 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.
0 Comments
 Arnulfo Solorio (right), Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation Board Vice President and Chair of the Education Committee, fosters an engaged audience during the effective communication seminar hosted by Pan American Insurance Services. The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) hosted its annual Leadership and Management Conference on November 16, 17 and 18, 2022. The popular, 3-day educational conference provided 250 Napa County vineyard supervisors and fieldworkers the opportunity to gain professional and personal skills, with a goal to help them advance in their careers. All seminars are hosted in Spanish by experts from businesses across the Northern California Bay Area, like UC Davis, Redwood Credit Union, AgSafe, Strategic Retirement Partners, County of Napa, Napa County Resource Conservation District, Inglenook, Pan American Insurance Services, California Highway Patrol, Duarte Nursery, Napa County Agricultural Office, and Nicola Health & Safety. The agenda for the Leadership and Management Conference is carefully selected by the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation’s Education Committee and designed specifically for those who work in the vineyard. For the 2022 conference, the committee created a professional development-rich agenda with seminars like best practices on winterization in the vineyard, water management, road safety, common pesticide violations, and current requirements for pesticide handlers. Beyond the professional development aspects of the conference, the event offered personal skill workshops. Topics included personal budgeting for the year ahead, multigenerational communication, investing in the future, and fraud protection. The professional and personal components of the conference ensure a comprehensive experience that is distinct to programs offered by the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation. Speaker, Miguel Garcia, from the Napa County Resource Conservation District said, “We appreciated being invited to speak on soil health, sustainable farming practices, and erosion prevention in vineyards. It was a great pleasure to mingle with so many nice people and to hear about their experiences in the field. I would like to think that my role in this event each year is to pass knowledge onto farmworkers, but the reality is that I learn just as much from them as they do from me.”
A highly interactive moment from this year’s conference came during a new experience called, Vineyard Table Talks. The talks gave vineyard supervisors a space to exchange their views on four topics: education, leadership, farming adaptations to climate change, and farming for wine quality. “Attendees were energized by the topics,” said Erika Velázquez, from Pan American Insurance Services and Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation Education Committee member, “It was an excellent way to introduce serious conversations in a casual setting – and a comfortable way for individuals to share perspectives on the issues facing the Napa County community.”  Finally, attendee, Porfirio Martinez from Carpenter Vineyards, who attended over 150 hours of FWF events and programs in 2022, was honored by FWF Board Vice President and Chair of the Education Committee, Arnulfo Solorio of Silverado Farming Company, with the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation Scholar Award. The award recognized his participation in the FWF, and his dedication to education and gaining skills to advance in his career. Martinez enthusiastically shared, “It is always good to learn, and if we are given an opportunity to attend classes, it is to improve as a person. It also improves one's job and broadens one's knowledge and learning.”
Thank you to these FWF Strategic Partners for making the Leadership and Management Conference possible: Pulido~Walker, Martinez Orchards, Far Niente, Circle R Ranch & Vineyards, Vine Hill Ranch, Silver Oak Cellars, MCE Clean Energy, V. Sattui Winery, Hudson Ranch, Yount Mill Vineyards, Oak Knoll Ranch/Lamoreaux Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Napa Select Vineyard Services, Green Valley Tractor, A&J Vineyard Supply, Pan American Insurance, Redwood Credit Union, and Servín-López Vineyard Management. Next year’s leadership program will be hosted on November 8-10, 2023, under the new name, CULTIVAR. Take advantage of these valuable Spanish presentations from leaders in our industry Improve your understanding of vineyard budgets:
Build personal financial skills:
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  Photo by Suzanne Becker Bronk 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. Gain valuable insights to support a sustainable vineyard workforce. 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:
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:
How NVG is Working for Members This Winter:
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. Michael Álvarez, capacitador de Cal /OSHA, da un repaso a los requisitos de seguridad en el trabajo nocturno en este nuevo video de 20 minutos. El video está disponible en inglés y español e incluye una explicación de las normas de trabajo nocturno emitidas el 1 de julio de 2020, los niveles de iluminación requeridos para las diferentes tareas y una descripción de cómo utilizar el medidor de luz LT40 de Extech.
 Congratulations to the 23 students who completed the 8-week Patrick Foley Fields of Opportunity summer mentor program today! Our hats are off to each of them for dedicating their summer to experience a career in the wine industry. They are graduating with flying colors. Thank you to these amazing Napa Valley Grapegrowers members for going above and beyond to provide guidance for the next generation!
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 Yount Mill Vineyards |
Archives
September 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
