Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Typhlodromusaretinymitesthateatvinepests,thushelpingavoidtheuseofcancer-caus-
ing pesticides. They are a way for nature to keep the balance but are killed by treatments
used in chemical farming. To thrive they need a balanced herbal environment, not a mono-
culture, therefore some weeds are indispensable. At least there was an upside to our award-
winning weeds.
'Perhaps we should have the group meeting here next week so we can show the others
what is possible with organic,' said Cécile. 'It's good to show people there are alternatives.'
Every week there was an hour-long meeting of the group of farmers that she and her col-
leagues advised. We had been to a few of them and at least twenty farmers would typically
attend. Before Sean had a chance to protest, the next group meeting was booked to take
place at Château Haut Garrigue.
Sean used the mechanical hoe successfully for another five hours then it stopped working.
En route to do the weekly shop with Ellie, I dropped the relevant part into the supplier for
repair. It was a minor fix.
'To avoid the same thing happening again, your husband must make sure he tightens the
bolt every hour or so,' said the mechanic. I dutifully passed on the message.
Wewereinthezoneofextremepressureinawinegrower'slifewheneverythingneedstobe
done at once. Late spring and early summer are non-stop. Anti-fungal treatments, plough-
ing the soil, mowing the grass, shoot removal, elevating the trellising to the next level of
growth, trimming the vine canopy and keeping track of the development of the flowers and
subsequent grapes. The vines can grow up to 10 centimetres a day. We had around 30,000
of them - you could almost hear the growth on a hot afternoon.
As organic farmers, we needed to protect the vine before the risk rather than after, a pre-
ventative rather than curative ethos. This meant constant observation of the vineyard and
the weather forecast. Regular low doses of copper and sulphur before rain protect the vines
from fungal disease. Sean would start treatments at five in the morning to finish before the
heat of the day to avoid leaf-burn.
It wasn't only the leaves that got burned: even with sunscreen loaded on, the roasting sun
was a daily challenge. Some days I felt I would explode from the heat. Since we had no
pool I would lie in a cold bath to try to recover my sangfroid. A ten-minute soak was what
it took to regain a cool, calm demeanour.
Heat and a little humidity are perfect conditions for fungal disease. Trimming the vines
can help reduce the development of fungus. The trimmer was a monstrosity, a large metal
arch fitted with scores of sharp lawnmower-like blades that whirred around terrifyingly
