Tractor activity

It’s that time of year when there’s a lot of tractor activity in the vineyards and the fields. Our little village is alive with the vignerons going about their business. They are all just finishing a period called palissage, which involves pinning the vines to guide wires, it’s very manual work. Everything is growing now, so there’s a lot of tidying and weeding being done.

A number of the growers near us are working towards biodynamic practices, and they don’t use chemicals for weed control, so it can be quite an intensive task keeping the vineyards clear.

Up in the fields the wheat harvest is about to start, so the cereal farmers really don’t want too much rain, if any, but the vines could do with a little bit during this growing season. Its a delicate balance between the needs of different farmers. That said, our garden could really do with some rain.