Hi Jannik I am not an expert – I throw mud at a the wall like many of us to see what sticks, even though we plan, often it’s reflection of experiences that worked and didn’t and as you have outlined here, there are options.

But you mentioned the difficult time with your industry and vineyards.. I’m not across that and I think we’re seeing changes across the globe in many aspects of agriculture, some say it’s from climate, but I really think men and women forget we live in a changing world, literally changing forever and now I think many of us are at that point in time where the small changes now are becoming visible.

So, I got this crazy idea – and maybe it’s ridiculous, I don’t know, but if you have experience and knowledge and running something that has been successful, can’t you pivot and change your property to an area of learning.

Rather than pull out vines, why noe teach, run courses, have open days, create a buzz about being your own wine maker. There are plenty of men and women moving away from the cities still, albeit there is distruption in the lives of many, but I could see a property being divided up into allotments, (not sold or anything, but a section of area that someone takes ownership of the crop of) and you teach them how to make great wine.

The reason I suggest this, after reading your last post, is because agrotourism is a big thing, CSA models are popular, but you’ve got some knowledge obviously from having grown grapes for wine, that I think many people would love to be part of.

I think the fruit and veg, orchard style produce market is hard work, and not much return in the context of you having to destroy part of your property to setup something that doesn’t have the ideal water to it, waiting for it to be established, and then find markets, not taking in issue with weather you may not be aware of, or soil condition. And, your decision on this is doing something because your industry is changing, but the culture of men and women wanting to be part of farming, even if it’s just for a day, is beng connected to a farm.

I think of the wineries and vineyards around where I used to live (cold climate) and people with a bit of money, and if one of those vineyards opened up their property for me to be part of growing my own wine and learning about it, I would find that appealing because it’s engaging me in a way that I couldn’t think of setting up myself easily or don’t have the knowledge.

You might say this is ridiculous and I can’t imagine it of course, so I’m just suggesting, but why follow the others to pull out all your knowledge and years of work, without even considering, well, if I can’t grow it myself, I’ll find groups of people who do want to grow and want me to teach them.

Could this actually be something to consider? My goal isn’t to discourage the selling of produce, but more to look at what someone has – experience, establishment, facilities which you capitalise on, to give you a way to spend time and analyse what could work.

I know from my own experience, and now I’m growing cattle (south african nguni) as breeding stock, and in our first year, problems and mistakes cost you a whole season.

I’m organising another issue of digital magazine I created – farm food health, and read alot about farming, and having been a small farmer (boutique, premium organic) – I know why these farmers stay small because the gap to be bridged when you’re stepping up, and then involving staff, is the part many people cannot sustain. The legislation now makes things quite difficult for smaller farmers, and unless your produce is of exceptional quality and taste and appearance, I found it was a race to the bottom to be anything apart from premium.

Anyway- this didn’t answer your question, but I hoped gave you food for thought about how to pivot with what you’ve got, even if it’s to bridge a longer time to make a decision that really works. We live in voliatile times but I think farming has always had an element to that, but hopefully a few minds put together help move things forward. 🍷