California’s Family Farms Are Disappearing, Meet the Farmer Fighting Back With Remarkable Determination

Walking the rows of Thomson Vineyards today, it is nearly impossible to imagine that just one year ago, every grape on this ranch — every single cluster — faced a fate no grower ever wants to consider.

In 2024, fourth-generation wine grower Jennifer Thomson watched as three hundred tons of grapes on her home ranch went unharvested. Not one ton had a buyer. Not one ton had a home.

It could have been the end of the story. Instead, Thomson decided it would be the beginning of a new one.

A Year of Unimaginable Loss

On a quiet hillside in Napa, Thomson still remembers standing among vines heavy with fruit — and feeling her stomach sink…

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