A North London community vineyard is at risk of closing unless it can raise £85,000 by the end of May.
Three years of poor harvests due to bad weather and disease have hit London's only commercial vineyard at Forty Hall in Enfield.
The 10-acre organic vineyard, part of Forty Hall Farm, produces award-winning sparkling and still wine which has been praised by leading critics including Jancis Robinson.
It is also an invaluable ecotherapy project, aiding the mental and physical health of more than 100 year-round volunteers from the local community through outdoor activity and social interaction.
Head of operations Emma Lundie stressed that unless there is a successful 2023 vintage it could be the end of the vineyard: "There is a whole set of resources we need to get through this year to be sustainable long term," she said.
Top of the list is to buy a tractor, to allow organically-approved spraying of the vines to control mildew, which can destroy the potential grape harvest.
"Timing is so critical," Emma explains. "The difference between getting a crop, or no crop, can be a single day."
An online funding appeal was launched last month and runs until May 30. More than 160 people have donated so far, but the target is still a long way off. Other cash-raising efforts are under way, but Emma acknowledges the pressure on grant-giving bodies and hopes local people will rally round to support such a valuable initiative.
Founded in 2009, the vineyard grows bacchus and ortega, classic grape varieties ideal for England's marginal vine climate, and also - for sparkling wine - the champagne varieties chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The wines are made in Sussex by Will Davenport, a leading figure in organic winemaking in the UK, and sold mainly at the Forty Hall Farm shop and monthly farmers market, plus online.
The project organisers are immensely proud of what they have achieved, and would be distraught to see the project fail.
"We are a truly unique social enterprise with a bright future in the increasingly socially and environmentally conscious wine market," they insist.
And their enthusiasm is echoed by many of those who have been helped by volunteering at the vineyard.
“Both my health and my career have made huge leaps forward," said one. Another noted: “Forty Hall Vineyard improved my confidence and restored a sense of purpose to life.”
Donate to The Tractor Fund at https://localgiving.org/appeal/tractorfund/
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