SHARA Vineyard, Concord, NH
Our homefarm vineyard is situated on a south-facing hill on the outskirts of Concord, NH at 531 feet elevation. The earth here is rusty sandy loam, with lots of rocks and decomposed iron, and a layer of grey clay that holds water even in the driest of seasons. This vineyard was planted in 2012 and farmed using conventional chemical methods until 2018, when the current management took over and began the conversion to organic farming. In 2020, we began to introduce biodynamic preparations and holistic farming techniques to further increase biodiversity and soil health. This vineyard is planted to Marquette, Itasca, and L'Acadie, as well as heirloom native hybrid grapes that hold the potential for the future of ecological viticulture here in the NorthEast US.
Longview Orchard, Contoocook, NH
Abandoned for years by a conventional cider company, we are working closely with the new leaseholder to reinvigorate this orchard, which is planted to 54 different varieties of culinary and dessert apples. Some trees in this orchard are over one hundred years old! This orchard revitalization project began in 2020, with the first pruning in four years and a focus of removing invasive bittersweet vines from the trees, which is an ongoing effort. The new leaseholder is committed to operating this orchard as no-spray, which is great for the wild yeast populations and the environment!