CALF_News_December_2018_January_2019

17 CALF News • December 2018 | January 2019 • www.calfnews.net Corporate Office n Winchester, VA n 540-877-9632 n valleyproteins.com We offer high-energy fats and quality protein meals: n Bleachable Fancy Tallow n Recycled Cooking Oil n Choice White Grease n Meat and Bone Meal n Animal Vegetable Blends n Blood Meal We’ve added locations in the West to bring our services closer to you. Amarillo, TX San Angelo, TX Veribest, TX Durant, OK Bernalillo, NM All the vineyard work is painstakingly done by hand. Father Lou says a single vine might be the equivalent of one cow-calf pair, in terms of labor. Using five-gallon buckets and working on foot, they harvest grapes in September. The Nollettes frequently travel to wine-tasting events, promotional gather- ings and contests. Their wines are doing well, and have won at large, Upper Mid- west competitions. After an extended tour of the winery, it became apparent that Greg is a sharp- minded business man. I could hardly keep up with his explanation of the com- plex wine-making process – a scientist would likely have trouble remembering all the details. After spending several befuddled minutes, I turned to Father Lou, who had been standing silently by, and asked him if he had been reading books to learn this process. He promptly answered,“No, I’m only here for the grunt work.” More food The vineyard includes a wine tasting- room. Every fourth Sunday, the vineyard serves dinners with wine and sometimes entertainment. Folks come from as far east as Omaha for a quiet day on the patio and a good meal; it has become a destination winery. The catering service is still up and running. They keep busy with weddings, brandings and gradu- ations, all managed by Tim and Terri Nollette. The State of Nebraska regulates vineyards in the state, and the winery, in particular, is subject to a long set of rules. The Nollettes do not, however, find the state inspectors intrusive or unreason- able, Greg says. Parting thoughts Father Neal is happy and supportive of his brothers. He is proud of their ingenuity, hard work and effort. His Sandhills home at Nenzel is a special place where he can help create opportu- nity for other people. “People have worked and paid dearly to let us have opportunity and a good life,” Father Lou says. He is also grateful for the isolation and wildlife. Tim has been very satisfied with his life, staying as close to production agri- culture as possible. Although he misses Father’s Lou and Neal Nollette are now retired from the priesthood and spend a significant amount of time working at the vineyard. Continued on page 19 