Sheep are a gentle and rewarding animal to run on a hobby farm but like any animal, they have specific care needs. This week I joined John Gilligan from Gilligan Property Services to go over some of the basics about crutching that every hobby farmer should know. Why and When Crutching needs to be undertaken at the start of each … Read More
Are Woodshield Posts the End of CCA?
Recently an innovative Australian company Woodshield, gave me some posts to play around with. Promising to do away with CCA posts and the environmental issues surrounding the use of heavy metals in agricultural trellising and fencing. I was excited to try them out. I had some reservations, mainly the water proof quality of the posts when fixings were added and … Read More
Pressing Wine
Wine made over a decade ago with friends. A chilly night in May was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the labours of this year’s harvest while relishing the memories of vintages past. This week I completed the initial winemaking process and pressed the fermented wine off the skins. After 9 days of ferment the wine was reading 0 degrees … Read More
Harvesting Grapes from a Small Vineyard to Make Wine
This week’s video sees me back to the vineyard finishing off the season’s work. Vintage, the time we harvest the grapes is like a long sigh of relief. The ups and downs of the season, hard work and many a sleepless night worrying about weather and pests culminate in a day of activity that ends in a sticky sweet juice … Read More