From Reason TV, a look at how a tradition of rules and regulation is killing the French wine industry, while the more agile California continues to take market share.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
18 Aug
Grape Harvest
We harvested and crushed our first crop from the Syrah grapes we planted three years ago. You’ll see our vineyard, plus the teaching vineyard where we took the grapes to be crushed. The university pics are the ones with the old church in the background. This is really the wife’s project, so most of [...]
31 Jul
The Omnivore’s Delusion?
There’s a fantastic piece over at The American from a Missouri corn farmer regarding foodie types like Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, etc. Mr. Hurst makes some good points, and of course uses the tired ‘feed the world’ argument. My job is not to feed the world, it is to turn rain and [...]
1 Jul
Heinleinian Fantasy Camp: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Trowel
A Renaissance Man is defined as a man who is skilled in multiple fields. I’m not so sure I fit that bill, but lately it does seem as though I’m living in some sort of Heinleinian Fantasy Camp. I’ve had to learn how to lay brick in building the foundation for the now [...]
29 Jun
Birthday Lesson
The girl turned five today, so Mrs VnC and I took her along to take care of some chores. That in itself is not unique, but the lesson she got today was. Being firm believers that knowledgeable respect is far better than fear based ignorance, we took the opportunity to educate her on [...]
26 Jun
Back in the game…
So harvest is over and I can get back to a more regular schedule. I’ll start posting again next week, after I collect my thoughts and celebrate a certain little girl’s birthday. Being alone with my thoughts for two weeks has generated some content, I just need to get it written down.
18 Jun
500 down, some odd 2000 to go…
The monotony of wheat harvest has begun, and weather permitting it will continue for a week or so more. I’ll work on some pics of my home away from home for the time being. I’d add a couple of the other things that are on my mind, but the nightcap margarita is kickin’ [...]
10 Jun
This is not the greatest post in the world, this is just a tribute.
I’ve been incredibly busy lately, what with the building move, grape maintenance, soybean planting, two separate hay crops, ventures into rotational grazing, and oh yeah, a little thing called wheat harvest. Which should be going by now, but a disastrous late freeze coupled with wet weather has had everyone in limbo for a couple [...]
30 Apr
Absolution In Your Bottle?
I’m not sure what it says about me when the two elderly women at the local convenience store breathlessly inform me of a new soda offering, it must mean they respect my refined palette. PepsiCo has released two of their favorites in a new mixture (or is it old) sans the much maligned high [...]
27 Apr
Felonious Floating?
I don’t know Mr. Griswold, turns out he’s a popular rodeo cowboy, and that’s not a circle I run in, so forgive me for having to learn of his plight from a national ag columnist. I do plan on finding out more about him today. It turns out ‘horse dentistry’ is illegal in [...]
