Field Notes 25/03/26

April is a mercurial month. I check the weather forecast on my phone at least once an hour. Early March we peeled off the winter layers, working with our bare arms exposed to the sun. The dormant plants began to push new buds. Now, snow, rain, and freezing temperatures are forecast for the weekend. This has become the new normal spring — uncharacteristically high temperatures at the end of winter, early bud break, and then normal nights of cold in April. I worry about how to manage frost if it arrives every year; in 2024 we lost everything. I’m not sure what a wine business looks like if every year frost eats into already low yields. Should I install a windmill? What if the frost isn’t the right type of frost for windmill protection? Should I buy the candles? What if it doesn’t frost so much and I’ve just spent 10,000€ on candles? It’s tricky to make these decisions when you’re already operating on the margins. For now I try to appease myself by finding the least fatal weather report and cross my fingers that on Saturday morning there is a little cloud cover, holding warmer air close to the earth.

I’m now offering paid subscriptions. The essays will stay free, as always, but I’ll begin to include field notes. The subscription is a form of patronage, helping me make the time to write.