The Winery Garden That Feeds Migrant Vineyard Workers

Photo caption: Jose Carmelo Leon, known as Carmelo by his colleagues, oversees the garden and irrigation at Somerston Estate in St. Helena, California. Photo courtesy of Somerston Estate. Article by Shelby Vittek. Modern Farmer – September 05, 2022.

At Somerston Estate in Napa Valley, a half-acre plot is devoted to growing fruits and vegetables for its immigrant farmworkers.

Tucked away in the eastern Vaca Mountains of Napa Valley is an historic 1,682-acre property where grapes for some of Napa’s most esteemed wineries are grown. The estate’s 230 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards are undoubtedly important to the region’s wine industry, especially for the Somerston Estate and Priest Ranch wines that are produced on site. But Napa would be at an even greater loss without the skilled migrant workers that tend and care for its vineyards—something that never goes forgotten by the team at Somerston Estate. […]

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