permaculture

[mIEKAL aND <dtv@mwt.net>]

Perhaps the proper way to preface this mini-report is that we've had grapes 
planted here at
DreamtimeVillage for more than 8 years.  The first 5-6 years I was mistakenly 
under the impression
that to grow grapes in a "PermacultureFashion" meant that one did not need to 
prune the grapes.
After the third year we had a bit of a flush & some good production.  After 
that the vines took over
& I mean took over. Production decreased dramatically & several diseases 
quickly moved in because
the grapes & vines were not getting the air circulation they needed.

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http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/plants/fotos/grapes_on_vine.jpg

In spring 01, out of desperation I painfully pruned each of the plants, 
removing less than half of
what would normally be removed.  This year there was good pollination, good 
bunch formation, little
or no disease.  Spied some of the cottony growth (what is that called?) deep 
inside of some of the
bunches of the green varieties of grapes.

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http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/plants/fotos/grapes_what_kind.jpg

Anyone know what ElmerSwenson variety my son Zon is holding?

Very early on in our planting I discovered the work of ElmerSwenson, a 90 
year old grape breeder,
living in Oceola, WI.  He has released numerous varieties of grapes selected 
for the upper midwest,
including a red & a green table grape.  I saw him speak recently & was very 
impressed with the fact
that he referred to various favorite selections in his breeding program by 7 
number IDs & seemed to
possess intimate knowledge of each. Quite an inspiring person to be in the 
presence of.

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http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/plants/fotos/grapes_picking.jpg

At DTV its increasingly rare to get everyone assembled into one activity, but 
the promise of fresh
squeezed grape juice from "local" grapes is pretty hard to pass up.  5 vines 
of LaCroix filled about
3 five gallon buckets. A mixture of other vines, not quite so productive 
produced another bucket &
half.  One of the alterations I'm hoping to make to the ultra low tech 
trellissing system (metal
posts & electric fence wire) is to get the vines higher in the air.  A lot of 
the vineyards around
here are putting a 12 gauge wire or wires at the 4-5 foot range.  Main idea 
is that when you pick
you don't have to bend over.  Added benefits as I see it is clearer space to 
establish plantings of
smaller herbaceous perennials within the rows.  Ive been practicing 
propagating perennial legumes
like PrairieMimosa & [Astragalus] from seed & these might make a perfect 
understory to a head high
grape planting.

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http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/plants/fotos/grapes_snipping.jpg

This has to be the funnest part of having grapes living in yr gardens.  What 
the pictures don't show
is that anyone who has walked out to the orchards in the last month was also 
eating from the vines.
My personal preference is to consume fruits & vegetables on site with little 
or no preparation. I
always get the feeling that the nutritive & enzymatic value is highest while 
the produce is
literally still alive.


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http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/plants/fotos/grape_press.jpg

This is a foto of a grape press which ripped 2 fruit bags & split the red oak 
wooden pressure plate
within the first 4 hours of use.  DreamtimeVillage would not endorse this 
product.  We found using
our hands we were able to do better.  If our volume of grapes to process 
keeps increasing, & I think
it will, it would make much more sense for use to pick & pay to have them 
pressed at a local
vineyard.  It took 3 or 4 hours of screwing & unscrewing the grape press to 
get about 4 gallons of
juice.  This of course is why the most logical thing in the world is to 
squeeze grapes with yr
feet.  I think an all night rave & a grape pressing operation could have a 
very symbiotic
relationship.


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http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/plants/fotos/grape_press_closeup.jpg


This is the first year that we had enough grapes to actually have enough to 
press. I would not
describe LaCroix as a juice grape but it did not matter in the least.  We 
drank about a gallon fresh
& the rest became [Wine].


[mIEKAL]  september 11, 2002

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http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/pcwiki/index.php/DreamtimeVillageGrapeHarvest2002