​The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is honored to announce an exciting partnership with the Wells Fargo Foundation and would like to thank them for their generous financial commitment to two important 2022 programs.

• Holiday Gifts for Children of Farmworkers
• Financial Literacy for Farmworkers

The support from these two grants will allow us to purchase valuable tools for participants in our financial literacy program as well as bring joy to the children of farmworkers during the holidays.

We are grateful for this opportunity and for Wells Fargo’s historic support of our organization and the Napa Valley farmworker community. 

Improve your understanding of vineyard budgets:

• How To Calculate Cost of Grapes Per Vineyard Acre
  Special thanks to Enrique Herrero, Inglenook
• Matching Farming Practice to Meet Operation Goals
  Special thanks to Julio Rodriguez Buren and Carlos Danti, Domaine Chandon and Rolando Sanchez, Walsh Vineyards Management

 
Build personal financial skills:

• Steps to Owning a Home
  ​Special thanks to Mario Gutierrez of Redwood Credit Union

 
Other recordings in the personal financial skill series include Personal Budgeting, Assessing Credit, and Navigating the American Retirement System.

The Farmworker Foundation Financial Literacy Series is made possible by a USDA 2501 Grant

Through March 25, Ag Health Benefits Alliance is accepting scholarship applications through the AHBA Educational Foundation. The scholarships are available to current AHBA group health program participants and their children or grandchildren under age 25.
 
In 2022, recipients will be awarded with up to $5,000 toward an educational opportunity of their choosing - from vocational and trade school to undergraduate or graduate school in a field of their choice.
 
The scholarship application is available in English and Spanish, and for all information on how to apply, please visit the AHBA website.
 
For questions, email info@aghealthbenefits.org

​The Napa County Pruning Contest is almost of drinking age, having just celebrated its 20th year on Saturday at Beringer Vineyards’ Gamble Ranch.
 
Put on each year by the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and Napa Valley Grapegrowers, the pruning contest is a way for the organizations to recognize the valley’s talented vineyard crews.
 
This year’s winners came from Renteria Vineyard Management and Joseph Phelps Vineyards, with Erika López taking the women’s title and Casimiro Zaragoza for the men, respectively.
 
​Those who came in second, third, and fourth also were awarded, with Atlas Vineyard Management’s Agustín Arias, St. Supery’s Hector Rodríguez, and Walsh Vineyards Management’s Lorenzo Hernández Aquino winning in the men’s category. Verónica Medina Reyes from Bayview — who won first place in the 2019 competition, Ana Mejia from Trefethen, and Rosa Martínez from Bettinelli Vineyards were honored in the women’s contest.

​The Farmworker Foundation and NVG have partnered with the University of California Cooperative Extension on a farmworker job satisfaction survey to improve the well-being of farmworkers by promoting equitable working conditions.
 
The survey is a complimentary piece to  NVG's Wages & Benefits survey and allows employees to anonymously assess their work environment, providing valuable data for employers to improve work conditions with targeted strategies. This valuable data can help employers:

1. Address labor issues such as turnover
2. Improve company productivity
3. Foster the well-being of farmworkers

 
Participating employers will receive results for their company, as well as aggregate results for all participating companies.

There is so much going on in our personal and professional lives right now. We want to make it easy for you to get a quick digest of what the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) and Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) are doing for you this winter.

​How FWF is Working to Support Farmworkers This Winter:

• The English Literacy Program begins in January for beginner and intermediate students.

• We are introducing a new Excel for Supervisors intensive course; intended for vineyard supervisors and managers who would like to improve their skills.
• After a 2-year hiatus, 2022 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Napa County Pruning Contest! We are revising the format of the event to adhere to all safety standards that will allow us to still celebrate the amazing skills of our vineyard workforce.
• Our first Train the Trainer workshop will start with a virtual Pesticide Safety certification.
• Due to popular demand, we have 3 days of CPR & First Aid training in Spanish.
• Finally, following the success of last year, we have launched our 2022 Strategic Partner Program for companies that want to join us in support of the Napa Valley farmworker community.

How NVG is Working for Members This Winter:

• With the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 Regulations, we are reviewing all current resources to make sure you have the most accurate information at your fingertips. Don't miss our webinar on January 27!
• We are introducing more wildfire education and site tours led by our Wildfire Task Force to share best practices with members.
• Our 2022 Strategic Sponsorship Program has launched to highlight our partners in agriculture through ongoing promotion throughout the year.
• The 2021 Wages & Benefits Survey will go out to growers & vineyard manager members to analyze vineyard labor practices and compensation in our industry.
• Two Sustainable Vineyard Practices seminars will be held in partnership with Napa Valley Vineyard Technical Group (Vit Tech).
• We will continue to provide our Weather Alert, free to NVG members.

​The Patrick Foley Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program was created by the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) and the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) to prepare Napa County high school students for careers in our world class wine industry.  During the 8-week program, students gain first-class industry experience and develop professional skills in hospitality, wine production, grape growing, human resources, and accounting, with some of the world’s most forward-thinking wine producers.

Through the FWF and NVG’s ongoing partnership with the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD), the program is promoted to high school students from a range of backgrounds. To apply, students must be 16 years or older, able to commit to an 8-week program, have interest in learning about a career in the wine industry, and a positive attitude and willingness to learn new skills. All applicants are put through an interview process, with priority extending to students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. When selected, students are placed with an employer mentor, and receive a soft skill workshop schedule covering topics, such as: financial literacy; mental health; resume writing; professional networking on social media; history of the Napa Valley; leadership stories and lessons; and goal setting.

Montserrat Granados, a student from the 2021 graduating class, said about her Fields of Opportunity experience, "I liked working outside, especially in the mornings. We did things like collect sugar samples or scouted for pests. Before this summer, I wasn't thinking about a job in this field, but now after working at Hall Wines under viticulturist Sarah Lansing, I am considering working in the wine industry.”  For Montserrat, the program left a lasting impression.

The large number of qualified applicants is a positive challenge; creating opportunity for more employer mentors to get involved. In 2021, for example, FWF and NVG initially planned to place 16 students with employer mentors. When 80 student applications were received, additional outreach was made to employers; in the end, 23 students were placed, all of whom completed the program. 

In 2022, the organizations hope to double student placements with support from new employer mentors who want to impact a young life by introducing them to the wine industry and sharing their passion for the field.

Past employers included many of Napa’s most recognized wineries and vineyard management companies such as: Foley Family Wines; Hall Wines; Hudson Ranch, Jericho Canyon Vineyards; Larkmead Vineyards; Napa Wine Company; Opus One; Pine Ridge Vineyards; Renteria Vineyard Management; Tres Sabores; V. Sattui Winery; Viader Vineyards & Winery; Walsh Vineyards Management; and Yount Mill Vineyards.

“Over the past 4 years, Napa Wine Company and Yount Mill Vineyards have thoroughly enjoyed supporting the Fields of Opportunity program through mentorship.  We feel it is crucial to support the next generation because they represent the future of our local community,” said Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko, business manager for Napa Wine Company and Yount Mill Vineyards.  “It goes both ways, though, through mentorship we learn how to continually hone our management skills, which reinvigorates our love for the business itself.”

The Patrick Foley Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program has begun outreach to employer mentors for the 2022 program, which will be held June 20 - August 12.  If you are interested in joining as an employer mentor, learn more here or email Jill Durfee, Farmworker Foundation Program Manager, at jdurfee@napagrowers.org. 

For press inquiries related to the Patrick Foley Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program, please email Caroline Keller, NVG Marketing Manager, at ckeller@napagrowers.org.

​Michael Alvarez, Cal /OSHA Outreach Trainer, reviews night work safety requirements in this new 20 minute video. The video is available in both English and Spanish and includes an explanation of the night work standards issued July 1, 2020, illumination levels required for different tasks, and a description of how to use the Extech LT40 Light Meter.