By Doug Fabbioli
I have heard this statement a few times over my 45 years in the industry. Sometimes the comment comes from a 50-year-old who has spent their career behind a desk yearning for a job where they can see the physical progress of their efforts. My standard response, “Are you sure you want this? Keep it as a hobby and do not give up the day job.” However, if they keep coming back to me with questions and enthusiasm, I will help them get into this industry in a way that will make sense for them and their family.
I said I wanted to do that when I worked at Buena Vista Winery. I was in California sitting in on a consulting visit from Andre Tchellichef and he was coaching our winemaker on using new and old techniques to make a certain wine. He was the teacher of a generation of winemakers in Napa and Sonoma, and I was lucky enough to have a winemaker boss who learned from him. I guess in many ways I do what he did by helping others find quality and success in this industry. It has been a long and challenging road.
When I am doing a farm tour with grade school kids on my golf cart, most say they want to do what I do. But my answer is, “Garden, cook, study, build things, fix things and spend time outside. See me when you are in middle school!” These kids have opportunities through the 4-H program, scouting and school gardens to build the basics for careers in agriculture, land stewardship and the trades.
In 2008 I started a program called The New Ag School to introduce young folks to the skilled workers, leaders, artisans and mentors who work with our rural lands. By exposing these kids to many careers and people they do not see in school, we hope that some of these students say, “Hey, how can I learn to do what you do?” With agriculture, there are so many different skills needed, you could specialize in growing grapes but still know how to raise chickens and fix your tractor.
The New Ag School has partnered up with Loudoun County Public Schools and the Loudoun Education Foundation to offer the Think Outside program again this summer. This program includes equine, culinary arts, mechanics, horticulture, drone use, apiary, viticulture, mentoring, composting, general agriculture and so much more. July 27-31 is our next camp this summer. If you have a Loudoun teenage student that might be interested, check us out at Newagschool.org.
As these young folks find different career paths early, they will hopefully find better success and happiness. Remember, at some point we all need to hand off the ball so we can enjoy a bit more wine!
About the Author: Farmer, winemaker, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Doug Fabbioli has been accelerating the growth and quality of Virginia’s wine industry since 1997. With his wife Colleen, Doug is the owner/operator of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA. He is the founder and director of The New Ag School, which focuses on teaching the next generation of farmers and agriculture-related leaders. No wonder they call Doug Fabbioli the Godfather of DC’s Wine Country.