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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬

@akhateli.farm

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A small farm & vineyard in Akhateli village, Georgia, South Caucasus: the very homeland of the domestic wine grape ~8000 years ago. Apologies/you're welcome! Sharing farm updates & agriculture pics from around our region. Take a look: akhateli.org

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · Oct 24

Akhateli Acres: an experimental farm preserving endemic grapevines & fruits of the South Caucasus. We’ve been building a demonstration orchard/vineyard from scratch, and plan to educate on local farming traditions/foodways.

We accept donations; now offering exciting agricultural tours!

Link below:

local Fuyu-type persimmons ripe on the tree

The snowy Greater Caucasus viewed through newly-planted vine rows

local sunflowers destined for oil production

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 9h

So - what's it like for mosquitos to depart?

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 19h

🌱 I warned you not to test #inaturalist on your farm.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrEP...

The Epic Post-Punk Song About Ducks You've Been Waiting For!

YouTube video by DadJoke

www.youtube.com

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 1d

🌱 A small Arax River grape cluster on the vine + bonus medieval 🏺Iranic-language #viticultural slanders:

small grape bunch, 1st-year showing from this vine found approx 100km from Tabriz

"The Tabrizians have a phrase when they see a fortunate and wealthy man in a uncouth clothes: 'He is like fresh grapes in a ripped fruit basket.'

مستوفی، حمدالله: "نزهةالقلوب"، به كوشش محمد دبیرسیاقی، انتشارات طهوری، 1336 Mostawafi, Hamdallah. Nozhat al-Qolub. Edit by Muhammad Dabir Sayyaqi. Tahuri publishers, 1957, pg 98. یك جمله از زبان تبریزیان در «نزهةالقلوب» حمدالله مستوفی : تبارزه اگر صاحب حُسنی را با لباس ناسزا یابند، گویند "انگور خلوقی بی چه، در درّ سوه اندرین"؛ یعنی انگور خلوقی (انگوری مرغوب) است در سبد دریده»

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 2d

Many of these vines are rare & historically important, but low-productivity or disease-prone.

But we're also developing quite a few yet-unnamed hybrids. They all get a fair shot. #viticulture 🌱

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 2d

"a ruddy, prolate cucumber sat next to a 2L terracotta pot" was the deleted alt text, sorry. 🌱

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 2d

🌱 A fruity photoshoot: the last weird cucumber vogueing next to a terracotta pot - to which its colour-matched.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 3d

Like vintage photos already. 🌱 But at their peak, the tallest sunflower reached the 2nd floor this summer.

a mid-spring phalanx of sunflower plants

an incredibly lanky sunflower reaching the top of a flight of stairs

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 3d

Autumn tradition! When my above/below 10º crew has a more reliable transportation schedule than I have.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 3d

🌱🍇 #viticulture Here we personally track down - from the Black Sea to the Arax River - diverse obscure, difficult, superb grape varietals just to see how they do in our field. A few we're testing:

unripe Lalvari-Buera cluster in the shade

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 3d

This ruined home has a (volunteer?) grapevine climbing a (volunteer!) hackberry tree. 🌱

a few rough clusters of white table grapes, quite tasty - considering

zoomed out - you see the mess of tree (Celtis tournefortii) branches the vine has climbed - more than 4m tall

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 5d

🥀

𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 5d

That’s how the mafia gardens too!

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 7d

Some essential food groups remain yet unharvested. 🌱

goat’s weed chilli peppers ripening in the (rare) sunlight

𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 8d

Can I use this technique to pick cherries?

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 8d

🌱 In spring these made a towering, VERTICAL stand of sunflowers. But it was a hard season for all of us.

a cluster of disheveled and hail-damaged sunflowers, some 3m tall

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 9d

& battered: 🌱 #viticulture 🌩️

two-shot panorama small vineyard post-storm repairs, defoliated vines and downed trees

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 9d

Before - after. #viticulture #agriculture 🌱

ripe white wine grape bunches suspended high in the air, backlit by the sun

same grape bunches after being pelted by hail

𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 9d

Recipe for cornelian soup. 🌬️🌱

fallen cornels caught in a plastic tarp, but a storm forced them down all at once

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10d

🌱 Before:

two-shot panorama small vineyard rows at early autumn peak, storm clouds creeping in

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10d

As they said back in the day:

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10d

Hailstorm-harvest heroes. Foreground: TWO varieties of tiny, orange Ghanaian eggplants. Background from left: punctured yellow tomato, confused cucumber, and a Tula black. 🌱

Foreground: two varieties of tiny, orange Ghanaian eggplants. Background from left: punctured yellow tomato, cucumber, and a Tula black tomato

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10d

🌱 #viticulture Uses for excess water when growing season is done:

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 11d

Do they normally fruit as close alternates like that? Seems perilous!

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 13d

Some matching, fresh-picked, multicolour tomatoes. 🌱🍅

assorted (mostly) blue-yellow woolly type tomatoes, various ripeness

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 13d

It's the hyperlocal name for this hybrid, which has no use beyond being interesting to look at.