What We're Reading --

Grapes, berries and robots: is Silicon Valley coming for farm workers jobs?

The global ag-tech revolution has sped up in recent years, spurring a debate on how it will affect the workforce.  (The Guardian)

Illegal immigrants help fuel U.S. farms. Does affordable produce depend on them?

If we lose the workers who are here illegally, it’s hard to see how they’ll be replaced, because Americans are reluctant to take these jobs, particularly the ones harvesting crops. There’s a lot of evidence for this, both anecdotal and statistical, including a particularly compelling case study done in North Carolina in 2011. That year, 489,000 people were unemployed statewide. The North Carolina Growers Association listed 6,500 available jobs. Just 268 of those 489,000 North Carolinians applied, and 245 were hired. On the first day of work, 163 showed up, and a grand total of seven finished the season. Of the mostly Mexican workers who took the rest of the jobs, 90 percent made it through to the end. (The Washington Post, 2017)

Why Ste Michelle bought A to Z and Rex Hill, how it happened, and what it means for Northwest wine (plus what’s up with the Woodinville property)

“Like everyone else, we're looking for growth and saying, ‘Where is the growth likely to come from?’”  For many in the wine business lately, the answer has been from Oregon.  (Sean P. Sullivan - Washington Wine Report)

Pigs used to clear between vine rows and soil ridges

“Depending on the pruning system, use of the pigs can keep grass cover down between the rows, even when the canopy is growing, unlike sheep” (Vitisphere)

$25 million deal: Historic Napa Valley resort is bought; guest homes, winery are possibilities

Restoration Hardware retailer gains ownership of huge site near Napa. (Silicon Valley.com)