​Napa, CA (September 22, 2023) – The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) is pleased to share the impact of their work funded by the CDFA California Underserved Small Producers (CUSP) Grant. The grant program provided funds for direct assistance for individual small and mid-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who needed support applying for economic relief and assistance with business planning and marketing strategies. This grant award highlights FWF’s growing impact within the Napa Valley farming community.
 
Utilizing these funds, FWF acted at a time of need, in the wake of economic hardship following the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildfires of 2020. The Foundation partnered with the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) to increase reach to grape growers in the area.  Together, they organized educational sessions on financial relief opportunities for producers and engaged grant writing partner, Morrison and Co., to provide timely technical assistance to help impacted farming operations access critical relief programs.

​Forty-three winegrape producers benefited from this one-on-one direct assistance and received nearly $415,000 in state and federal economic relief funds from the following programs: the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2, and the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP)– Phase 1 supporting growers who faced losses due to wildfire. An additional 19 winegrape producers met with Morrison and were given 1:1 guidance for Phase 2 of the ERP program.
 
“The Napa Valley wine industry was greatly impacted by the pandemic and 2020 wildfires, the events were like a one-two punch to the local farm-working community,” said Sonya DeLuca, interim executive director for the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, “We became deeply committed to connecting small and underserved producers with financial support opportunities and were honored to be selected by the CDFA for this grant.”
 
Among the growers granted funding for economic relief were Spanish-speaking, small winegrape producers who had experienced severe financial losses in 2020 due to a combination of wildfire-related damage and COVID-19 market disruptions. They were able to speak with one of Morrison’s bilingual staff about their inability to navigate the funding opportunities available and struggled with limited time, linguistic barriers, and unfamiliarity with the highly technical application process. With Morrison’s assistance and the support of FWF, these growers received much needed relief funding that saved their businesses. Without FWF’s strong reputation among Napa producers, and Morrison’s tenacious approach in working through challenges as they arose, many growers would not have known that they were eligible for these programs, let alone been able to successfully access this vital financial aid.

What are the requirements of the standards?
- Lighting  - 3444(a) 
Different work operations have different lighting requirements. These lighting levels are listed in Cal/Osha Nighttime Outdoor Agricultural Operations Fact Sheet below. Employers can meet the lighting requirements in a variety of ways, such as vehicle-mounted lights, portable lights, head lamps, or any combination.

- Safety Meetings - 3449(b)
Supervisors must conduct a safety meeting at the beginning of each shift to inform workers of the location of the restrooms, drinking water, break areas, nearby bodies of water, and high traffic areas.

- Class 2 High - Visibility Garments - 3449(c)
The employer must provide and require workers to wear Class 2 high-visibility garments. These garments help vehicle operators see workers at night.

- Headlights and Tailights - 3441(g) 
All tractors, self-propelled farm equipment, and trucks operating at night must have at least one headlight and one rear light.
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Source: Cal/Osha Nighttime Outdoor Agricultural Operations Fact Sheet
English
Spanish

​The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation’s Día de la Familia: A Street Festival with Heart
 
NAPA, CA (August 2, 2023) – On July 16, Día de la Familia, the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation’s (FWF) annual street festival, was hosted in downtown Napa. The FWF’s mission is to support and promote Napa Valley’s vineyard workers through education and professional development, and Día de la Familia supports this by connecting farmworker families with the incredible array of free, Napa County-based resources that can greatly improve the quality of life, or even be life-changing, for many. This year’s event hosted over 50 community organizations, free health screenings, family activities, cultural dance performances, and a taco lunch.

​One of the day’s highlights was a full-sized tractor display by Atlas Vineyard Management, this year’s event sponsor. The tractor was a visual spectacle, a photo opportunity for families, and a “wow” moment for children. Francisco Araujo, Director of Quality Control and Technical Winegrowing Operations for Atlas Vineyard Management said, “We hope the tractor sparks conversation between parents and children about their work in the vineyard - what are their duties in the vineyard? What does a tractor do? Farmworkers are critical to agriculture, and we hope to educate the younger generation about their important work.” Araujo has been a long-time supporter of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and participates on the FWF Education Committee. He went on to say, “Día de la Familia is the best event of the year, and an excellent way to catch-up with employees and their families ahead of harvest.”

Students from the Patrick Foley Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program made event setup easier this year. The 8-week Program helps students gain valuable career skills and insights into the opportunities available through the Napa Valley wine industry. At Día de la Familia, their responsibilities were hanging signs, setting up booths, helping community members, and more. “Rather than a summer of leisure, students are learning how to advance in their careers and are seeing new opportunities in the local industry,” said Leidy Tovar, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation workforce development coordinator, “The Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program has helped these students grow and mature, and I’m excited to see them apply their newly gained skills at Día de la Familia.”

​Participating community organizations connected attendees with many free resources and support. The festival also included mariachi, ballet folklórico, traditional Aztec dance, children’s activities, opportunities to learn about the important work done in the vineyard, and of course, great food.   

OLE Health returned this year, as well, with its providers and staff offering complimentary health screenings, dental education, and enrollment assistance to 60 community members. The screenings included blood pressure and BMI assessment, and individuals were connected to follow-up appointments with an OLE Health provider at one of its health centers. Their service is another fitting example of the many resources accessible during Día de la Familia.
       
Community organizations that participated in the 11th Annual Día de la Familia included:

Alzheimer Disease Research Center
Botanical Bus
Burbank Housing
California Highway Patrol
California Human Development
CareerPoint Napa
Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa
Child Start
Community Health Initiative
Connolly Ranch Education Center
Cope Family Center
County of Napa - Housing & Homeless Services
County of Napa Health & Human Services, Alcohol & Drug Services
Friends of Napa County Animal Shelter
Girls on the Run North Bay
HHSA ADS
IIBA
Innovations Community Center/Napa County Recovery Center
Líderes Campesinas
Mentis
Napa County - Self Sufficiency Services
Napa County HHSA, CSOA
Napa County HHSA, Mental Health Division
Napa County Hispanic Network
Napa County Library
Napa County Office of Education
Napa County Public Health
Napa Resource Conservation District
Napa Valley College - Student Affairs
Napa Valley Community Housing
Napa Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)
Napa Valley Education Foundation
Napa Valley Unified School District - Migrant Ed
NEWS
North Bay Regional Center
Providence Adult Day Health Napa Valley
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center Community Outreach
Puertas Abiertas Community Resource Center
Redwood Credit Union
Share the Care Napa Valley
Soluna Outreach Solutions on behalf of Napa County Oil, Napa Sanitation, Napa Storm Water Pollution Prevention.
The Neighborhood Initiative - OTM
The Roots Fund
UC Davis Dept of Viticulture & Enology
UC Napa County Master Gardeners
UpValley Family Centers
VOICES Napa Youth Center
Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety

 
Many thanks to the following partners who helped bring this year’s festival to life: Atlas Vineyard Management, Bright Event Rentals, H&E Equipment Supply, The Lux Productions, OLE Health, Puertas Aberitas, Silverado Farming Company, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Walsh Vineyards Management, Green Mary, Suzanne Becker Bronk Photography, El Muchacho Alegre, and KVON Mega Mix.

For press inquiries related to Día de la Familia, please email Caroline Feuchuk, cfeuchuk@napagrowers.org 

NAPA, CA (March 31, 2023) – On March 24, the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) launched a brand-new professional development program - a Women’s Leadership Workshop - focused on supporting new and aspiring female supervisors. The one-day workshop at Napa Valley College supported a full classroom of 40 supervisors from winery and vineyard management businesses across the Napa Valley.

“It’s important for women to know their avenues of growth, and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation was the perfect space to share this information,” said Mary Maher, director of company culture for Silverado Farming Company and president for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, “Women are hungry for these opportunities, and to be at the workshop, watching shy women feel comfortable raising their hands…it was inspiring.”

The morning began with a panel featuring highly regarded senior supervisors, Dolores Torres of Harlan Estate, Carina de la Cruz of Renteria Vineyard Management, and Celia Perez of V.Sattui Winery, and Daniela Bazán of Bazán Vineyard Management moderated. The panelists shared their career experiences, their love for the industry, and advice for newly appointed supervisors, which included meaningful mentorship, job challenges, and the qualities that led to their success. Dolores Torres counseled, “We grow stronger when we can teach those who come to us. By teaching them, we open doors. We strive together and we achieve together.” 

Erika Velazquez with Pan American Insurance followed the panel with a presentation on why Women Make Great Supervisors. She set the tone by acknowledging that agriculture has historically been a male dominated world, but today, women, and especially women of color, have new opportunities; they are trailblazers in agriculture. Their communication skills, preference for teamwork, resilience, and ability to multi-task make them successful when given the opportunity to lead. As a trailblazer herself, Erika is a single mom of three, who works full-time and just completed a master’s program in Occupational Health & Safety. Her story inspired the women to have faith in themselves and what they can accomplish.

​In the session called, Speaking Up, attendees were asked to make a short presentation in front of their peers on a microphone. Approximately three quarters of the women in the room raised their hand indicating it was the first time they had ever had the opportunity.

Following lunch, Devorah and Claudia from Devorah Allen Solorio Consulting, led the discussion on creating opportunity for leadership by taking a 360 perspective on the company and understanding how the different parts contribute to the overall success of the whole. Continuing to learn and building a network of support were also important themes that emerged. The day concluded with a presentation from Napa County Health on women’s wellness and the opportunity to practice relaxation techniques for healthy stress management. 

Starting in 2023, the FWF launched a new supervisor development series, including the Women’s Leadership Workshop, based on the results from last year’s University of California Cooperative Extension Job Satisfaction Survey. The results were used by the FWF Education Committee to meet the needs of farmworkers and their employers.
For press inquiries regarding the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation’s women leadership workshop, please email Caroline Feuchuk, Marketing Director, at cfeuchuk@napagrowers.org. 
About the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation
Founded by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers in 2011, the mission of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is to support and promote Napa Valley’s vineyard workers through education and professional development. The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is the only one of its kind in the United States, providing educational opportunities, advanced training programs, leadership and management classes, English literacy programs, and much more. To date, the Farmworker Foundation has offered education and professional development opportunities to more than 21,000 vineyard workers and their families.

In March, Farmworker Foundation is offering three free financial literacy workshops on Zoom. To sign up, please visit our event calendar or register through the links below. 

​Common Workplace Calculations 
March 7 | 7:00-8:00am | Zoom

Join Professor Guillermo Gonzalez and practice solving common computations that require multiplication and division such as number of vines per acre, acres completed, vines completed per hour, and how many work hours were spent on each acre.

Farm Operations Budgeting and Future Projections 
March 14 | 7:00-8:00am | Zoom

Factors that determine if a wine program is profitable include not only the cost of production but also a cost unique to agriculture; cost per acre. Join Rolando Sanchez of Walsh Vineyards Management to work through three simple scenarios in which a wine program is making money, breaking even, or losing money, and how farming costs relate to the bottom line.

​Tax Preparation Support Resources 
March 21 | 3:00-3:30pm | Zoom

Join us for this 30 minute online workshop with UpValley Family Centers to find out where to go and what to bring for free tax filing assistance for qualifying individuals and families in Napa County.

Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) has established the Robert Alexander Scott Scholarship Fund, which will make its first scholarship awards this year and memorializes Robert Alexander Scott (Alex).  The scholarship is made possible by contributions of the family of Mr. Scott and those of his colleagues at Scott Laboratories. The Petaluma-based Scott Laboratories is a major supplier of goods and services to the North American wine industry.

The scholarship awards will support entry-level or non-supervisory vineyard and winery workers seeking to advance their careers, regardless of county residency.  Scholarships support study toward a certificate or an associate degree in viticulture or enology at one of the following colleges: Napa Valley College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Allan Hancock College, Cuesta College, Walla Walla Community College or Umpqua Community College.  Children and spouses/partners of eligible employees may also apply.

“Alex worked at Scott Laboratories from 2005 until his death in 2021. During his career, Alex developed a concern that the industry should commit itself to the welfare of those who work in it.  In particular, he wanted to help people to help themselves move up the ladder,” noted his father, Bruce Scott.

Obtaining some formal education is key to advancing your career, explained Gustavo Avina, “Receiving my viticulture certification from Napa Valley College was an important step in my career. When I began, I was a regular vineyard worker and now I am the Viticulture Director for Pine Ridge Vineyards. Education is very important if you want a better position at work.”

Ellen Drayton, who oversees scholarships at Napa Valley Community Foundation, added, “We are very excited about the opportunities that the Robert Alexander Scott scholarship affords our hardworking wine industry employees. Our scholarship portfolio, which is the largest in the Valley, is growing each year to include more vocational training opportunities to boost our local workforce.”

The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is assisting NVCF with its efforts to get the scholarship in front of as many eligible workers as possible. The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation was founded on the principle that education is fundamental to success: it is limitless; provides a high return on investment; and once attained, can never be taken away. The Robert Alexander Scott Scholarship puts opportunity within reach for farmworkers and their families.” said Sonya DeLuca, Farmworker Foundation Interim Executive Director.

​The deadline to apply for the Robert Alexander Scott Scholarship is March 6, 2023, apply at https://bit.ly/ScottScholarship.