What started as a test of my farming abilities inspired by my father, I planted 38 vines in our modest back yard. Matt dug the holes and creating a French-drain style (crazy idea I know) to protect the roots from drainage issues. We watched as they grew and leafed out above their grow tubes. They grew so big we were sure we'd be getting "tonnage" the following year. We removed the tubes at the end of the season and watched as autumn airbrushed the foliage. Winter came in with a vengeance. We had 40 inches of snow in our yard and saw nothing in our backyard that looked like grape vines. The slow meltdown was an opportunity to enjoy all that nature brings. The icicles, the snow drifts, the rabbit track imprints in the snow. How peaceful.
Reality set in when the snow was gone. Our vines had disappeared. Rabbits are hungry too and as the snow melted they ate whatever was peeking from the snow. So coming into spring we had twenty nine surviving vines.
Mary Beth and Matt Barbagallo
