Program Calendar
The “Why” Behind: Irrigation Design
Day/Date
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Time
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Program Detail
Please note that all programs are in Spanish unless otherwise specified.
Complimentary for Napa County farmworkers. This private event is for registered farmworkers only.
Summary
This workshop is for irrigators to learn why vineyard irrigation systems are designed the way they are, the importance of not making changes without consulting the designer, and the best way to address some of the many operational challenges.
Instructor
Mark Battany - San Luis Obispo, RCD
Past Student Testimonial
“I will be able to use what I learned in this class to improve the irrigation system, use only the water that is needed, and not waste it.”
Safety Training for Small Companies: Sexual Harassment Prevention and First Aid/CPR Training
Date
Friday, April 11
Sessions/Time
Session 1: Safety Training for Small Companies: Sexual Harassment Prevention*
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM for Fieldworkers
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM for Supervisors
*The Fieldworker training is 2 hours, and the Supervisor training is 3 hours.
Session 2: Safety Training for Small Companies: First Aid/CPR Training
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Lunch will be provided from 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Classes
Safety Training for Small Companies
Safety is the number one priority for all Napa Valley vineyard operations.
This new program is designed for small companies (defined as having less than ten (10) employees) to access professional, high-quality education for essential safety training.
Session 1:
Sexual Harassment Prevention
California law requires employers with five (5) or more employees to provide one (1) hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to their non-supervisory employees and two hours of training to supervisors once every two years.
*For the Sexual Harassment session, please indicate in the Registration form Sign-Up Note field whether the enrollee is a fieldworker or supervisor. The Fieldworker training is 2 hours, and the Supervisor training is 3 hours.
Session 2:
First Aid/CPR Training
Certification lasts for two years.
Please note that all programs are in Spanish unless otherwise specified.
Complimentary for Napa County farmworkers. This private event is for registered farmworkers only.
Summary
Safety Training for Small Companies
Safety is the number one priority for all Napa Valley vineyard operations.
This new program is designed for small companies (defined as having less than ten (10) employees) to access professional, high-quality education for essential safety training.
Sexual Harassment
This Sexual Harassment Prevention course meets the California requirements of AB 1825 and AB 2053 and includes the following topics:
Information and practical guidance regarding federal and state regulations
Prohibition, prevention, correction, and remedies of sexual harassment and abusive conduct in the workplace
Identifying different kinds of sexual harassment, discrimination, and abusive conduct
How supervisors should respond in a variety of situations involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and abusive conduct
Discussions on the requirements of an anti-sexual harassment discrimination and abusive conduct policy
Discussions on the complaint process, limited confidentiality, and appropriate workplace behavior
First Aid/CPR
This CPR /First Aid course is a hands-on opportunity to gain the essential skills to respond effectively in emergencies. It will provide the confidence and knowledge to act quickly and save lives.
Topics include CPR, how to respond to choking, heart attacks, strokes, and other emergencies, basic first aid for cuts, burns, fractures, and sprains, and how to handle common injuries and medical crises safely.
Impact
Safety is the number one priority for all Napa Valley vineyard operations. This new program is designed for small companies (defined as having less than ten (10) employees) to access professional, high-quality education for essential safety training.
Songbirds & Vineyard Health Field Day
Day/Date
Friday, April 18, 2025
Time
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Program Detail
Please note that all programs are in Spanish unless otherwise specified.
Complimentary for Napa County farmworkers. This private event is for registered farmworkers only.
Summary
Napa County farmworkers are invited to attend this in-the-vineyard Field Day to learn how songbirds can play a crucial role in vineyard ecosystems and why supporting their habitats can lead to more sustainable and productive viticulture.
Using research from the Wildlife Habitat Ecology Lab, speaker Karen Gallardo Cruz from Cal Poly Humboldt’s Wildlife Department will explain how these avian allies can:
Aid in pest control
Promote biodiversity
Enhance vineyard health
Don’t miss this opportunity for your vineyard team to enhance sustainable vineyard practices in your farming operation!
1 hour of Other CE Credits will be offered.
Instructor
Karen Gallardo Cruz - PhD Student, University of California, David
The “Why” Behind: Climate Science & Farming Adaptions
Day/Date
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Time
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Program Detail
Please note that all programs are in Spanish unless otherwise specified.
Complimentary for Napa County farmworkers. This private event is for registered farmworkers only.
Summary
Gain a better understanding about why we are experiencing more extreme weather conditions in the Napa Valley and learn about climate-smart farming and management practices to make our vineyards more adaptable and resilient.
Instructor
Natàlia Costa i Coromina - Associate of Impact & Sustainability, Energy Impact Partners
Past Student Testimonial
“It’s important for me to understand the topic so I can do my job better and make better decisions.”
Napa County Pruning Contest
Date
Saturday, February 8, 2025
*The rain date is February 15, 2025.
Time
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Summary
The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation will celebrate its 23rd Annual Napa County Pruning Contest at Beringer’s Gamble Ranch Vineyard. The Pruning Contest is a longstanding tradition honoring and recognizing Napa’s world-class vineyard workforce; it is the ultimate showcase of talent, skill, and precision viticulture. Don’t miss this special community-building event that includes live broadcasting from KVON/MegaMix radio, lunch from El Muchacho Alegre, and resources from local Napa Valley community organizations.
Complimentary for Napa County farmworkers. This private event is for registered farmworkers only.
Contest Details
Registration closes on February 3, 2024.
During the main event, contestants prune five vines in the day’s preliminary competition.
Scoring is weighted for technique and quality, allowing contestants to demonstrate their dedication to high-quality grape growing.
Those with the highest scores advance to the final round, which produced four winners in the women’s division and four in the men’s division.
Winners take home cash, top-of-the-line vineyard tools, and many other prizes.
The top pruners of each division also receive the coveted Pruning Contest champion belt buckle, designed especially for the occasion by Max Lang Custom Buckles.
Scoring
Sponsorship
To support this time-honored contest, please contact Jill Durfee, Program Manager.
Testimonial
“The Napa County Pruning Contest continues to get better every year. Participants are passionate about improving their skills and competing against their peers. The Contest is an opportunity to demonstrate their dedication to high-quality Napa Valley grape growing.”
Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
Date
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time
7:00 AM - Transportation Pickup
Redwood Park & Ride, 3416 Solano Ave, Napa, California (Transportation provided by Beau Wine Tours)
7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Summary
Combining a world-class trade show with a broad spectrum of timely educational sessions, the Unified Symposium has a long and distinguished history of providing the California wine industry with the information needed to remain competitive. Napa County farmworkers are invited to a one-day Field Trip to attend the Spanish track seminars followed by a tour of the exhibit halls. The session will explore practical examples of the latest in regenerative agriculture, delve into dynamic marketing strategies to boost sales and growth, and unveil cutting-edge winemaking techniques that cater to emerging wine style trends, culminating in a curated tasting of Mexican Baja California wines.
Transportation and lunch will be provided.
Please note that all programs are in Spanish unless otherwise specified.
Admission is normally $55 per person but is complimentary for Napa County farmworkers who sign up through the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and are joining a private event for registered farmworkers only.
Agenda
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Innovative Synergy: Creativity and Technology for Wine Industry Excellence Presentation - in Spanish with comparative wine tasting
Moderator:
Eva Bertran, Eva Bertran Consulting, California
Speakers:
Óscar Gaona, Monte Xanic, Mexico
Matías Kúsulas, Gård Vintners, Washington
Cristina Lazcano, University of California, Davis
Lourdes “Lulú” Martinez Ojeda, Bruma, Mexico
Rodrigo Maturana, Bonterra Organic Estates, California
Cristina Medina Plaza, University of California, Davis
Manuel Negrete, Retired Footballer, Mexico
Gaspar Roby, Terlato Wine Group, California
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Lunch
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Tour
2:00 PM
Depart
Welding Boot Camp
Date
January 15 - January 17
Days
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Time
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Summary
Welding is an important skill in vineyard and winery operations and is used for various purposes. This 3-day introduction to welding class is taught by certified instructors at Napa Valley College, an American Welding Society (AWS) Educational Institution. The hands-on class was designed with a strong emphasis on safety and focused on common welding techniques, terminology, and cutting procedures.
The class is taught in English with the assistance of a Spanish-speaking translator.
Impact
After the class, students receive Certificates of Completion, which equip them with valuable skills to bolster their resumes. Post-class survey results showed that 90% of students stated they would use these new skills to gain more responsibility at work, and 85% thought they would have more opportunities for increased wages in the winegrape industry.
Past Student Testimonial
“After the Welding Bootcamp, I showed my supervisor how I could help in the shop, and now I have more responsibility and a pay raise at work. ”