Fall 2023

10/26/2023

Thank you for your support of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers!

We are continually humbled by the generosity of our community as witnessed in August at Harvest STOMP. More than $3 million dollars was raised for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation. Split between the two organizations, the funds will be used for education and advocacy to protect ag land, elevate sustainable farming, and address fire, water, soil, and climate concerns, as well as support and promote Napa Valley’s vineyard workers with education and professional development, including adult literacy, management training, and mentorship programs to foster the next generation of leaders.

Harvest STOMP is one heck of a party, but we never lose sight of how grateful we are to everyone who joins us that one night to fundraise for both the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation. Thank you to each and every one of you who value agriculture and honor the men and women who work in the vineyards. We appreciate you!

PHOTO GALLERY

Photo by Sarah Anne Risk

Education

What makes Napa Valley so special? Too many things to count, but at the top of the list are the valuable ecosystems within the vineyard. Protecting those ecosystems to ensure every vineyard thrives is why the focus of this year’s ROOTSTOCK was weed management.

Weed management is an integral part of the vineyard management system; however, as consumers' and lenders' perceptions around herbicides shift, there is mounting pressure across the wine production chain to adapt farming methods. And as Napa Valley growers continue to strive for viticultural excellence, employing innovative practices is paramount to continuing to increase quality and sustainability in our vineyards.

Speakers examined the current trends and public perception in herbicide use, laws and regulations for pesticides, DPR's sustainable pest management plan for California, innovative approaches to weed management, and practical approaches to developing a farming strategy that centers on long-term sustainability and healthy, resilient ecosystems.

We are grateful for the support of donors, like you, who make ROOTSTOCK possible. And we're grateful to everyone who presented and attended.

“Who knew weed control would be such a riveting topic? But, Napa Valley Grapegrowers did it again: at Rootstock they presented an absolutely critical area of our operations, facing its challenges head-on with the science we need, the consumer insight we may not have wanted to hear, and an excellent case study that was great food for thought.” - Russ Weis, Walsh Vineyard Management

“What I got most out of the presentations was reframing how we look at the other plants growing along side our grapevines. Some of those plants are weeds in the classic sense that they decrease the quality of our grapes. But others are actually helping us grow better grapes with less inputs. The next step is figuring out how to use the information to customize a solution for each different vineyard situation. The speakers offered good ideas for how we can start to do that.” -Chris Cooney, Dana Estates

Photo by Sarah Anne Risk

Advocacy

A big win for Napa County! We appealed to the Napa County Board of Supervisors and succeeded in adding wildfire resources to the Napa County budget. We advocated for hiring a new fire liaison, increasing early detection capabilities, providing additional funds for FireWise, and enhancing wildfire safety for the entire County. In October, Napa County hired its first fire administrator, David Shew. Thank you, Napa County!

Collaboration

Preventing, mitigating and recovering from fires is not a solo effort, which is why we are grateful to our community partners for collaborating on the recent Volunteer Fire Fighter Appreciation event and the Wildfire Resilience Summit.

As a continuation of our leadership on wildfire issues and unifying efforts around resiliency, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, in collaboration with the County of Napa and Napa Valley Vintners, hosted the first ever Volunteer Firefighter Appreciation event on October 29. These are the men and women who fight the fires that threaten our region, and we were thrilled to honor them.

On November 2, we partnered with the Napa Valley Community Foundation, Napa Valley Vintners, Silverado Farming Company and Redwood Credit Union to present the Wildfire Resilience Summit. Open to the public, this look at how to become more wildfire resilient included a panel discussion facilitated by Mina Kim, the award-winning reporter and co-host of KQED’s Forum, and speakers Representative Mike Thompson, Senator Bill Dodd, and Megafire Action Fund co-founder George Whitesides. Learn more here.

Thank you to our valuable community partners that work with us on matters that strengthen our community.

Talking History with Ren Harris

Ask Ren Harris, Paradigm owner and U.S. history buff, what history he finds most interesting, and he’ll tell you it's his family’s history…and he’s not kidding. And you’ll be entertained. Read more.