Solitude Springs Farm & Vineyard

06/14/2026

Catching up on vineyard work...and playing with Vitis vinifera (again).

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After testing this vine for over 5 years, we decided to move it fro...

06/12/2026

A new discovery on the farm!

06/11/2026

A few things are blooming around the farm: honeyberries and leopard’s bane (Doronicum ‘Little Leo’). Coming soon will be apples, serviceberries (saskatoons), aronia, ‘North Country’ blueberries, and a taller version of leopard’s bane.
We stumbled on leopard’s bane by accident during a shopping spree at Lowe’s. It is the first non-native flower to bloom on the farm and is attractive to pollinators. In the interest of cut flowers, we went seed shopping for a taller version. Out of the 50 seeds we received, one sprouted. Turns out the germination instructions were the opposite of what it needs. Nevertheless, leopard’s bane loves the farm and is multiplying rapidly.

06/10/2026

One more night of near freezing temps and then we should be in the clear for the season. This morning it dropped to 32.5F, but no damage to the grapevines, except for those covered with row cover (which was wet from yesterday’s rain and weighted down so it touched the shoot tips). Fingers crossed

05/19/2026

As the last of the snow disappears along the road to the farm, the vineyard comes to life! The first buds are swelling into fuzzy brown nubs. Bud burst (bud break) is the next stage - when the first leaf tips emerge - about 10-13 days away. Everything is on schedule despite the cool spring.

05/11/2026

Apparently these overwintered ranunculus didn’t get the “coldest average winter temperature in 100 years” memo.

05/04/2026

Survival of Gewürztraminer and a few other grape varieties (need 2+ buds to flower)…
Frontenac: 1 bud ❌
King of the North: 1 bud ❌
ES 9-7-48: 3 buds ✅
C-16 (St.Marie Precoce): 4+ buds ✅
ES 10-18-30: 9 buds ✅
Gewürztraminer: 4-6 buds (covered with leaves) ✅

Even with our deep cold December - March, there was good survival where it counts. As I’ve argued, hardiness is not the biggest challenge to growing grapes in Alaska - though it certainly helps with the right varietal selections. The ability to read the environment correctly in the fall is. The bud counts above represent what successfully hardened off by October 5th last fall.
Now we wait for bud break….

05/02/2026

We're out working on the road to the farm!

May 1st - Opening the Road to the Farm

05/01/2026

IT’S BACK!! After waiting a decade, Balsor’s Hardy blackberry is back on the farm! We failed to get it established last time we tried, but this one is already rooted and budding out. Why should you care? Not only is it Zone 4 hardy (good enough for the farm) and self-fertile, but it should serve as a pollinizer for Stenulson (definitely not self-fertile) - setting up the possibility for a reliable dual crop of late season blackberries, even in interior Alaska.🤞🤞🤞

04/29/2026

Propagating tip-rooting blackberries Alaska style. In the fall, find shoots that have started to tip root (they won’t survive the winter if left outside). “Gently” yank the ends out of the ground, cut off the last 2 ft of the shoot with leaves, and pot them up. Tie the shoots to a stake and put the pot in a sunny window inside for the winter. Keep soil moist. In April, they will start sprouting new leaves or shoots. Easy-peasy.