Dairies, Tabacco, Wine and a Boat Ride.

What a busy day! The McCloy's kept up a heck of a pace today visiting 2 dairies (plus one last night), a tobacco farm, a winery and hoping a boat ride on the Moselle River.

In less than 24 hours we had visited 3 different dairies. One owned by our host and former McCloy was in its infancy with under 70 cows. They are working hard to get their dairy heard back up to very high standards and the dairies capacity. The other was a father and son team that had a dairy that milk around 130 cows with robotic milkers. The last was a large (for this area) dairy that milked 300 cows on a robotic carousel, a recent investment of over two million euros.

It was interesting to see the difference in the dairies, their operation, not just within the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, but to compare them with the size and design of the dairies we saw in the former East Germany. Overall, the dairies were smaller in the west. These dairies also had fewer acres to support the cows with as well. Also, it is interesting to compare the longevity of the dairy within the family as many of the eastern dairies are in fairly new ownership due to the collapse of the former East German government. They are also dealing with different problem, the dairies we visited today must contend with an their city neighbors that do not understand our industry at all.

We also saw something that I never expected to see...tobacco. We had the privilege to visit a tobacco farm located in the Wittlich area. Learning about a crop that I had never seen before was absolutely fascinating. Using a mechanical harvester, which they say leads to better quality, they bring the leaves in from the field, dry them for 8 days in a dryer, and then sort and pack them. Not that I know much about tobacco production, but it sounds drastically different that what is done in the USA.  Something else I didn't know about this German tobacco, is it is a very high quality crop that is highly sought over. Who would have thought I was going to see a tobacco farm in the western Germany?

Lastly, we were able to take in the highlight (at least for me) of the day, the viticulture and wine. We took a breathtaking tour on a boat along the Moselle River to see the vineyards along the steep (and I mean STEEP) walls of the Moselle river. Pictures just don't do it justice. To end the day we went to a winery to see grapes being turned into an adult beverage while also having a chance to give their creatoins, a try.

It was an extremely long day that kept us moving. Time to hit the hay so we can keep up this incredible pace.

Cheers,

Nick