WINDSOR FORKS, N.S. — When it comes to finding labourers to help harvest grapes, Bent Ridge Winery has tapped into an unexpected source.
Steven Dodge, co-owner of the Windsor Forks establishment, said members of King’s-Edgehill School’s hockey prep teams stepped up to the plate to lend a hand this year.
At the end of October, about two dozen students converged on the property to help with the harvest.
The unique partnership came about when Dodge began exploring ways to get reliable workers.
“It came about that a friend of mine's daughter plays hockey for King’s-Edgehill and if we had some 16- to 18-year-olds on a weekend picking, we could probably do a pretty good job at it and also support the community,” said Dodge.
In return for the athletes volunteering their time, the hockey program received a donation of $1,000 to go towards a trip to Europe and a pizza party.
Prior to the harvest, he estimated the students would be able to collect 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) — about one quarter of the crop. Once the grapes are collected, they have to be processed so harvesting is generally staggered.
“It helps us out tremendously, but it makes us feel good too, because we're able to donate... a pretty nice donation for six hours of work.”
Jeff MacLeod, the head coach of the girls’ prep hockey team at KES, said they were on board with the partnership as soon as it was pitched.
“It is one of the nicest times of the year and it would be a very unique and unbelievable experience for them. It's one of the kinds of things you hear of in Europe but not available here,” said MacLeod.
“We thought it was a good opportunity for our kids to help out a local group here and have team building.”
MacLeod said the harvest brought together both the boys’ and girls’ teams in one location.
“A lot of times, we're kind of separated; we're traveling with the girls or the guys have gone here and we're training and we're doing this,” said MacLeod.
But spending 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. together picking grapes, an activity that didn’t involve sports or schoolwork, MacLeod said, allowed the teams to bond.
The school is currently raising money for a trip to Europe in March 2020, and the donation for the harvest will help cut costs.
The European hockey trip takes place every three to four years. It’s expensive, and MacLeod said fundraisers and donations help keep the costs down for the students.
“We do some fundraising to get the price down for every student. (That) is very, very important for us, so that they all have an opportunity to at least try and make it work,” said MacLeod, who played pro hockey in Europe and is looking forward to touring the area with the young athletes.
He said the team was really happy to be able to help a local business and they’re thankful for the team building opportunity it presented.
The feeling was mutual for the winery operator.
“The more people we have working together in the Avon Valley, the more prosperous we're all going to be and more successful,” said Dodge, adding it was refreshing to provide the youth with firsthand experience of an industry that is steadily growing in the Annapolis Valley.
