Extraordinary horseshit

From time to time a vineyard benefits from fertilization. Our legumes are great collectors (and suppliers) of nitrogen but we felt like we could need an extra boost to improve the percentage of humus in our soil. And compost is the first choice. We’re not quite there yet with our plans for producing it ourselves. So we’ve started looking for a good source a long time ago. And finally we have one.

Visiting the horses

It’s a little farm a good 10min away from us.

Horses

Mostly horses and a few lamas & goats.

Lama

The guy running the place is a tremendously experienced farmer. It’s common practice to treat horses with antibiotics several times a year – he doesn’t need that, he’s his own vet. Antibiotics in, antibiotics out – if you’re fertilizing with horseshit this does make a difference. The other great thing about his compost is the straw he uses. Straw from conventional crop often contains glyphosate and plant growth regulators. You don’t want to put that into your vineyard really.

Fresh horseshit

Our horseman is working with a farmer producing clean straw. And this means he can produce compost of an extraordinary quality. It’s not stinky, it’s deeply dark and full of life.

A hand full of compost

And a week ago it finally was dry enough to get that compost into our vineyards.

A lot of compost

It was a lot of work involving a tractor and a trailer bringing it from the farm to the vineyards.

Loading compost

And two tractors getting it down.

Compost in the vineyard

And here it is. Yippee!

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