BAKERSFIELD, CA - Like the roots, vines, and clusters that make for delicious California table grapes, those that provide them are deeply intertwined with their community. It is no wonder that investing in this beautifully interwoven system has powerful and lasting effects—and one in particular maps the generations those effects are spanning.
“Investment is a core concept of the California table grape industry. While California table grape growers invest in the future by constantly seeking more efficient ways to provide a beautiful, healthy product to consumers, they also look for ways to invest in the lives of farm workers, their families, and the rural communities in which they all live,” Kathleen Nave, President of the California Table Grape Commission, recently shared. “One way growers hope to invest in workers' lives is through the Field Worker Scholarship.”
This investment is a domino effect, meaning that those who invest in California table grapes also take part in these actions which propel the future of so many, and then our industry.
“Willingness to invest is often inspired by an innovative, novel idea, and when the scholarship program was established in 1985, it was novel—it was the first program of its kind in the country,” Kathleen tells me.
The program is designed to help field workers’ children access higher education, having grown as the needs of the community have changed since its launch 40 years ago. Today, these grower scholarships include the four-year Field Worker Scholarships, a two-year $14,500 Field Worker Bridge Scholarship for students beginning their higher education journeys at community college, and a four-year $25,000 Agriculture Scholarship for students interested in pursuing a career in the table grape industry. In 2024, seven scholarships were awarded.
“Choosing Grapes from California is an investment in the betterment of the lives of the California table grape community,” Kathleen concludes, proving that the simplicity of a move does not indicate its power.
To date, more than 200 students from small towns like Arvin, Delano, and McFarland, California, have done just that. Over the next few weeks, we want to share the stories of a few of them—we look forward to helping highlight the impact such investments have on the industry and beyond.
