Good ecological ideas can spread fast if we want them to – the biggest challenge is operator change management. Operators like the tools and machinery they’re used to – it’s a comport thing. Changing to sustainable electric equipment is becoming more wide spread (the pace is increasing) but there’s a long way to go before it becomes common place.
Why is this? Pridham Viticulture have recognised there are infrastructure concerns in the transition from fossil fuel to electric such as the establishment of efficient charging stations and equipment holding areas. As a supplier and service agent for Pellenc Battery Powered Tools we can assist in the development and implementation of these systems and are passionate about moving towards a green future.
Get in touch to see how we can help you upgrade your fleet.
Are you are interested in converting some of your vineyard to mechanized olive production and diversifying your farm income?
The system and methodology of SHD have been proven in Europe and US. Typically, the growing method uses purposely developed cultivars allowing for mechanization, low labour requirements and earlier return on investment.
The conversion can use existing vineyard infrastructure. Harvesting is done using conventional grape harvester systems.
Demand for olive oil is increasing worldwide therefore olive processing plants are keen to engage in term supply contracts.
Expressions of interest please follow link and fill in form.
The product range is fully serviceable allowing years of intensive use when maintained.
These are not throw away tools, when the product comes to the end of its lifecycle it becomes a new resource.
When you use a Pellenc product you can be assured the equipment design has recycled elements and an end of life ability to be recycled and repurposed.
Pridham Viticulture are a registered sales and service agent for Pellenc, giving professional advice on Pellenc products.
We are based in McLaren Vale SA and sell and service to all regions of Australia. Our company have been operating for 30 years in the region. We are here to stay, so you can trust us.
Contact us via our website or give us a call, we love a chat.
The Pellenc C35 & C45 Secateurs are Fast, Powerful, Built to last, and feature Activ’Security – the latest in Safety Innovation.
Plus we will have the full range of market leading battery powered horticultural green space equipment on show. View our Pellenc Shop.
To celebrate the launch of the C35 & C45 in Australia, we would like to invite you the Launch event being held in McLaren Vale :
Hosted by Pridham Viticulture
When: Wednesday 1st February 2023
Time: 9am to 12pm
Where: McLaren Vale Visitors Centre
796 Main Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171
RSVP: bpridham@stg-pridhamviticulture-pridhamdev.kinsta.cloud
The droughts will happen again as they always do so this is a reminder to plan for the years ahead, as a war time President once said “Plans are worthless but planning is everything”.
Due to more difficult wine industry trading conditions there are a host of good quality programs to help grape/wine businesses. A couple worthwhile ones to note are the Podcast series “Healthy minds healthy vines” look it up its worth listening to the series.
The other is a government sponsored financial coaching program by The Rural Business Support network that’s worthwhile investigating call (FREECALL 1800 836 211). Give your business a health check.
Vintage 2023 forecast -Later than we have had for ages. Issue this season is the lack of secure grape contracts. This is a time to plan your finances and weather you decide to harvest or not. Remember rough cost per tonne to harvest and transport is around $500/t.
This will be a tough industry vintage. Planning and getting advice and opinions are crucial to planning the next 12 months.
Pellenc 2023 range -Always on the cutting edge with battery and tool technology a new vineyard C35 Vinion and the Orchard C45 pruning secateur will be available for 2023 that encompasses a host of new safety and efficiency features.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Current under vine strip management methods now vary from site to site and with differing soil types. The aim is to treat the soil kindly which encourages microbe and fungi build up and allows plant roots to grow and optimise soil volume.
The timing and choice of equipment and/or livestock are critical elements when promoting soil health. Methods used by Pridham Viticulture include under vine slashing, Disc dodge plough, ID David cultivator, knife weeder, side throw disc, finger weeder, selective cover cropping and sheep agistment.
Watch our under vine weeder in action
Successful viticulturists need to constantly monitor vineyard pastures, be mindful of vine growth stages, and plan for desired crop outcomes.
Without a deliberate pasture management plan your efforts may be costly and yields disappointing.
Give us a call at Pridham Viticulture for advice or help with planning and ideas for your blocks.
We have a wealth of experience in soil and under vine strip management and our systems and ideas are always evolving. Work with us to create a solution for you.
Every year we deal with changing circumstance’s. This year is no different, so adaptability is the name of the game.
Observations – the market is tightening (pretty dam obvious), a light 2022 cropping year (thank-god, a bumper crop would have become an over supply disaster), leaving crop on the vine instead of being paid a pittance is a smart move, community engagement is more important than ever to move forward with fresh new ideas.
What does this mean about pruning?
Understand your circumstance. This is where we can help because we listen before we give advice and we do ask probing questions.
Once we understand your pruning needs we match our pruning teams and equipment to task.
Pridham Viticulture are reliable and if we can’t do the job or can’t get there we will say so. If we say yes you are guaranteed the job get be done.
We also supply a range of Pellenc battery powered secateurs for those of you who take on this task yourselves.
We can also advise on the most effective lay out of nets and application logistics.
We have some stock of new high-quality nets 18×300 meter 35gsm hexagonal knit for $1,820+gst per roll. Looked after they should last 15 years. Call us if you need any.
View more about our netting service.
Have a great vintage from the Pridham Viticulture team.
Firstly before you contact a harvest company be prepared with your vineyard harvest information.
Things to consider are:
All this information will save time enabling the harvest company to provide sound advice and pricing options.
Compliance is a normal part of labour operations. Legally it cannot be avoided. Be sure the company you deal with manages employees as per current wine industry labour laws and legislated wage rates.
Your harvest is too valuable not to put effort into planning, contact us if you need support and advice.
Happy Harvest
Our mother earth doesn’t care what we do to it, we do. Profound comment?
But when we think about it our earth is simply responding to what we do to it and let’s face it, it’s ugly.
I would like to explore the idea of a 3-fold sustainability approach.
These do seem obvious, but humans have a long way to go for all these areas to work in sync and to great effect when it comes to living within sustainable limits.
The soil and air are the basis of all life. This is where we all come from and end up. We are recycled along with every living process.
The elements cycle in the states of earth, air, fire & water.
When we begin to understand how these states interplay, we can understand how easily we can upset the balance and cause climatic events. E.g. clearing forest thus drying the landscape affecting the salt cycle and increasing the risk of summer bush fires and pushing carbon into the air cycle rather than the stable earth cycle. Cause and effect.
There are so many examples of human progression without a scant thought to how it affects these natural cycles. As I mentioned earlier the earth doesn’t care it just responds making our lives harder to live.
We can reverse this trend, but it takes conviction.
We do things and we can undo things. Humans are resilient and adaptable social creatures. In the space of my life, I have always been taught and exposed to competition. It’s good to win and get ahead, progress and grow otherwise you don’t survive. Yet to manage competition in a society we require endless levels of regulation and compliance to conform to social order.
The flip side of competition is cooperation, something that’s taken me half a lifetime to grasp and now beginning to master. The results can be astounding as to what can be achieved is a short space of time. If a wide range of communities work together in cooperation rather than competition, we can change how we do things -and quickly.
We can discuss how our actions affect cycles and come to a consensus to what is acceptable. Balancing actions, effect, repair.
An example of this is we were in a group discussion recently at a local Viticultural conference. The topic of great interest was carbon cycle management, measurement, and accounting. We all recognise the opportunities this will present in a future economy, so have banded together to apply for federal grants to take steps forward and help develop systems of the future.
We have the people, the landmass, and the organisations all we are doing is working cooperatively to create change. We are not waiting for someone else to become more sustainable nor blaming someone else for not. We need to get on with the job. Like minded humans can achieve lasting change.
I was very enlightened recently at a Viticultural conference that nobody disagrees with climate change, and we all understand the need to move rapidly to change how we go about managing our soils and business enterprises.
A logical step would be to recognise that we are entering the new Carbon economy. Carbon will become a valuable commodity. Another way of looking at this is to imagine we are currently cycling carbon upwards (earth to atmosphere).
We want economic policies that encourage mining carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in the earth (in a stable form).
A simplistic way of looking at it but essentially its exactly what we need to do to mitigate human living habits thus improving our fragile soils bringing many areas of land back to life.
Governments have a lot to play in the policy field. Currently we move two steps forward and one back. The issue politicking.
Governments of all sides lack general agreement due to the opposition of most ideas unless they are amended to completely unworkable position then dropped. We end up with second rate policies. It is a big problem and I wish I have an answer.
Should opposition parties be recognised and thanked for their contribution? it may be a start.
In the next edition, we will look at a future carbon economy and imagine how is can work plus steps to get there.
Thanks for reading, Ben.