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Agenda

Sponsors

Keynote Speaker

John Kempf, Founder, Advancing Eco Agriculture
A regenerative agronomy consulting company, and KindHarvest.ag, an agriculture social network. John is the host of the Regenerative Agriculture podcast, and is known for developing crop nutrition management systems that increase yields and profitability while reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides.

Vineyard Site Speakers

Amanda Arnold, Viticulturist, Michael Wolf Vineyard Services 
Originally from Southern California’s Imperial Valley. Amanda grew up in an agriculture family that provided support services to the farming community from El Centro to Stockton.  Amanda continued to develop her love of wine and viticulture in the hospitality industry in New York City. In 2018 she moved to Napa Valley to pursue her passion for farming. In 2019 she began working at MWVS as part of the viticulture team. Her role at MWVS continues to grow and expand, with a focus on invasive species monitoring along side developing a Biological Control Program while adhering to best vineyard practices. 

Monica Cooper, Farm Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension, Napa County
Since 2009, Monica has been employed as a Farm Advisor-Viticulture with UC Cooperative Extension in Napa County. Educated as a “Plant Doctor” at the University of Florida, she has professional training in plant pathology, entomology, soils, and plant science. Her research interests include pest management, viticulture production, and vineyard team dynamics. She is Executive Director of the Napa Valley Vineyard Technical Group, and has an active outreach program with the goal of extending science-based technical information to the vineyard industry. 

Sophie Drucker, Director of Winegrowing, Boisset Family Estate
Sophie was initially drawn to the wine industry after becoming fascinated with its unique ability to combine science, gastronomy, art and culture. After completing her undergraduate studies at UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology she worked in vineyards and cellars throughout the Napa, Sonoma, Portugal, and New Zealand. Returning to California, she completed a master’s degree in Horticulture and Agronomy at UC Davis, with a focus on furthering the understanding of water use efficiency across a selection of grapevine rootstocks.  From Davis she started working for Boisset Collection. 11 years later she is the Director of Winegrowing, overseeing estate vineyard management as well as grower relations for all the Boisset properties. Sophie sees herself as an applied ecologist, managing vineyards as ecosystems and striving to build biodiversity within the systems.​

​Emily Kuhn, Viticulturist, Michael Wolf Vineyard Services
Emily graduated with a BS in entomology from Cornell University, and has since acted as a viticulturist at numerous organic estate wineries including Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Harlan/BOND Estates, and Continuum Estate. Her past employment experiences include being a parasitoid researcher at Kearney Agriculture Station in Dr. Kent Daane’s lab, as well as a grapevine pest and disease researcher at the University of California cooperative extension in Napa County with Dr. Monica Cooper.

Macy Stubstad, Director of Vineyard Operations, Lawrence Wine Estates
A native of Virginia, Macy became interested in viticulture and farming when she worked on Sunday's for a small, local vineyard during high school. Graduated from New York's Cornell University with a degree in Viticulture & Enology, she has since worked in both the vineyards and wineries in Virginia, New York, Spain, Australia, and Napa Valley.​ Macy was the Vineyard Manager for Rudd Winery for seven years before joining the team at Lawrence Wine Estates in 2021. 

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