Better than Sex
Archive for February, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: Doin’ it “Winery Style” @ Maize Valley
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011Wine, Food and more, what we R busy with at Maize Valley
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Making rasied beds in the new greenhouse
Getting ready to put some of the early tomatoes in the soil.
Equipment usually only found out in the field in the greenhouse
I won’t write too much here as the video at the end of this post really shows how this machine works. So if you catch this blog on face book the face book notes feature usually cuts off the You Tube video, be sure and follow up and go to www.ohiowineandmore to see the entire blog post.
Long view of the raised bed
The crops grown in this greenhouse and our others get sold at area farmers’ markets, thru a local modified CSA group up in Cleveland, at our farm market and in some of the meals we serve in our winery cafe’ and market.
J.D. 2630 with plastic mulch bedder
At Maize Valley we are many things. My wife family have made a living with the land here in Marlboro township since the 1800’s. We grow about 52 different crops on about 700 acres we are a small farm anymore. But we think it is our diversity that keeps us in the game and keeps us strong. From Corn Mazes to Cabernet, from Garlic to Greenbeans, 1/2 marathons to Merlot, come and see why Maize Valley IS the Place To BE! 🙂
Wordless Wednesday, Dammit!!
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
The Morton Building
Snow
Tough Truck, that was a lot of snow.
Winter growing update, what’s coming up, down on the farm!
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
The green mile?
New this year at the local CVCC winter farmers market will be a crop of fresh radishes.
Countryside Winter Farmers’ Market at Old Trail School
January 22; February 5 & 19; March 12 & 26; and April 9 & 23
9am until Noon
2315 Ira Road
Akron, OH 44333
If you have never had the chance to go into a greenhouse on a cold winter day, I’m sorry. It is hard to describe. It is not so much just the heat, the getting in out of the cold is the obvious part.
Indoor Radishes
I guess it is the smell of “concentrated life” about to explode, almost a tropical buzz is around you. It’s something like sauna with rich humidity filling your senses and touching your skin but with the rich aroma of potting soil and the stark green colors you find as you enter this plastic oasis, briefly escaping the cold “Negative Photograph” world of winter on the outside.
It’s what living on a farm is all about I guess, as we try new things to adapt to what the market gives us.
Winter Work, Wordless Wednesday!
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Got Wood?! The Ohio LEAD program, pioneers and the economy; thanks Dave Longaberger
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
My Dad's 30+ year old Stihl Farm Boss
A few year back I was in a Leadership program called the Ohio LEAD program. The letters stood for “Leadership, Education and Development”. About 30 of us from around the state were put on a whirlwind program to expose us to a variety of situmulus, situations and experiences.
One of the stops was at the Longaberger basket facility in Dresden Ohio. We got to sit down with Dave Longaberger the patriarch. We sat in the school room he failed in, I think it was 3rd grade maybe more than once? We were sitting there because he now owned the entire school as he did with many other significant places around the town. Dave failed and succeded at many things in his life in spectacular fashion was the message I took away from our meeting.
Dave with his work boots and “greenies” (green cover-alls) was a hands on “doer” of a person, owner, manager. LEAD gave me many experiences however this one sticks in my mind in the top three. Dave taught me not to fear life as a business person, to “just do it” before it was popular. But this was not something so trivial as sports, what he was talking about it was life, business and family.
Today we just need more people trying to be “Dave’s”. You see failure is a necessary part of success, you can’t soar with Eagles until you push your way threw some slimey egg shells. Untill you understand the cost of failure can you appreciate the rewards of success.
After Dave the company has not been so well able to adapt to the times. Dave was unique, Dave was “Hungry”.
The logs I am cutting in the videos came are the last to come from the local Longaberger facility that produced the slats for the famous baskets. These were the rejects from the lathe they spun down in search of the perfect piece to make those one time collectable baskets. But even as rejects they serve a purpose to me. I will use them to remember Dave, and remember to take chances.
Wineries in the winter what’s going on?
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
LaCrescent vines sleeping
What goes on in the vineyard in January, well not too much. These vines are very winter hardy and can handle temps. down to 30 degrees below zero farenheit. They had a good growing season last year with lot of heat and sunshine and not too much or too little rain.
July vs. January
We had a early harvest due to the good growing season. This allowed for the leaves to hang on a long time since we had a late “killing frost” also. The vines were able to load lots of energy via the fall sunshine and hopefully store some good energy in the root systems before they went dormant. This helps on these long cold days.
We prune these grapes later than most to see what and if any late frosts take away buds we may be counting on.
These reisling vines pictured above are not as winter hardy as the LaCrescent and we will see, this might be their last year on the farm. We may replace these with another French American Hybrid called Traminette.
So while the grapes are outside enduring the winter, our guests are inside enjoying the fruits of their labor from seasons past!
At Maize Valley We Make Great Wine…FUN! Last weekend we had the Island Dr. aka Scott Alan in. We have live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night and this past weekend the Dr. brought the house down! Great guests desended to form a massive conga line, limbo and just a whole bunch of other Island style fun.
How low can you GO?
