Massive Garden Project, Need Advice

[grow_my_own]

I did not have enough time off work this past week to get the proposal written, but it will be completed within the next 24 hours. It's a much larger task than I ever thought possible! And I am *so* ready for this. Thank you all for your help and advice, and please, DO keep it coming. I will post pics ASAP.

 

[grow_my_own]

Proposal was written and accepted. Got a "good job!" from the bosses. The next day, they laid off 2 of us & cut everyone else back to 15 hours a week. The garden project is on hold. I don't know why they're doing that.... they spent literally THOUSANDS of dollars building the raised beds, and they're just huge holes in the ground now with nothing in them. Talk about corporate waste. *sigh*

 

[digitS']

Does this mean that the American wine market is finally saturated?

It seems I have watched that part of ag grow while virtually every other sector declined. The little Applegate Valley near where I grew up had next to zero agriculture and very few residents then, now it has 18 wineries, as best as I understand!

Dairies in the West went from 40 cows to the average in some areas to well over a thousand. Here, the last commercial orchard in the community of Otis "Orchards" is only about 3 acres. Flying over vast areas of US farmland is a strange experience of seeing evidence of many, many long-abandoned farmsteads amidst, now, corporate farms of thousands of acres.

Grow_my_own, I hope that there are MORE opportunities like what the vineyards and wineries have experienced, not less! I do share some of your frustration.

Steve

 

[NwMtGardener]

Wow, what a ridiculous waste of everyone's time. Sorry, that sucks!

 

[bobm]

I have a friend in Wash. who farms 5 +/- acres of wine grapes ... he hasn't been able to sell any of his grapes to wineries for the last 4 years since he has to harvest his own grapes as the cost of labor ( if he can find any) equals the price he could receive for the grapes. So last year, he decided to bottle his own wine under his own label. Since many are now touting a huge increase in the State/ National minimum wage, what other small operators will be forced to make drastic changes or go out of business.

 

[grow_my_own]

On a more positive note, I now have more time to spend working on my own garden here at the ranch. The winery will eventually move forward with the garden, just not right now. When it does happen, I will most definitely post pictures... because we ARE a picture-loving group, aren't we?

 

[catjac1975]

Have you thought of producing organic wine? There is very little available here in Massachusetts and it is only fair.

 

[catjac1975]

As far as the minimum wage law. Isn't there a lower rate for farm hands? At least that was the way it used to be.

 

[grow_my_own]

I have great news! Two days ago, I was given official word that winery has finally decided to move forward with the garden project, and I'm going back to work next week. Score!

They waited so long, however, that most of what we will be growing will not be able to be started from seed. We'll have to purchase pre-started seedlings, and the only parameters I have been given are to be as organic as possible, no pesticides or weed killers or GMOs. I have been researching local nurseries that carry organic and heirloom vegetable starts.

Here we go!

 

[Wishin']

Good for you.