Intuition in farming is important. For every action there is a reaction.
Can you afford a consultant? How I saved 60,000 dollars in chemicals over two vintages. Part 1 of 2
Is that real? Absolutely, and the comparison is perfect. If I were talking about one of the last three; hot, hotter and hottest vintages alone someone might think that I was just lucky. What about this year? Not an easy year for mildew and botrytis in the vineyards. Conditions were perfect for infections. But, what if I told you I sprayed less this year in the vineyard than last year? What if I told you that we stopped spraying the vineyards in the first week of June?
Riding the Troops... Don't miss your opportunity to improve.
Inconvenient as it may be during harvest each year there is a seasonal opportunity that can help you improve your vineyards. Even though we are busy harvesting during this period it's important to capture the data for improvement in the upcoming season. What are these opportunities and how do we capture them?
The Real Sale... What the winemaker is really buying in the vineyard.
One of the most fundamental exchanges that takes place in the wine business is the purchase and sale of grapes at harvest. For many wine regions around the world this is a vertically integrated and managed resource. This is not so, in Washington. By and large the industry is not vertically integrated yet and shows some indication of heading more in that direction as land values, water scarcity, and labor rates increase. (Not considering huge conglomerates controlling the lion share but, by numbers of wineries and their industry needs)
Creating Time in the Vineyard... Proactive vs. Reactive Farming
I can't speak for everyone, but wouldn't it feel great to be on top of everything in the vineyard and feel like you are ahead of the game for once? In the moment, you'll likely never feel this relaxed. Even if you are on top of things, there will be times when you think you are behind. Aside from those realities, I want to discuss some ways to create time in your business and to assess whether you are really ahead of the game or behind the 8-ball. I'll end the discussion by summarizing three tools I use in getting the work done on time each season for the least cost.