Muscadines, Scuppernongs, Bullises --------------- Treutlen County Grapes Are Ready

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They're all grapes. Before grocery stores started selling red and white thin skin versions, in the South when we mentioned "grapes" we were talking about those with thick skins and grown locally. The bronze ones were scuppernongs, and the purple ones were bullises.
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Now you can find 15 or 20 patented varieties at the grape farm of Wayne and Barbara Fowler on GA 86 between GA 46 and US 221, northeast of Soperton. Just follow the signs for monster size grapes for eating out of the hand or for making old-fashioned preserves.
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The Fowlers gathered 27 20-lb. boxes in two days this week. Douglas and Fran Braddy help them, as do Guadelope and Ostar. The growing operation is presently at 10 acres, but it hasn't always been that way.
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They've been growing grapes for 20 years with the last 10 years being in commercial production. They have a walk-in cooler to preserve the freshness of the grapes. Experienced hand picking is necessary. A grape may look ripe, but the color has to be just right, and the touch of the hand is important, too. A visitor can pick grapes, him or herself, for $1.00 per pound. The price of ready-picked grapes is $1.25 per pound.
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The grapes are grown with one-quart of 10-10-10 fertilizer per vine. The vines are watered from the drip irrigation system for three hours per day.
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The vines can live up to 30 years, and some of the older Fowler vines are showing old age, with tree size trunks with scaly bark.
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Grape vines are grown from seed, and the Fowlers have grown some themselves. But they now get their seedlings from Ison in Brooks, GA. Potted seedlings are available at the Fowlers'.
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Wayne and Barbara have always been industrious people. Barbara retired from Planttel Communications in Soperton after 39 years and 3 months. Wayne was with UPS for 13 years and worked at several other jobs, including growing pine seedlings. Since grape season began the first of August, they will be very busy until the season ends in late September.
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Signs show the way to the farm, which is open 7 days a week from 8 am to 7 pm. Call 912-529-3838 for directions or information. Even when they are in the fields the phone rolls over to their cell phones.
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Yes, that is Mr. Will Peterson taking the tour.
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This post approved by Marlee.
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