Winter 2021 Shenanigans

Hello again! As winter set in we started doing all the farm planning for the next year and ran into a bit of a snag…

With covid and labor shortages no one was able to do runs of the size we needed for the trellis poles. We even looked as far as Montana!!

Well in this family we always find a way, and this was no exception. With no other options, Russ, his dad and brother all got to work chopping down trees to make poles out of….

Yes, you read that right, they cut down trees to MAKE the poles!! Russ’ dad used to do a lot of word working so he had the knowledge and skills to get the ball rolling. The trees were debarked and cut into 3-4 poles each. Next we had to let the poles dry in the shop for a little bit and let some of the sap drain.

To seal the poles we use the Japanese method called Shou Sugi Ban; in this method we burn the poles to seal them and make them rot and flame resistant. (I know weird right? Burn the wood to make it flame resistant?? But the Japanese swear by it!) Anyhoo, to prep them for the hops trellis we then needed to sink lag bolts in the tops of the posts to run the wire through.

As the ground warmed up the guys got back to digging…this time for the post holes. Naturally they found a “few” rocks (AKA boulders) along the way. Unfortunately, with the way hops trellis’ work with the wires and tension you can just move the hole… soooo in comes the rock bar. They had to pound and break up the rocks so we could finish out the hole. The holes are backfilled with gravel and sand to create a sturdy base and allow for drainage away from the poles. While the Shou Sugi Ban will help protect the poles and they will last us about 15 years…. We don’t need water sitting under them making us replace them early.

Even though it was a lot of work getting the poles ready I’m really proud of the poles we made, and they look so beautiful!