Imagine Putting in a Few Grape Vines!

The climate in the County was less harsh than Ottawa valley winters, and the summers offered strong steady hot sunny days and the possibility of putting in a few grape vines too! I have always been an avid vegetable gardener and relished the concept of growing raspberries, blueberries and the natural extension of these pursuits - the glorious grape and all its promise of playfully investigating the making of the nectar of the gods, wine.

In the last year while the architect tweaked his design for our netzero home, I investigated preparing food from the local markets, while preserving the harvest and developed recipes using these preserves as ingredients during the colder months of the year. I participate in a local weekly market and sell jams, jellies, marmalades and such, while also offering monthly cook books that offer recipes using the local harvest.

In the spring as we sought where our new tract of land would be, we began to be concerned that opportunities for land would slip from our fingers, so we watched the real estate market very closely, and trusted in a local agent we found that our humble price range would bring up a few acres to build and farm.

In May 2008, we revisited a 34 acre parcel we had initially overlooked. The land offered a variety of geographies - to the south a young maple forest, and to the east a stand of poplar with mallards and frogs enjoying a wetland habitat. The soil type is called 'farmington' that was deceptively encouraging.

So we ventured into our late life to grab at the golden ring - and became new owners of a piece of 'greenbush', as the locals call it, situated on a rugged road without a power line in the ward North Marysburg in the County.