We finished harvest last week. It was the lightest harvest we have had for several years. One reason is that we left a lot of fruit hanging because we didn’t need it for our own production. We sold much of what we harvested. In addition, our vines need to be fertilized and we have to get the weeds under control.
The quality was variable. Some varieties like Sabrevois and Petite Pearl looked great whereas our LaCrosse was so poor we decided to dump it. We also experienced Dicamba drift in our Brianna and that reduced our yield.
Dicamba is a herbicide that is usually used on soybeans. Today, in Mahaska County, it is more and more frequently applied by aircraft or even drones. We have not seen evidence of over-spray but Dicamba does not always stay just where it was sprayed. In this case, the Brianna grapes are right on the property line and the soybeans are planted right up to the west of the property line. So, the Dicamba can drift and a small amount will negatively impact fruit production and a little more can kill the vines themselves.
Now, we will get the machinery and bins all cleaned and put back in their respective sheds.
Our harvest was an “all hands” effort. Jonita, our winemaker, rose to the challenge and learned how to drive the harvester while Greg, our tasting room manager, helped out on most harvesting days wherever he was needed most.
