Mc Minnville, Oregon, United States
Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn
This is my fifth career and I work twice as many hours as I ever did, twice as hard as I ever did, and I am enjoying my life twice as much as I ever did!
Youngberg Hill's focus (and my passion!) is to make authentic wines true to the place the grapes are grown. We’ve been in business since 2003 and our vineyard in Oregon has five full-time employees in one location. Our company generates more than one million dollars in sales each year.
I don’t think about going to work each day. I just get up and start living.
Here’s a bit of what we’ll cover in our PivotPlanet sessions:
· Learn how to gain an understanding of farming profitably
· Review how to farm responsibly
· Determine whether to farm yourself or contract the work
· Understand governmental regulation
· Sell fruit versus make wine – what do you want to do?
· Gain insights into fruit sales
· Learn about distribution
· Determine how to set pricing
While visiting France, I became enamored with their approach to the wine industry. They see themselves as farmers first. As a farm boy from Iowa, that resonated with me. We farm in a holistic (biodynamic) way that sustains the farm, the soil and the vines for decades in the future.
It is simple, basic, down to earth real work that comes as close as anything to getting out of it what you put into it.
As a small business owner, I wear many hats. I am the owner, grape grower, winemaker, farmer, innkeeper, sales and marketer, etc.
I’ve worked a variety of jobs from engineering to sales and marketing and consulting. I have an MBA and an engineering degree. What I let go of was traveling the world to spend time at home with my family.
I love what I do and look forward to sharing it with you.