Covert Operative: Welcome to your Fall 2024 “Mission”
As fall passes and the snow comes to the mountins it is time for reflection and planning for the next season. While we have had a quieter summer and fall this year without a harvest, we will have a busy spring with replanting the severly damaged blocks and interplanting the other blocks. Fortunately we had crop and vine insurance that will help with this endevour, but as most producers were affected the crop insurance office is overwelmed with claims. We are still waiting for our final assessment so we can book plants for next year (supplies are low) which is frustrating.
As for the vines that remain, they have had a long mild fall to harden off for winter so they should be in good shape for next season. Fingers crossed!
This summer we hosted a couple of field days showcasing up and coming technology. In June we got to demo a semi-automonous tractor from Monarch based in California.
Then again in August we hosted a demo of the TED, an automomous weeder and trimmer from a company based in France. The technology is getting better all the time. The TED is able to work for about 10 hrs on a battery charge and navigate back to base at the end of a shift. Still a bit pricey at $500k!
A flash back photo from the ’80s when our tasting room was just constructed as a barn for our two teams of draft horses. “Prince and Charly” are the Belgiums and “Tom and Jerry” are the Clydesdale/Percheron crosses.
Cheers
Gene and Shelly Covert
