Nearly 1,700 Vineyard Employees Participate in the Largest Survey Ever Taken of Vineyard Workforce
SANTA ROSA, CA. (December 4, 2024) – The largest and most comprehensive survey ever taken of vineyard employees provides interesting insight into their career plans, job satisfaction, wages and more. The Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos, whose mission is to support local vineyard employees and their families, collaborated with Beacon Economics to develop a comprehensive set of more than 60 questions for vineyard employees in Sonoma County.
Among the findings, most vineyard employees expressed high job satisfaction driven by a positive work environment, higher-than-average wages, and unique opportunities for career growth. Add the fact that a significant portion of vineyard employees benefit from employer-provided housing (40%), and it is easy to understand why most respondents (81.88%) would recommend a job in agriculture as a career path to others. Given Sonoma County Winegrowers’ commitment to sustainable farming and its “Farm of the Future” initiative, local vineyard employees are also eager to continue their education and gain essential new skills as the region’s reputation as a living lab for innovation, technology, automation and mechanization continues to grow.
“We did this survey to better understand our vineyard workforce, their current roles, and their aspirations for the future. Vineyard employees in Sonoma County have a very savvy understanding of the future of agriculture in the region. Our partnerships and collaborations are resulting in improved efficiencies and new technologies which they witness in the vineyards on a regular basis, and they intend to be an important part of that future,” said Karissa Kruse, Executive Director of the Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos and President and CEO of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “That’s why more than 90% of the respondents want to gain new competencies, learn new skills and continue receiving job training. It is also why we are excited for our Foundation to continue to be a global leader in workforce development for our ag workforce.”
Sonoma County’s vineyard workforce is young, predominantly male, and overwhelmingly Mexican. Nearly half are married and many (50%) work alongside their family members working for the same employer. More than 25% of their partners also work in agriculture and 90% of the respondents have children.
Nearly half of the respondents (49%) have received employer-provided job training and 11% have participated in external training which is more than double the statewide average. There is strong interest in learning new skills and competencies like tractor driving, equipment operation, and sustainable farming which presents an excellent opportunity for employers to provide targeted training programs in the future.
“It is interesting that the great majority of the vineyard workforce in Sonoma County have nearly fifteen years of experience in agriculture with nearly nine of those years working in Sonoma County and about seven of those years with their current employer, giving the winegrowing community a very talented and experienced group of employees,” said Duff Bevill, Chair of the Fundación. He added, “We are blessed to have such a proficient workforce who enjoy working and living in Sonoma County.”
Most employees live locally, over 80% reside within Sonoma County, with a substantial share based in Santa Rosa. As previously stated, approximately 40% of the survey respondents receive housing in Sonoma County that is free, subsidized or provided by their employer. This is well above the U.S. Department of Labor’s estimate of only 9% of California farmworkers benefiting from employer-provided housing. In addition, three-fourths of full-time vineyard employees are enrolled in employer-provided healthcare plans.
“There is a unique relationship between Sonoma County vineyard employees and their employer that has been founded on trust which is reflected in the survey findings,” said Kruse. She added, “It is very common to visit various farms and meet a number of employees who have worked for the same employer for ten, twenty or even thirty years. In fact, more than half of the respondents have a family member working with them for the same employer.”
Grape vineyard employment as a percentage of total employment in Sonoma County has increased from around 2.5% in the 1990s to more than 3% in the 2020s which indicates the continued presence of the wine industry’s influence on the region.
Sonoma County’s vineyard employees are better paid than many of their counterparts in California. Not including H-2A visa holders, the majority of Sonoma County’s vineyard employees earn between $18 and $20 an hour which is well above California’s minimum wage. More than 70% of the respondents receive an average of $19 an hour. More than 14% receive $22 per hour, 8% receive $24 per hour and 2% of the respondents receive a salary. Sonoma County vineyard employees typically earn more than $13,000 per quarter which is 1.4 times more than Californians with similar education levels. More than 94% of the respondents reported that their winegrowing job was their only job.
In addition, 83% of the respondents own a smart phone; nearly half of the respondents have Wi-Fi at their home; and driving personal cars is the most common means of commuting.
This all adds up to Sonoma’s vineyard workforce having high job satisfaction
“We are very proud to have worked with the Fundación on this comprehensive survey. Sonoma County’s vineyard workforce has been integral to the wine community’s success, and they are poised to continue to grow and evolve with the industry ” said Christopher Thornberg, PhD and Founding Partner of Beacon Economics. He added, “The results of this survey should be viewed as a roadmap for all ag employers to establish and maintain a supportive environment which will enable their employees to grow and thrive.”
The survey was conducted in the summer of 2024 and 1,668 responses were received from vineyard employees from small, medium, and large operations. The responses were digitized, and Beacon Economics analyzed both aggregated and individual data to prepare this report. The survey aimed to gather insights on worker demographics, job characteristics, wages and income, housing and transportation, and interest in further education and job training. Wherever possible, the survey questions were aligned with those used by the US Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS).
To review, download the links below:
Executive Summary: https://indd.adobe.com/view/48acc03b-f25e-44ae-a70f-dd754cef689b
Full Report: https://indd.adobe.com/view/ffd16e89-b339-470f-b364-459c9b58216a
About the Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de Los Viñedos:
Originally called the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation (SCGGF), Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de Los Viñedos was first established in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) organization to help fund educational workshops in Spanish for agricultural employees. Relaunched in January of 2016, the Fundación is focused on improving the lives of Sonoma County’s agricultural employees and their families, while ensuring Sonoma County remains a place where agricultural workers will continue to live, work, and thrive. Our mission is simple – support local vineyard employees and their families. Since its relaunch in 2016, the Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de Los Viñedos has continuously proven it has a unique model of outreach and support, recognizing and relying on the trusted relationship that farmers have with their employees. The Fundación has five strategic priorities: leadership; empowerment and recognition; workforce development; resiliency; and resources. The two flagship programs are the Vineyard Employee Recognition Program and the Leadership Academy. In 2022, the first class of the Leadership Academy met to brainstorm names for the Foundation which would best represent them and the work they do. They selected Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de Los Viñedos (The Voice of the Vineyards). The Fundación is managed by the Sonoma County Winegrowers with a 16-member board of directors comprised of agricultural leaders, vineyard and winery owners, and Sonoma County community leaders.
About Beacon Economics:
Founded in 2006, Beacon Economics, an LLC and certified Small Business Enterprise with the state of California, is an independent research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering accurate, insightful, and objectively based economic analysis. Employing unique proprietary models, vast databases, and sophisticated data processing, the company’s specialized practice areas include sustainable growth and development, real estate market analysis, economic forecasting, industry analysis, economic policy analysis, and economic impact studies. Beacon Economics equips its clients with the data and analysis they need to understand the significance of on-the-ground realities and to make informed business and policy decisions.
