Vine leaves

So the blackcurrants have been picked and turned into Ribena. The frantic pace at the blackcurrant side of the farm has slowed down and the fields have again been left to the birds, foxes, rabbits and badgers. The long, hot summer provided perfect conditions for the grapes to ripen and colour and the seesaw of our farming year has tipped towards the grape harvest. A small team of people (sometimes as small as ONE) has been de-leafing the long rows of vines to expose the bunches to the sun and to help the air to circulate. Very soon the calm, pale green vineyard, so clearly visible from The Hopper Hut, will be alive with grape pickers, a tractor and an endless row of buckets and trays. The harvest will be upon us in less than three weeks. But in the meantime, Freddie will enjoy sunbathing in the autumnal rays, just about sheltered by the vine leaves.