1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 415 The Significant Vine-Pulling Plan

If a soil loosening machine is available, the process of removing the vines will be much simpler.

But at this time, the farmers in Lourmaran were all digging soil, and there were no spare soil-loosening machines, so it had to be done manually. Fortunately, the vineyard in front of Ronan's house was not very large.

Before explaining how to identify the condition of grapevines, Ronan first demonstrated how to dig up the soil.

Freddy and the others may know the steps, but they have few opportunities to practice them, and Luo Tianhai is seeing it for the first time.

The first step in removing the vines is to remove the topsoil that was previously covering them.

At this time, it is important to use tools to dig the soil from the base outwards to avoid damaging the main stem.

Furthermore, the soil should not be completely removed; a 10cm-15cm layer of soil should be left to prevent frost damage later in the night.

A cold snap in spring is often more terrifying than a winter frost, and the remaining soil covering should be left until the end of April to be completely removed.

Postponing the vine harvesting time to the end of April is not feasible, as high temperature and humidity in the soil can easily lead to root rot.

After clearing the topsoil, the next step is to check for frost damage.

Grapevines that have completely frozen to death are easier to identify.

The vines are an unhealthy dark brown or grayish-white, with longitudinal cracks on the trunk and branches.

The inner core has no green color and is dry and brownish-brown.

The branches are brittle and easily broken, and when broken, they have no resilience whatsoever, just like dead branches.

The root skin is rotten and can be easily pulled off. The roots are completely dead, and most of them are blackish-brown powder.

"If you are still unsure, the simplest way is to see if any new buds have sprouted. If no new shoots are growing, then the vine is dead."

As Ronan checked the condition of the grapevine in his hand, he spoke to the people around him.

"What a pity, the grapevines are all gone just like that." Alan dug up two grapevines that had frozen to death, and he didn't dare to continue.

Seeing that the situation on the other side was also not good, they dared to continue their actions.

“Alan, shut up, don’t interrupt Ronan.” Freys raised his head. “Ronan, continue. How do you identify frostbitten grapevines, and how do you treat them?”

Ronan's explanation was much clearer than Louis's, as if he had an agricultural reference book in his head.

“Frost-damaged grapevines are more complicated.” Ronan picked out a vine, stood up and explained to everyone, “For example, this one, the upper part of the branch is whiter than normal grapevines, but the color has returned to normal near the main trunk, which means it is partially frost-damaged. At this time, you can just cut off the frozen part. See, the inner core is still green.”

Luo Tianhai, imitating Ronan, cut off a section:
"It's alright, not too complicated."

Ronan smiled and said to his father:

"I haven't finished yet. The editing isn't finished here. I need to check it one more time."

"How do we check?" Luo Tianhai asked, holding up the vine. "The color of the vine is already quite healthy."

“The next step is not to judge by the color of the vines, but by the feel,” Ronan said, pinching a vine. “A healthy grapevine can leave an indentation when pinched and is very elastic. If it feels hard or cracks when pinched, it means it has been frostbitten and needs to be pruned.”

Ronan cut off another section and compared the two cuts side by side:
"This bright green color is the healthy one."

After saying that, he continued to instruct everyone:

"Thin vines are more susceptible to frost damage, so please pay close attention. Frost-damaged vines will be much less vigorous. It's okay to prune some off; fewer buds will allow them to recover more quickly."

The yield of these frost-damaged vines can drop by 10% to 50%, and in severe cases, it can take 3 to 4 years to recover.

Therefore, the impact of natural disasters is not a one-time event, but rather a long-term event.

"Ok!"

"I understand!"

Louis pointed to a grapevine where only the main stem was still alive and asked Ronan:

"What should we do with these grapevines that can only be cut off and then grow back? Should we pull them up along with the others according to the 'removal plan'?"

The one Louis has is severely frostbitten, with its root system badly damaged and only part of it surviving. However, it can still sprout after being cut off at ground level, although the process will take a very long time.

Ronan shook his head and said:
“I planted Grenache, which is not among the grape varieties in the ‘removal plan.’ I’ll cut it down and let it grow back.”

The friends who came to help today are not farmers. They only heard Blanco mention the plan over the loudspeaker, but they didn't listen carefully to the details.

Freddie stared wide-eyed in surprise:

"Your land doesn't meet the evicting plan? Then why are you helping the government push through this plan?"

Recently, many farmers have come to Ronan's house to ask for his opinion, and Ronan says he supports pulling up those cheap old vines.

Ronan squatted down and continued pruning:
"At first, I just wanted to apply for more compensation for everyone. Farmers who grow Carignan, Cinsault, and Ugni Blanc grape varieties were definitely among those affected by the frost, so every little bit helps. But now—"

He muttered under his breath:
"Now we need to add another reason—to repay Blanco's favor."

The significance of the removal plan goes beyond simply compensating everyone for their economic losses.

"Alex, come here! I remember you also planted a Divine Rope? Do you want to pull it out?"

“I don’t want to pull it out, but you know, what I say doesn’t work. I still have to negotiate with those landlords.”

"Did you tell them about the condition of the grapevines?"

“I told you, 20% will freeze to death, at least 20% will be frostbitten, next year’s yield will be reduced by half, it will gradually recover within 3 years, and fully recover within 5 years. At first he was still complaining that I didn’t take good care of that land, I roared into the phone and said that all the vineyards in Lourmarin are like this, and then he shut up.”

I'm not sure whether or not to pull it out.

"Keep a close eye on what others are doing lately. No one's going to make a choice that's detrimental to themselves, right?" "That's the only way."

During this period, the above dialogue played out in every corner of Lourmaran. Whenever two farmers met, they would ask each other if they wanted to participate in the 'uprooting plan'.

However, these farmers do not have complete control, because the specific allocation of subsidies depends on the division between land ownership and cultivation rights.

If the land is self-cultivated, then the subsidy will be 100% given to the landowner.

If the land is divided, then the tenant farmer can get 70%-80%, and the landowner gets the remaining 20%-30%, all according to the agreement in the land cooperation agreement signed by both parties.

In 1987, 70% of Lourmaran's farmland was in the hands of local farmers and villagers, while the remaining 30% was controlled by outside investors and churches.

Fabian owns 1 hectare of land, but he actually manages 3 hectares of farmland, which is the average area of ​​land managed by small family farms.

When Fabian told his landowner about the situation in the vineyard, the wealthy businessman, who had never returned to Lourmarin after investing in the land, quickly calculated the accounts and inquired about more details.

Are our grapevines included in that removal plan?

“Yes, your 2 hectares of land are planted with Carignan, which is the main grape variety targeted by the eradication plan.”

"After removing the old vines, at least how many years should it be before grapes can be planted on the same land again?"

"For five years, native Provençal varieties will no longer be allowed to be planted."

"Tell me more about the content of your general meeting."

After Fabian finished explaining the current situation to his landowner for the second time, the landowner quickly gave his decision:

“I suggest accepting the vine removal plan. If we rely solely on the subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, then removing the grapevines would indeed be a loss, as we would lose at least two years' worth of income. However, the ‘disaster compensation’ plan can run in parallel with the ‘removal plan.’ In this way, the compensation payment can not only cover the loss of production recovery but also slightly exceed it. Moreover, we can continue to plant olives and lavender, and the land can still retain its value.”

The first group of people to be relocated were almost all investors from outside the village.

These businessmen, whose main purpose is investment, only need to do a little calculation to know that they are unlikely to lose money by running two plans in parallel.

They reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions, persuading their tenant farmers to accept the government's policies.

Although the two parties were in a cooperative relationship, the land was owned by wealthy people, and even though the farmers were reluctant to give it up, they gradually accepted it.

"Never mind, it's just a different crop to plant, let's just pull them up!"

Investors are a minority; most farmers in the village cultivate their own land.

Henry was one of the most opposed to the 'purge plan' in the village, otherwise he wouldn't have almost gotten into a fight with Pierre.

He dared not incite people to unite in resistance against this policy, but that did not mean he wholeheartedly agreed with it.

"I will never agree to that! How could I possibly uproot the grapevines that I've been growing for so many years?"

A farmer nearby mocked him:

“Ronan isn’t at the restaurant today, and you dare to speak loudly again? Yesterday, when Ronan asked you what your attitude was, you said you would think about it.”

Henry, with his neck stiff, said:
"Yes, I've thought it over, and I won't accept it!"

"If you don't want to accept it, then don't accept it. Why are you shouting?" An old farmer with gray hair and bronze skin came into the restaurant and sat at the table next to Henry.

"Kurivar, what brings you to our table today?" a farmer asked.

Because of his advanced age, Kulivar does not often get together with the farmers.

Kulivar gave Henry a cold look, then asked the person at the table:
“Where’s Pierre? Did he come today? I just went to his house, and his wife said he went out.”

“He hasn’t come here, you know. Pierre has too many fields to manage; he’s been very busy lately,” someone replied. “What do you need him for? If you see him, we can speak to him for you.”

Kulivar hesitated for a few seconds before speaking:

"I plan to pull up the vines and participate in that project. I want to ask him if he wants to sign off on my land."

"You're going to pull up the vines?" All the surrounding farmers gathered around; this was big news.

Kulivar shook his head and said:
"I'm getting old and my health isn't good, so I plan to use my money for retirement."

The next second, Henry pushed his way through the crowd and gave Curival a terrifying smile:

“Coulivar, give me your land. Pierre has too much land; he can’t manage it all. How about I plant lavender for you? Or olives? Or, how about we go and plant new grape varieties with Mr. Ronan? In short, leave it to me, Henri, and you can rest assured!”

“Go away, Henry, get out of here. Curival, give me your two hectares of land.”

"Give it to me, give it to me, Kurival, I'll definitely take good care of it for you!"

Kulivar's decision affected the mindset of several people, and soon two more people came forward to say:
"Damn it, I actually wanted to get that money to do something else too. I wanted to go to St. Louis and work with Ronan!"

"Don't try to take it from me! That's what I'm thinking too. I plan to quit farming once I get the subsidy. I'll get the money, and Ronan promised we'd have jobs. What's there to hesitate about?"

Henry's neck turned red from shouting:

"Then give me your land too! That way we can all earn more money!"

The next round of 'fighting' is about to begin.

"Give it to me! My farming skills are only slightly inferior to Pierre's in Lourmarin. You can rest assured that I'm good at it!"

"Give it to me. I only have one hectare of land, and I can dedicate more time and energy to managing it for you!"

"Good brother, have you forgotten our friendship? You should be the first person you think of when there's something good to make money from."

(End of this chapter)