Farmers statewide were scrambling to harvest crops in front of the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon that hit Thursday. Rain continued in areas across the state on Friday, with anywhere from 1 to 6 inches predicted in different regions. Joseph Post of Post Winery is halfway to completing his grape harvest. The last grape species they have to harvest is 100 acres of muscadines.

Q: Are you pushing to get grapes harvested?

A: Yes, and no. We finished harvesting the last of the Cynthiana grapes today (Wednesday). The grapes were ripe, so we needed to pick them. They probably could have hung another day or two. But we’ve been pushing the last couple of days to get them in. All the bunch grapes are finished, now. It looks like we’re going to have a little break from harvest for the next two weeks. Muscadines are next, but they’re not ripe enough to harvest yet.

Q: What kind of threat does a 4- to 6-inch rain pose to grapes still on the vine?

A: We worry about splitting. The grapes can split (burst) open with all the additional moisture going into them. Fortunately, the muscadines are actually pretty good about healing themselves. They scab over and heal. If they scab back over, they’ll be fine. We’ve already lost some of our early grape crop to splitting because of the heavy rainfall we had in August.

Q: What are some of the other things you worry about with a lot of rain predicted and your last crop of grapes still on the vine?

A: Obviously, picking conditions. We use heavy equipment that’s designed to run in dry conditions. High wind combined with the additional water weight on the plants can knock them down, too. And cloud cover days slows the ripening process down. There are real problems with any fruit crop coming out of a period of heavy moisture into hot, humid weather with mold and mildew. But our saving grace is we only have muscadines hanging, and they are the best grape at being resistant to mold and mildew. What we have out there, still, are the tough guys. Muscadines are the super grape. They are the grape that can handle crazy weather events in Arkansas. We’re feeling better that it’s only muscadines that we have left. We’ll feel a lot better when they’re picked, processed and in our tanks.

Joseph Post inspecting his grapes in 2017.

Q: Anything to add?

A: We’ll see what happens. I think we’ll be alright. Most years we are. I think a daily prayer is always a good way to be prepared. As farmers, we have to be eternally optimistic and hope for the best. That’s just the way it is.