Isithombe: IGreensburg Hop Field in Golden Light

Lesi sithombe sithwebula ubuhle obuthule benkundla ye-hop eGreensburg, ePennsylvania, isifunda esidume ngefa laso elicebile lokukhulisa i-hop. Njengoba sigezwe ukukhanya kwelanga okusagolide okuthambile, isithombe siwumkhosi wakho kokubili inala yezolimo nobuhle bemvelo, okuvusa umuzwa ojulile wokuzola nokuzigqaja ngokobufundisi.

Ngaphambili, ukugxila kuwela phezu kweqoqo elihlanganiswe ngokuqinile lamakhoni e-hop avuthiwe. Lawa ma-cones agcwele futhi anempilo, aveza uhlamvu oluhlukile lwamahops aseGreensburg. Ukuma kwawo kusikhumbuza amaphayini amancane aluhlaza, kodwa athambile, athambile—isikali ngasinye sinothuli oluphuzi oluphuzi lwe-lupulin. Amafutha abalulekile acwebezela kancane ebusweni bawo, abenyezela elangeni lantambama. Amaqabunga e-hop awazungezile aqinile futhi ansundu, anombala oluhlaza okotshani, anemithambo ebonakalayo ebamba ukukhanya bese yenza izithunzi ezicashile. Le mininingwane ecacile, ejulile iqinisa inkundla futhi idonsela isibukeli ngokuqondile ephunga elimnandi lomhlaba kanye nokunotha okuthintekayo kwama-hops.

Ngalé kwengaphambili, indawo ephakathi nendawo iveza i-geometry nobunkimbinkimbi bokutshalwa kwe-hop. Izitshalo ze-hop zikhula emigqeni enakekelwa ngokucophelela, ifinyelela ebangeni cishe ngokulingana okuphelele. Ama-trellises amade aphakama esuka phansi, asekele amabhayini njengoba ekhuphukela phezulu endaweni ezungezayo yokuphila nesakhiwo. Amabhina azisonga ngokuqinile entanjeni yokusekela, efinyelela esibhakabhakeni, ukunyakaza kwawo kokubili okuphilayo futhi okunenjongo. Ukukhanya okugeleza emaqabunga kusakaza amabhande ashintshanayo okukhanya kwelanga nesithunzi enhlabathini engezansi, okwenza iphethini yokubuka enesigqi. Sonke isigaba esimaphakathi sesithombe sikhazimula ngamandla athule enkundla yokusebenza esiqongweni sesizini yaso yokukhula.

Ngemuva, imigqa ye-hop iqala ukuhlehla njengoba isimo sezwe sishintsha sibe amagquma aluhlaza anwebeka ngaphesheya komkhathizwe. Lawa magquma, athambekele ngenxa yebanga nokukhanya, abonakala ependiwe—amagquma anamahlathi nezimfunda ezivulekile. Imigqa yama-hops atshaliwe ishintsha indlela yemvelo ekhululekile, ehlanganisa ezolimo nendle. Ngaphezu kwamagquma, isibhakabhaka siwumkhathi ongenasici oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, ongaphazanyiswa ngisho nefu elilodwa. Ukushuba kombala kudala umehluko omangalisayo kokuluhlaza okotshani ngezansi, kuyilapho ukucaca komoya kunikeza sonke isithombe ikhwalithi ecwebezelayo, enokucaca okuphezulu.

Abukho ubukhona bomuntu obubonakalayo, nokho isithombe sigcwele umuzwa onamandla wokunakekela nenjongo yomuntu. Ama-trellise ahlelekile, inhlabathi enakekelwa ngokucophelela, nezitshalo ezinempilo nezichumayo zikhuluma kakhulu ngezizukulwane zabalimi eziye zalima le ndawo. Ukungabikho kwemishini noma abantu kwenza isithombe sibe nesimo esinokuthula, esicishe sibe ngcwele—njengokungathi isikhathi ngokwaso simile ukuze sibabaze ubuhle balesi sikhathi esinembile ngenkathi yokukhula.

Ukwakheka okuphelele kwesithombe kuyashintsha futhi kuyadabukisa. Imigqa yamahops iqondisa iso ebangeni, kuyilapho indawo ezungezile ivuleka ngaphandle, imema umbukeli ukuthi abambezele futhi ahlole. Iphalethi yombala—ebuswa imifino ecebile, ukukhanya okusagolide, noluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ocacile—ithuthukisa umuzwa wokuhlanzeka nokuchichima. Kunomqondo ongaqondakali we-terroir esithombeni, uhlamvu oluyingqayizivele lwama-hops aseGreensburg aluvezwanga nje ezitshalweni ngokwazo, kodwa emhlabathini, emoyeni, kanye nokukhanya kwelanga okuzikhulisayo.

Lesi sithombe singaphezu kwesifinyezo esilula sepulazi—siyindlela ebonakalayo yengqikithi yezolimo zezandla, isithombe sokulinganisela phakathi kwemvelo nokutshalwa. Ihlanganisa kahle umphefumulo wezinkundla ze-hop zaseGreensburg, lapho isiko, indawo ezungezile, kanye nobuciko buhlangana khona ukuze kukhiqizwe ama-hops abukekayo njengoba ethandwa ngendlela emnandi abaphisi botshwala.

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