If you had an opportunity to visit Fenn Valley this August, you saw acres and acres of sunflowers. Mixed in the forest of sunflower stalks was another thigh high plant covered with white blooms – buckwheat.

This buckwheat/sunflower mix is a part of our effort to prepare 15 acres of ground for future vineyard plantings. The goal is that this crop mix will crowd out the weeds and grasses that would compete with the young vineyards when we plant them in the next few years.

Like the Sudan Grass that we planted on these sites last year, the buckwheat and sunflowers will be plowed into the ground at the end of August to add organic humus to the soil and to prevent erosion during the winter and spring months.

Of all of the cover crops that we have planted, the sunflowers were certainly the most beautiful, especially during August when all of their giant yellow blossoms face east to catch the morning sun.