The small organic and family-owned Marlborough wine company has employed Xena and Gordon -in the care of French horse plough specialist Emma Rossignol - to manage the soils of its Waihopai Valley vineyard, in lieu of a diesel guzzling tractor.
They’re at the tail end of a crowd funding campaign – closing on December 3 – to help raise the $55,000 they need to keep the grass guzzlers going. Sales and Marketing Manager Jack Weaver, whose parents Sam and Mandy Weaver founded Churton, says it is good for the grapes, good for the wine, and good for the environment as well. In a video on the initiative, Mandy says the family sees itself as guardians of the land “and it’s important we look after it”. That includes “always looking at how we can improve our footprint on the land”.
To join the helpful herd in the Pledgeme campaign - with perks that range from a few bottles of wine to a Ploughman’s Package, with lunch and vineyard tours for 10 people and two Clydesdales - go to churtonwines.co.nz/pages/horse-power
