rocket man

This weekend witnessed the maiden voyage of the farm air blast sprayer. Its ongoing mission: To provide effective disease protection, prevention, and eradication on grapevines during the growing season. To do so in the most economical and as environmentally friendly as possible.
Improbable? maybe. A worthy goal? you bet.

So far, this sprayer has not let down.

The day started early. There was a lot of systems check necessary to get things off the ground:
tractor fueled and ready: check
shed power operational: check
water pump working: check
now hook up the sprayer and leave the bay...
easy now...easy...
baaaaaah, baaaaaaah, bah, bah...
bombom bombom bombom

Honestly, I think the whole theme from 2001: a space oddyssey is overused, but in this case I totally have a right.

Donned in coveralls and a white environment helmet complete with air-hose riding on a tractor that's pulling a grey and orange rocket. I look like an astronaut towing my own personal-size launch vehicle to the pad for lift-off.

The exercise went great! All the vines got sprayed at a critical time during the growing season where the fruit is at its most vulnerable, and the weather is doing all it can to promote disease infection.

It's a fine piece of equipment.