In early August, I had the pleasure taking a Wetlands walk with Becky Peterson, Member and Community Relations Director of the Napa Valley Vintners. For the second year in a row, the Vintners have agreed to be our Presenting Sponsor for An Evening at the Ruins. ACCPF is so grateful for their support!
Learn more about Becky and the Vintners here, and check out the scenery from our beautiful morning walk along the Napa River Bay Trail in our stunning American Canyon Wetlands.
What role do the Vintners play in our Community?
The agriculture industry is the largest employer in Napa County with over 46,000 people working in the farming industry. These farmers depend on land for their livelihood, and we believe that it should be treasured and preserved. We embrace the differences in each community and want to preserve those differences.
How do the Vintners support local Non-Profits?
The Vintners have donated over $170 million to Napa County non-profits since 1981. In American Canyon, we donated $2 million to the new Boys and Girls Club Community Clubhouse. We also granted $6 million to Ole Health’s new building in South Napa, a non-profit that provides a wide range of services for the community; from low cost medical services, to free monthly food giveaways, to helping people obtain health insurance.
We also help care for Napa County’s farmworkers. We advocated for legislation to support farmworker housing. The law passed earlier this year, and grape growers agreed to tax themselves to create a dedicated funding stream for housing. Today there are 3 farmworker housing facilities that 180 people call home. In the future we hope to expand our support of farmworker housing to include families and workforce housing in general.
In what ways do the Vintners support the outdoors and the environment?
The Vintners are setting the standard for environmental sustainability in Napa County through our Napa Green accreditation program. Napa Green is a comprehensive environmental certification program for vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley. The program represents a soil-to-bottle approach to environmental stewardship and winemaking, and is one of the most comprehensive environmental accreditations the wine industry offers. Our goal is for all members to be certified “Napa Green” by 2020.
Why did you choose to Sponsor An Evening at the Ruins?
We are proud to be a part of such a high quality event in American Canyon that supports parks and open space. American Canyon is still finding its identity and pride, and as the gateway to the entire Valley, it is important to support projects that beautify the city. ACCPF has set a high standard that I hope others try to emulate.
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
Hiking or river rafting! My husband Ed and I want to raft the Grand Canyon in the next few years. We also love Yosemite National Park, the Mendocino Coast, and have a time-share in Hawaii where we love to get out and hike. At last year’s Evening at the Ruins, we won the Italian Farmhouse trip. We are looking forward to exploring the countryside when we visit in October.
What would you like to tell future generations about parks and health?
I have noticed a societal dip in the importance of being outside, but there seems to be a resurgence of families getting outdoors. I see more families outside biking and hiking together. With great parks and trails, more and more people will get outdoors and use them. We are such a “go-go” society, it is important to get outside and slow down. Once you do, you feel so good. Being active is great for your physical and mental health.
We appreciate the Vintners so much for being an amazing supporter in American Canyon. Thank you again to Becky for giving us her time and her insight. We hope you will click here to learn more about the Vintners and what they are doing to serve our community: www.napavintners.com.