An End In Itself - The Culture of Viticulture

The idea of “culture” is right there in the terms “viti-culture” and “agri-culture.”

So why, when I think about the idea of “culture,” does it seem to be lacking from my vision of farming in the USA?

Culture, to me and by definition, implies a sense of artistic achievement and style. Things that are cultural have an aesthetic. They are concerned with a sense of beauty even if they also are concerned with function.

American farming does not seem to be concerned with beauty at all, though.

Despite what my individual values may be, I’ve come to accept that America’s preeminent value is business, and our entire culture is built around that, including farming.

Now, maybe there’s nothing inherently wrong with business. In some form it seems as if it is necessary for and has always been part of human cultures. But if we pursue it to the exclusion of all other values we lose our souls.

When farming becomes soulless, eating becomes soulless. And when eating becomes soulless, our lives become soulless. This has been our cultural trajectory over the last 70 years in America.  

The vast majority of farming and food production in the US is a factory industry. To better understand this, please read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan if you haven’t.

Industrialists have one end in mind. It isn’t beauty, or health, or quality, or even the thing that their factories produce. The End toward which everything else is manipulated is profit.

Every aspect of farming – from the land, animals, crops, as well as the farmers and consumers – are simply means to this end… the end of the almighty dollar.

Beauty, on the other hand, can only be conceived, created, or seen when we stop seeing things and people as means to an end.

Culture is created when we see what we are doing as an end in itself.

Sure, a square box will give you shelter, is cheap to build, and can turn a profit. But a beautiful architecturally designed home does not need to seem to be a luxury.

Yes, you can cover 100 acres with straight rows of a single vine or crop, and that will make it easy to farm quickly with machines to increase profits (if you’re lucky). But using 100 acres to create a biodiverse ecosystem of many species of plants and animals does not need to seem fiscally irresponsible.

We only get one life. If what we are doing is always a means to an end, then what we are really working towards is the end of our lives.

A means-to-end culture is a death culture.

As a winemaker, I’m beginning to wrap my head around each step of the process being an end in itself. I want to help create and work in vineyards and wineries that are culturally rich.

I’m trying to do more than make wine. I’m trying to nurture a beautiful, and delicious, culture of life.  

In what ways can you create culture with what you do every day?