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.

The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) celebrated its 21st Annual Napa County Pruning Contest at Beringer’s Gamble Ranch Vineyard on Saturday, February 4.  It was a perfect day as 106 contestants displayed speed and technique in what is considered the most prestigious competition for Napa Valley’s vineyard professionals.
 
“The Napa County Pruning Contest continues to get better every year. Participants are passionate about improving their skills and competing against their peers,” said Rolando Sanchez, General Manager for Walsh Vineyards Management, and member of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation Education Committee, “The Pruning Contest is an opportunity to demonstrate their dedication to high-quality, Napa Valley grape growing.”
 
The FWF’s Napa County Pruning Contest is a community event with activities and giveaways for competitors and their families. At this year’s event, FWF handed out warm beanies and long-sleeved shirts, Bombas contributed socks of all sizes, and Copperfield’s Books donated children’s books.

During the main event, each of the contestants pruned five vines in the day’s preliminary competition.  Those with the highest scores went on to the final round, which produced the winners: 4 in the women’s division and 4 in the men’s division.  The winners took home a generous bucket of gifts, which included cash, pruning tools, clothing, Napa Valley wine, gift cards and other prizes; a handmade silver belt buckle from Max Lang Belt and Buckles and first-ever champions jacket from FELCO was given to the 1st place winners.  Employers typically match the cash prize winnings, so the day was highly rewarding for the top 8 finalists.  All contestants enjoyed lunch catered by Tacos El Muchacho Alegre between competition rounds.

​Past Napa County Pruning Contest champions judged the competition this year, which was an opportunity to inspire competitors. “As a past winner, now judging, I’m proud and happy to be helping and hope to encourage competitors to win,” said Celia Perez of V. Sattui Winery and the first women’s division champion in 2014, “People think that the Pruning Contest is only for men, but I am here to prove it’s for everyone, and that anyone can win.”
 
Competitors are Napa County farmworkers and full-time employees. All farmworkers who work in Napa County are eligible to compete.
 
Winners received:
1st Place: $1,675 in cash and gifts cards plus a custom trophy belt buckle; FELCO champions jacket and vineyard loppers; Central Valley tools and supplies; Napa Valley wine
 
2nd Place: $1,075 in cash and gifts cards; FELCO vineyard loppers; Central Valley tools and supplies; Napa Valley wine
 
3rd Place: $800 in cash and gifts cards; FELCO vineyard loppers; Central Valley tools and supplies; Napa Valley wine
 
4th Place: $550 in cash and gifts cards; FELCO Swiss Knife; Central Valley tools and supplies; Napa Valley wine
 
Women’s Division Winners:
1st Place: Alejandra Mendoza, Trefethen Family Vineyards
 
2nd Place: Reyna Hernandez, Walsh Vineyard Management
 
3rd Place: Ana Mejia, Trefethen Family Vineyards
 
4th Place: Irene Escoto, Trefethen Family Vineyards
 
Men’s Division Winners:
1st Place: Rene Alejo, FARM Napa Valley
 
2nd Place: Jesús Alejandro Contreras, Pearls Farm Labor
 
3rd Place: Lorenzo Hernandez, Walsh Vineyard Management
 
4th Place: Sergio Melgoza, Rocca Family Wines
 
Support for this event was provided by sponsors Nemerever Vineyards, Pulido~Walker, Silicon Valley Bank, Martinez Orchards, Central Valley Ag Supplies, FELCO, Duarte Trees & Vines, Sunbelt Rentals, Ag Health Benefits Alliance, Copper Cane Wines & Provisions, Jaguar Farm Labor Contracting, Crocker & Starr, Brotemarkle Davis & Co, H&E Equipment Services, Malloy Imrie & Vasconi Insurance Services, Novavine, Pearls Farm Labor, Renteria Vineyard Management, Silver Oak, John Derr Farming, Grow West, Sunridge Nurseries, Taddei Vineyards, Gonzalez Vineyard Management, V. Sattui Winery, A&J Vineyard Supply, Larkmead Vineyards, Green Valley Tractor, and our partner in health, OLE Health.
 
Thank you to the Napa Valley community members who served on the Napa County Pruning Contest Committee: Macy Stubstad, Co-Chair, Lawrence Wine Estates; Kendall Smith, Co-Chair, Grace Family Vineyards; Garrett Buckland, Premiere Viticultural Services; Brianna Beighle, Bryant Wines; Pam Bond, Allied Grape Growers; Chad Clark, Allied Grape Growers; Gustavo Avina, Pine Ridge; Blake Wood, Beckstoffer Vineyards; and Hayden Schmidter, Moulds Family Vineyard.

​In partnership with the Wells Fargo Foundation, the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is offering Copperfield's Books gift cards to children of farmworkers. Copperfield's is a great local business filled with holiday treasures for children of all ages.
 
Program Details

• NVG Members can request gift cards for their farmworker employees
• A maximum of 10 gift cards - $20 each - per NVG member
• Gift cards are accepted at all 9 Copperfield’s Books locations to purchase books, games, and stuffed animals

Quantity is limited; available on a first-come, first-served basis

​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. 

​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 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.

​The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is pleased to announce they are now on WhatsApp, our first Spanish-only communication channel. WhatsApp is a free messaging app used by over 2 billion people in more than 180 countries.
 
We encourage you to join today and share the link with others to receive these benefits:

1. Register directly for FWF educational programs and events.
2. Get real-time updates on community resources available to Napa County farmworkers including financial aid
3. Receive information on viticultural best practices throughout the year

 
Here is how to connect with us:

1. Download WhatsApp on your phone (accounts must be associated with a cell phone number)
2. Click here to chat with the Farmworker Foundation

Send us a message so that you are added to our group

​Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation se complace en anunciar que ya están en WhatsApp, nuestro primer canal de comunicación sólo en español. WhatsApp es una app de mensajería gratuita utilizada por más de 2.000 millones de personas en más de 180 países.
 
Te invitamos a unirte hoy y a compartir el enlace con otros para recibir estos beneficios:

1. Inscribirse directamente en los programas y eventos educativos de FWF
2. Recibir actualizaciones en tiempo real sobre los recursos comunitarios disponibles para los trabajadores agrícolas del Condado de Napa, incluyendo la ayuda financiera
3. Recibir información sobre las mejores prácticas vitícolas durante todo el año

 
Conecta de la siguiente manera con nosotros:

1. Descarga WhatsApp en tu teléfono (las cuentas deben estar asociadas a un número de teléfono celular)
2. Haz clic aquí para chatear con Farmworker Foundation

Envíanos un mensaje para que te añademos a nuestro grupo

​Emergency Financial Assistance is available for homeowners and renters whose primary residence in Napa County was damaged or destroyed by the LNU Fire Complex or Glass Fire and for workers who live in Napa County facing economic hardship as a result of the firestorms. Aid is available to all people living in Napa County regardless of immigration status or previous COVID-19 assistance.
 
Emergency financial assistance will be provided to qualified applicants until June 30, 2021. Call the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund at (707) 965-5010 to see if you qualify. 

Space is currently available at the Farmworker Housing Centers in Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga.

​Each center provides clean, safe and affordable housing for Napa County farmworkers. Cost is $14 per day, which includes a shared room, three meals daily (Monday through Saturday), hot water and a laundry facility.
 
For more information, please contact the center site manager on the flyer.