WINTER NEWSLETTER

Winter in Coos County includes every type of weather you can imagine.  From high winds (that on the East Coast would be called hurricanes,
but are just winter storms here) to rain coming down in sheets, hail, sleet frost and snow.  

Almost all growers have completed harvest now and are starting their winter jobs.  Getting the harvest equipment cleaned, greased and stored until the next harvest was the first order of business. 
 

Next on the list is pruning the vines.  For those who are pruning now, they are also battling the weather.  It is cold, wet and windy.  I know that there are those who will be sanding this year.  Getting their equipment ready (their backhoe's, dump trucks and elevators) and either bringing in the sand, or getting their sand hills uncovered for this years process is a priority.  Equipment maintenance is very important to a cranberry grower.  (Making sure every piece of equipment is in working order and ready.)  Ditch work is another winter job that growers must do.   Digging out the ditches is very labor intensive.  Along with that the culverts must be cleaned.  With the amount of rain we have during the winter, we cannot afford to have to spend a day or two digging out a culvert because its plugged.

Putting the sprinklers back in and staking and tying them down is another job that must be done.  This
is always done after pruning and is another labor intensive task, but a task that must be done.

Weather keeps you off the beds when they are frozen...until they dry out shop work will probably be the task of the day!

The wind and rain leaves you wondering WHEN you will be able to get out and continue your farm work!

You can watch the rain pass in sheets.  On one side of the farm you'll have a downpour...on the other the sun is shining!!