30 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | August 2024 10 days and vines need to be trimmed. Damaged vines are replanted, and younger vines need to be monitored frequently. After the traditional grape harvest in the fall, the focus will shift to icewine varieties. These grapes will produce a sweeter wine, because the water will stay in the berry and the extremely sweet and concentrated juice will be pressed out. To harvest these, the Funks need the grapes to freeze at -8 C, and thaw after. They then need another freeze at -10 C to harvest the grapes. Doug says icewine grape harvest has occurred as early as mid December and as late as February. Every year is different. “The Canadian wine industry is actually very small compared to the rest of the world. The wines with a VQA designation are the easiest way to tell it’s an Ontario product,” says Doug. Derek adds, “A lot of people don’t understand that when buying Canadian wine, if it says 100 per cent Ontario or VQA on the bottle, that they are buying from growers just like us. Ontario grapes, as raw product, are not exported. It’s 100 per cent local production from vine to table.” What are you most proud of? Doug Sr.: With all the support that I had when I started the farm and then continued it on with my brother, I’m most proud of seeing where we are today compared to the early days of the farm. Derek: The overall state of the vineyard. It’s in great condition, it’s well kept, and there’s consistent cropping. Doug: We try to run a neat and tidy operation. It comes at a cost but can also translate into high quality and good yields. They go hand in hand. What is a goal you have for your farm? Doug Sr.: To be financially successful, but also to be successful in succession and transition. Derek: Soil health is a hot topic now. My goal would be to continue to build the soil and take care of the land, produce good crops, and be financially viable. Doug: We are also trying to grow the best quality fruit to deliver to the winery. Good quality fruit translates into good quality wine. We want to provide winemakers with the best chance of making high quality wine. From a farming perspective, that’s what we strive to do. I also want to provide a place for our kids to grow up and work, and hopefully someday there will be an opportunity to transition them in as well. What has your biggest challenge been? Doug Sr.: In the early years, it was making ends meet. We had some pretty skinny years. Derek: Like any other farm, a significant challenge would be weather. A second, which is coming more to a front, is labour. This includes the people we hire to complete the manual labour – pruning, suckering, and tying – and also through our transition process. Dad and Randy are reducing their workload while Doug and I are absorbing their responsibilities, and the overall workload is also increasing. Doug: The weather every year is different and grape vines are not very cold-tolerant. Every variety is differUP CLOSE Doug and Derek discuss their next steps after spraying the block. Doug Funk, Sr. photo
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