Posted in Industry News, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, NVG News on Sep 23, 2021
by Shawn Zylberberg
Earlier this year, charity wine auctions were optimistic about weathering the pandemic this fall. While the Delta variant has made their efforts more challenging, many are finding ways to raise funds for worthy causes. In Napa Valley, the Harvest Stomp wine auction hit its highest total ever, raising $2.7 million for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, surpassing 2019's $2.32 million.
Harvest Stomp hosted 400 guests at Round Pond Estate's Pole Barn for its 14th annual live auction on Aug. 28, with proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test result required. The event had mobile rapid-test vans and observed Centers for Disease Control safety protocols.
Read the full Wine Spectator article.
Photo by Suzanne Becker Bronk
Posted in Industry News, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, NVG News, Press Releases on Sep 03, 2021
by NVG Staff
The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) hosted their annual Harvest STOMP fundraiser this past Saturday night, August 28, at Round Pond Estate’s historic Pole Barn. Following a challenging year with unprecedented wildfires and the ongoing pandemic, the memorable night brought together those with a shared passion for the preservation of local agriculture, building a legacy for the Napa Valley, and providing life-changing opportunities for Napa’s vineyard workforce. While the annual harvest fundraiser has grown over the last 14 years, Saturday’s event was record-breaking, with a dedicated community of grape growers, vineyard managers, winery owners, wine lovers, and vineyard professionals, raising a record-breaking $2.7 million net for the two organizations.
This year’s live auction was bittersweet. Beloved community member and leader, Steve Moulds, who passed in June, was honored by family and friends during a special live auction lot. Moulds’s legacy is far-reaching, he cared deeply about the work of the two organizations, and his kind, generous spirit was felt throughout the evening.
Posted in Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, NVG News on Aug 15, 2021
by Rolando Sanchez, Walsh Vineyards Management & Farmworker Foundation Education Committee
The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) is the first organization of its kind in the United States. Since 2011, the foundation has put over $6.8 million toward supporting educational and professional development opportunities, reaching over 22,000 vineyard workers and their families and providing more than 3,000 hours of education. The diverse curriculum includes English literacy, computer technology for online learning, viticulture and safety, leadership and management, and family-focused programs. The FWF is community supported, with every dollar raised going directly to its programs and services for farmworkers
In this month’s Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ report, we asked that Rolando Sanchez of Walsh Vineyards Management, a long-time supporter, and leader for the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, speak about the Foundation as it celebrates it’s 10-year milestone.
Read the full Napa Valley Grapegrowers Report.
*Photo by Suzanne Becker Bronk
Posted in Industry News, NVG News on May 10, 2021
by Shea Swenson
When Mary Ann McGuire landed in Napa Valley as a 20-year-old in 1960, she felt a special connection to the area. “We saw it as a bountiful garden,” she says. “I felt this sense of power that came from the land…For me, it carried a spiritual imprint that a mother feels towards a child that you want to protect.”
For her rst few years in the Valley, McGuire, who had moved to the region with her new husband, cattle rancher George Gamble, saw no reason to act on that protective instinct.
But in the mid-60s, California entered an era of development. And as more agricultural acreage gave way to subdivisions and shopping centers, the grape growers, farmers, ranchers and residents of Napa County began to feel the pressure of what that development might mean for the region.
Posted in Industry News, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, NVG News on Apr 24, 2021
by Molly Moran Williams, NVG Industry & Community Relations Director
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) have been immensely grateful to work alongside an array of incredible community partners in serving the needs of Napa’s farm working community.
In this month’s Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ report, we would like to recognize the extraordinary volunteerism of Board Member, Karen Cakebread. She serves on both the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and St. Helena Hospital Foundation’s (SHHF) Boards and has been volunteering at SHHF’s vaccine clinic since it opened in February.
Read the full Napa Valley Grapegrowers Report.
*Photo by Sarah Anne Risk