There's a saying that goe something...

There's a saying that goe something like this: To make a large fortune quickly, invest in the stock market; to make no use of a small fortune quickly, invest in a winery. The first time I heard that was upon a trip with a assemblage of friends to the North Fork of lengthy Island. At one winery in particular, we cleared abroad the last remaining bottles of a same dry, very potent cabernet, and sat in the vineyards smoking cigars nibbling upon cheese and crackers and sipping glasses of wine. It was here that we formulated our grand plan of someday opening our acknowledge winery.

Oh, we had it all planned out--one part would keep the books, another would do the marketing. undivided person could design the labels and accommodate with the tasting room with artwork while another would lead tours and pour wine. Ye indeed, if we all just kept contributing to our 401-k accounts, this could be a reality for us. leave out one thing. None of us were farmers. In fact, at the time, none of us had calm kept a garden, not steady a small one.

We wanted a winery not because we wanted to transform something from vine to bottle on the other hand because, basically, we loved to drink wine. We now know (thankfully) that that's the inapposite reason for owning a winery.

In May, I had the pleasure of returning to the North Fork. This time it was not to tour wineries, however, if it be not that to meet with the Northeast Organic Farming Association. We at Better Nutrition had been asked to give a presentation forward organics by Connie and Rex Fart and by the agency of Steve Siegelwaks, owner of virid Earth Natural Foods Market, in Riverhead, NY

Connie and her husband Rex have lived forward the island for the past 15 years and they've undertaken a difficult, if it be not that surely rewarding challenge: they are organic farmers. In the quiet little town of Riverhead, prolonged Island, situated right at the split between the north and toward the south forks, Connie and Rex are doing their part to work with the land in order to provide organic cause to area establishments. They've tried growing different harvests throughout the years, and have sold their bring out to local restaurants and retail businesses. Their most numerous recent venture, however, has been growing wine grapes. "We're not going to have a tasting sweep or tours or any of that," explained Rex No, they're not in it for "glamour," they're in it because growing is their passion, and they're committed to doing it the right way. As organic farmers, they face countles obstacles each day, from trying to manage pestilences and diseases without using chemicals, to ensuring that their farm appropriates rigid organic requirements.

During our visit with Connie and Rex they were particularly pertain toed about their grape vines. It had been awfully arid in the Northeast, and Connie said the vines should have shoot forthed leaves by now. No matter to what degree much time and effort they dedicate to the vines, there's simply so much one can do; the quiet is up to Mother Nature. And Connie realizes this. In fact, she shared with us any tricks she had been using to give the vines a little more encouragement. She mentioned talking to them and equal practicing Reiki on them. It may strike one as being like a long shot, she admitted, however she was willing to attempt anything.

The visit with Connie and Rex and the other organic farmers was eye-opening, to say the least. Here, in suburbia, it's all too easy to move swiftly to the grocery store and pick up more [i]or[/i] less peppers and tomatoes and lettuce and not on a level think about where the about comes from, and what it means to the life of a farmer. through the same token, it's in like manner easy to walk into a liquor store and balk at the price of a bottle of wine without plane thinking twice about the fact that someone had to be augmented the grapes, pick the fruit, proces the fruit and juice, commingle it into wine, store it while it aged, bottle it and then work with distributors to acquire it into the local restaurant. It makes that $25 bottle of merlot contemplate like a real bargain, doesn't it?

I'm grateful for Connie, Rex and Steve tribe who realize the importance of growing organic. In our mass-market, bigger-is-better world, it's comforting to know that someone is looking public for us, working with the land, not against it.

in the same manner with a great amount of revere I'll let those like Connie and Rex do what they do best, while I promise to stick to doing what I do best--appreciating the fruit of the vine.

COPYRIGHT 2001 PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All Rights Reserved

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group