Takadai Meadows at Niseko

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June has been spent with Dennis, Jenn and Nick (unwilling worker on organic farm) feverishly preparing fields, putting up the greenhouse, seeding plants and sewing crops. This year there is a lot of work required in adjusting the soil quality. We have planted clover, mustard and sun flowers as cover crops  to protect and improve the soil by adding nitrogen and organic material. 

Dennis decided to test his invincibility by falling off his mountain bike and breaking his collar bone. Great work by Dr. Kutsumi at Kutchan Kosei Hospital meant that he was out of hospital and back in the greenhouse in a couple of days.

We have planted the berry fruit on the fields below the drive next to the lily ponds so in future years visitors will be able to see blackberries, raspberries, cranberries gooseberries etc. as they arrive. On the upper fields we have put in an orchard of apples, cherries, plums and pears to give great blossom in spring and provide autumn fruit for selling by ex merchant bankers whose borrow short invest long strategies have caused their companies to crash and burn along with their investor’s life savings. 

Nikki the goat arrived to help last week. We are not sure where she came from but she mentioned something about being a Queensland property developer who wanted to do some honest work for a change and did we mind if she popped in and scattered manure around the countryside. 

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May sees the Niseko snow melted and the days warm enough for planting outside. Even though Takadai has a lot of wild mountain grapes (Yama Budou) we are not sure if we can successfully grow wine grapes here or not. This year we have chosen to trial 800 vines on a south facing slope up from the lakes, as being in a perfect north south orientation the vines will get sun all day. The varieties are Kerner and Sauvignon Blanc. Kerner is a white that was bred by crossing Reisling and Trollinger, a red grape. It is known to be a hardy and Coco farms produce a very drinkable wine from Hokkaido stock.

Some friends came up to help with the planting and layout of the vineyard. It is indeed an interesting experience and I now have a use for the Pythagorean Theorem. The vines need to be slapped around and treated mean to stimulate growth. We cut the roots right back and trim the stems so that only 2 or 3 woody buds remain. The vines are planted on a 45 degree angle to the slope of the ground so that they don’t break off under the heavy layer of snow. To a novice like me snow would seem to be a baddy for grapes, but experts assure me that it is good as it gives nature a break, kills fungus and pests and is an insulating layer from the extreme cold.