swenson crop:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6s9lcagst2ecswu/Npyk3gC9Uw

Kate with the Sabrevois:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gib81x5gi81woc3/_zbv0b4P1j

Part-time vineyard worker Amy, tying vines

Michael and Dan installing the cross-arms on the geneva double-curtain trellises
for our two-year-old "King of the North" grapes.

By next summer we hope to have a rose bush at the top of each of the 34 rows.

Some of our Sabrevois grapes were even on display at the Walker Art Center in late August as part of Fritz Haeg's
Edible Estates exhibit.

Bird Netting Day, August 10, 2013

Our grapes are beginning to ripen, and the neighborhood birds are finding them.  Therefore, today was designated as Bird Netting Day, 2013.  Our kids, Dan's friend Jen, Kathy and Tom, and part-time vineyard helper, Amy, all came to assist.  We were able to rent a "Netter-Getter" that mounts behind the tractor and makes putting the netting over the vines much easier.  Kathy, Michael's sister, took some wonderful video   that we are going to try putting on this blog.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8two87ovq8z2bfv/uaVbQK2OpK

Our crack bird-netting crew: Kate, Greg, Connie, Tom, Dan,
Kathy, Amy, and in front, Jen.
(Michael took the photo)

Mid-May in the Vineyard

I promised some May photos of early shoots on our vines...

A LaCrescent shoot just beginning to bud out.

Sabrevois bud on May 19th

Somerset Seedless looking good

June, 2013 Bluff Stone Vineyard Sign Installed!

We finally have our beautiful white cedar sign installed.  It has been almost a year-long project beginning with a sketch by the craftsman who milled the floors for our home.  Michael and I located the cedar 5" x 5" timbers last summer.  When the foundation was poured for our home, our kids helped us build the wooden form for the concrete sign base.  We were then able to fill the forms with some of the "leftover" concrete.  Later on, Michael and I did the stonework on the supports.  We had a welder build and powdercoat the  iron frame.  In the meantime, I sketched out the text on brown paper to be sure we liked the size of the lettering.

A few weeks ago our son Dan and daughter Kate did the sandblasting in Dan's yard.  Michael and I were there to photograph the event.  We varnished and painted the sign before hanging it one week ago.  Now we are official!

Building the frame for the base  

Bricklaying is very difficult!

Wayne, the craftsman who milled all our hardwood flooring and
trimwork, looks over the timbers for our sign.  He glued and
planed them.

Mockup of the sign

The site is ready.

Kate cutting the sandblasting stencil for the lettering

Kate ready to sandblast

Dan taking a break from the sandblasting (took 3+ hours)

Ready to varnish and paint

Final touches on the paint

F

This puppy isn't going anywhere--

Springtime in the Vineyard - 2013

On Thursday and Friday, May 2 & 3, 2013, we experienced about 17 inches of snow!  Fortunately, it didn't last long.  A week later our kids were down to help us plant a few trees.

Lily and Tom planting a crabapple tree

Our May 11th Tree Planting Crew

We moved into our house, from the apartment in our pole shed, on March 12th.  In March and April we completed pruning all the vines in the vineyard.  Following that, we made sure all vines were properly supported with ties. 

Most vines seem to have made it through the winter and are now budding.  I am having problems downloading photos to this blog, but will try again tomorrow.  We have some nice "spring" photos to share.