Thoughts on Horse Powered Vineyard Work
Eric Grigsby, MD and
Mary Rocca
Rocca Family Vineyards
Personal Horse Thoughts
My dad, Hank Grigsby, grew up in a log cabin in a most rural part of East Tennessee, with no electricity, no “running water” and no tractor. His dad died young, and at age 11, Hank became familiar with the working end of the two mules the family owned. No grocery store, everyone in Luttrell, Tennessee was self sufficient in 1935 or they didn’t survive. Gee and Haw, right and left, were as familiar to my dad and his mules, as the cell phone is to my teenagers.
When I was a child, weekends on the grandma’s farm were full of climbing the rafters in the old barn and cool fresh spring water from a tin ladle. The barn smelt of dried tobacco, cedar posts, and the dried leather harness which still hung in the stalls.
A long time later, after a lot of school and medical training, my wife Mary Rocca and I bought a little vineyard in Yountville. This was in 1999, and I started to learn a little about growing grapes. Not too many months later, I began to think about using horses for some common tasks.
My dad Hank is still living, and of course I called him to ask a little advice. I was sure he’d share my romantic vision of working with horses, and I said, “Dad, I have a great idea- I’m going to use draft horses to do some of the work in our new vineyard.” A long silence followed- finally, quizzically, he said – “Don’t they make a tractor that’ll fit between those rows?”
I was a little discouraged, because I had already bought a team of horses (I hid this fact from my wife.) I had also started the search for horse drawn implements. In need of spousal support, I finally came clean, and told Mary about my plans. I announced with some pride, “Honey, we’ll be the only vineyard in Napa Valley to use horses in the vineyard.” To which she replied, in a tone only a spouse can muster, “What does that tell you?”
Only a little discouraged, I kept up the search for implements, horses, and know-how. I talked to as many local farmers as I could find who still remember the horse days in Napa Valley, which ended about 1940. Grant Cairns and I have had some great reminiscences in my medical office. I made relations with several Amish farmers in Ohio and Pennsylvania, whose community retains the last repository of horse farming skill in our country. I have been blessed to meet an incredible, quiet, community of people, committed to sustainable farming. And, I have met some great horses.
We have made some progress in integrating the horses into vineyard work, and some significant challenges are ahead. I hope some of you will be inspired to enjoy working horses, help with the problem solving, and experience the personalities, productivity, and fun of working horses. The only requirement, to start, is that you enjoy the company of a horse.
Attached you will find some resources for horses, information, supplies, and equipment. This will get you started, but please give me a call or e-mail anytime if I can help.
Best of luck,
Eric Grigsby, MD