Monday, May 2, 2016

IndieGoGo Campaign update!


I'll be honest- the IndieGoGo campaign is not going as well as I had hoped. We are still going to be planting the vineyard. In fact, we have already started! We have purchased the vines, worked up the soil, dug the holes, and are now putting the vines in the ground. But the most expensive part is still ahead- getting the support for the vines, the rebar, and then the landscaping fabric and the staples to hold it down.



We decided not to move the pole in the middle of the field, since that would have cost $5,000. Instead, we just planted around it, and stayed away 20 ft.



Preparing the soil has been the biggest challenge so far. We had the property surveyed and staked off by Concord Engineering and Surveying. Then we measured out the rows. We tied a string between poles at either end of each row, spray painted the line, and then Dad mowed the future row. Then, he got his tiller out and went over each row 6 times. Then, he mowed the inter-row spaces so we could work in the vineyard.



Then, because the tiller only had us going down about 4 inches of workable soil, we used a plow to work up the soil. We plowed in two directions, each time, piling the soil to the middle. The after that, we disked the soil to break up the clods. Finally, we used our new tool, the middle buster to dig a trench down the middle of the row.



That got us down about 8 inches and working with gorgeous fluffy soil. You couldn't ask for better working conditions. We finally are digging holes in the trench, about 2-4 more inches down, and are putting mulch in the bottom of each hole. The we put the plant in, and cover it up.




This is so much easier than the first vineyard we planted! We are able to plant about 100 vines per hour (after the holes are dug!). The condition of the soil is what is really making this a speedy endeavor. It's so delightful to work with compared to the rings of clay and rocks that were in the first vineyard. It's amazing to see how the soil changes in just a quarter of a mile! It goes from rocky clay to a soil filled with awesome organic matter! It will be interesting to see how the wines turn out.



So, again, I ask for your help in making this a possibility. We have had some unexpected bills in the past few months and your financial contribution means more than you could imagine! https://igg.me/at/letsplantavineyard/x