Social Equity
Farmers and ranchers have some of the highest suicide rates of all United States occupations. Misty Oebel (Michigan State) works with a team to help farmworkers manage depression and anxiety.
Oso Libre’s founders, Chris and Linda, started the Por Vida Foundation in 2011 to support causes that are near and dear to their hearts.
Every March for Women’s History Month, Cambria selects an organization that aligns with their pillars of climate action and women’s leadership, and pledges $25k to support their efforts.
A successful business does more than sell a great product. Companies like Niner Wine Estates that embrace the Business value of sustainability treat their employees and the community with care and respect.
Cliff Ohmart, Principal of Ohmart Consulting Services reflects on his 40-year career in agriculture.
When it comes to labor and employment, the best thing that you can do is be proactive, says Anthony P. Raimondo, Attorney, and Founder of Raimondo Miller A Law Corporation.
While telling your sustainable story serves a practical purpose in educating consumers about the real-world impact of your sustainable practices, it also goes deeper than that: it builds meaningful emotional connections.
One way that growers can farm sustainably for the future is through vineyard fleet management. Marc Di Pietra, Regional Service Maintenance Manager for Treasury Americas, a subsidiary of global wine company Treasury Wine Estates, is doing just that by exploring alternative fuel sources and automation.
Of the 3 Ps of Sustainability (People, Planet, and Prosperity), People is no doubt the most important one. Learn how Vineyard Team invests in the children of vineyard and winery workers through our scholarship program.
Vineyard Team’s Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship provides multi-year, higher education investments in the children of vineyard and winery workers on California’s Central Coast based on academic excellence, financial need, and community involvement. The majority of awardees are first-generation college students. This funding supports students and their families in achieving their dreams of successful graduation from a trade, or two- or four-year school to pursue a professional career.
Any employee working during “Night Work”, defined as Between Sunset and Sunrise, must be working with illumination no less than as stated in Table 1 of Section 3449. The employer shall provide and maintain hands-free portable personal lighting or area lighting or both to employees. There is a note that does state there can be a combination of area lighting and a headlamp to help meet the requirement.
When agricultural work is conducted outdoors during hours of darkness, employees face hazards due to a decrease in their ability to see, as well as be seen by others, including those operating mobile agricultural equipment and vehicles. Two Cal/OSHA standards address these hazards. California Code of Regulations, title 8, section 3449 sets requirements to prevent employee exposure to hazards during agricultural operations at night.
Higher education is important to many students but paying for college can be challenging. The Vineyard Team Educational Scholarship helps college students whose parents work in members' vineyards and wineries achieve their dreams. The Smiths of Saxum and James Berry Vineyard, know that our people are vital to sustainability. Justin Smith tells the story of Juan Nevarez, a person instrumental in their wine business for over three decades, and their inspiration to donate to the scholarship fund in his name.
As we anticipate rolling blackouts throughout California in the next few days, it's time to take a few steps to prepare. During these multi-hour rolling blackouts, the significant issues for tasting rooms (and other guest serving businesses) relate to the continuation of guest service. (And of course - the safety of guests and employees are always the priority.)
While wineries can maintain business operations during COVID-19, day to day operations look much different than they did the first few months of 2020. Hear how three wineries are adapting to their new way of doing business.
Agricultural operations with outdoor workers are required to implement their high heat procedures once the temperatures start going up.
Due to catastrophic wildfires in California, you may wonder how this impacts your insurance policies.
How does the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19 impact your insurance policies?
Lauren Noland-Hajik, Attorney and Lobbyist at Kahn, Soares & Conway gives an update on new policies that affect the wine industry including the Water Resiliency Plan and how it affects Sustainable Groundwater Management Act; regulating power shutoffs to prevent wildfires; anticipated regulations on pesticides; and impending labor law changes.
What Every Grower Needs to Know. As harvest gets underway for some and is in full swing for others, the issue around having sufficient labor persists.
Kacy Smith, Health and Wellness Coordinator & Michael Parola, Assistant Ranch Manager and Sustainability Director, Smith Family Wines talk about the social equity component of sustainability at Smith Family Wines.
Kris Beal, M.S., Executive Director of Vineyard Team, recounts some of the history of the organization, it’s current activities and what the future holds in store.
Marc Lea, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, San Luis Obispo County Ag and Lottie Martin, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office talk about using pesticides safely and recycling pesticide containers.
In winegrowing regions with insufficient rainfall, the importance of a well-functioning irrigation system cannot be overstated. Here are some of the most common problems found with drip irrigation systems in vineyards and some practical solutions.
Ashley Poupart explores why sustain practices are important to the wine and winegrape industries followed by an overview and comparison of the major sustainability certifications available to vineyards.
Bart Haycraft, Vineyard Manager for Jackson Family Wines Los Alamos, walks through all of the vineyard operations he has mechanized on his ranches including weed control, canopy management and efficient harvesting. Q&A for this session is found here: https://youtu.be/nC1gSjtU1QM
Bart Haycraft, Vineyard Manager for Jackson Family Wines Los Alamos, answers questions about the vineyard operations he has mechanized on his ranches including weed control, canopy management and efficient harvesting. The full session is found here: https://youtu.be/ItFu_50H0og
A list of vendors compared on 10 variables.
Betsey Nash, owner of Nash HR Services, brings the listener up to speed on best hiring practices, HR regulations and HR best practices.
Check out some favorite episodes Here are ten episodes of the Sustainable Winegrowing podcast you don’t want to miss.
A template of a manual for night work safety procedures, requirements and record-keeping. An excellent tool for training and documentation.
Use this handy worksheet to record the illumination of the lights on a piece of farm equipment. Identify areas where more illumination is needed and document that you have assessed your equipment for night safety.
Three safety handouts from the Shade Cloth and Night Safety Tailgate held June 28, 2018 at Monterey Pacific, Inc., Soledad, California.
Beth Wonson, Founder & CEO of Beth Wonson and Company shares her wisdom about communication in the workplace.
The safety rules and regulations governing working at night as of June, 2018. In English and Spanish.
Marc Lea, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner of County of San Luis Obispo and George Donati, General Manager, Pacific Vineyard Company, talk about the dynamics of ag-urban conflicts and how to maintain good relationships.
A list of topics that must be discussed during training sessions with employees over the course of the year as part of require Worker Protection Standard training. (Current as of March, 2018)
Amy Wolfe, President/CEO of AgSafe, discusses changes to the Worker Protection Standard including worker training, decontamination, and emergency response training.
Contacts, definitions, and processes for disposing of pesticides (hazardous waste in San Luis Obispo County.
Many factors influence the number of people coming to the U.S. to work including the cost and danger of crossing the border and improved economic conditions in Mexico.
Night harvesting has many benefits, but it also comes with its own safety concerns. Here’s how to keep your people safe this harvest.
Dr. Phillip Martin, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis, discusses some of the factors that affect the supply of farm labor in the United States.
Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
On Jan 1, 2017, Worker Protection Standards (WPS) were updated. Here's what you need to know. In English and Spanish.
Headquarter Compliance by Ruby Espino of AgSafe, presented at the 2022 Sustainable Ag Expo.