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Madeline's life pursuit is the discovery of how the human body moves. Over 30 years in the field of movement, her curiosity explored all aspects of movement in dance, Pilates, yoga, Gyrotonic®, fitness training and from studies of human biomechanics, human cadaver dissection labs, osteopathic and manual therapies. Madeline is the author of “Centered: Organizing the body through movement theory, kinesiology and Pilates techniques” published by Handspring Publishing. Madeline developed the Madeline Black Method™, a method teaching movement teachers to use assessment skills, movement sequences and manual techniques to help people achieve their fullest movement potential. Her extensive study and widely respected accomplishments in the field of movement and fitness have fueled her rise as an international leader in movement and exercise education. What sets Madeline apart is her intuitive integrity, articulate awareness of the physical body and decades of expertise.Madeline has filmed many workshops and movement classes for Pilates Anytime and Fusion Pilates EDU Online. She has a private practice in Sonoma, CA USA.
Allen, Joel, Rosemary, and Yolanda break down the TPI Composites bankruptcy fallout. Vestas is acquiring TPI’s Mexico and India operations while a UAE company picks up the Turkish factories. That leaves GE in a tough spot with no clear path to blade manufacturing. Plus the crew discusses blade scarcity, FSA availability floors, and whether a new blade manufacturer could emerge. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Allen Hall: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I’m your host, Allen Hall. I’ve got Yolanda Padron and Joel Saxum in Texas. And Rosemary Barnes is back from her long Vacation in Australia and TPI. Composites is big in the news this week, everybody, because they’re in bankruptcy hearings and they are selling off parts of the business. Vestas is, at least according to News Reports positioned to acquire. A couple of the LLCs down in Mexico. So there’s uh, two of them, TPI in Mexico, five LLC, and TPI in Mexico, six LLC. There are other LLCs, of course involved with this down in Mexico. So they’re buying, not sure exactly what the assets are, but probably a couple of the factories in which their blades were being manufactured in. Uh, this. Is occurring because Vestas stepped in. They were trying to have an auction and Vestas stepped forward and just ended up buying these two LLCs. [00:01:00] Other things that are happening here, Joel, is that, uh, TPI evidently sold their Turkish division. Do you recall to who they sold? That, uh, part of the Joel Saxum: business too, two companies involved in that, that were TPI Turkey, uh, and that was bought by a company called XCS composites. Uh, and they are out of the United Arab Emirates, so I believe they’re either going to be Abu Dhabi or Dubai based. Uh, but they took over the tube wind blade manufacturing plants in Isme, uh, also a field service and inspection repair business. And around 2,700 employees, uh, from the Turkish operation. So that happened just, just after, I mean, it was a couple weeks after the bankruptcy claim, uh, went through here in August, uh, in the States. So it went August bankruptcy for TPI, September, all the Turkish operations were bought and now we’ve got Vestas swooping in and uh, taking a bunch of the Mexican operations. Allen Hall: Right. And [00:02:00] Vestas is also taking TPI composites India. Which is a part of the business that is not in bankruptcy, uh, that’s a, a separate business, a separate, basically LLC incorporation Over in India, the Vestus is going to acquire, so they’re gonna acquire three separate things in this transaction. The question everybody’s asking today after seeing this Vestus move is, what is GE doing? Because, uh, GE Renova has a lot of blades manufactured by TPI down in Mexico. No word on that. And you would think if, if TPI is auctioning off assets that GE renova would be at the front of the line, but that’s not what we’re hearing on the ground. Joel Saxum: Yeah, I mean it’s, the interesting part of this thing is for Vestas, TPI was about 35% of their blade capacity for manufacturing in 2024. If their 30, if, if Vestas was 35%, then GE had to be 50%. There [00:03:00] demand 60. So Vesta is making a really smart move here by basically saying, uh, we’ve gotta lock down our supply chain for blades. We gotta do something. So we need to do this. GE is gonna be the odd man out because, I mean, I think it would be a, a cold day in Denmark if Vestas was gonna manufacture blades for ge. Allen Hall: Will the sale price that Vest has paid for this asset show up in the bankruptcy? Hearings or disclosures? I think that it would, I haven’t seen it yet, but eventually it’ll, it must show up, right? All, all the bankruptcy hearings and transactions are, they have an overseer essentially, what happens to, so TPI can’t purchase or sell anything without an, um, getting approved by the courts, so that’ll eventually be disclosed. Uh, the Turkish sale will be, I would assume, would be disclosed. Also really curious to see what the asset value. Was for those factories. Joel Saxum: So the Turkish sale is actually public knowledge right now, and [00:04:00] that is, lemme get the number here to make sure I get it right. 92.9 million Euros. Uh, but of, of course TPI laden with a bunch of non-convertible and convertible debt. So a ton of that money went right down to debt. Uh, but to be able to purchase that. They had to assu, uh, XCS composites in Turkey, had to assume debt as is, uh, under the bankruptcy kind of proceedings. So I would assume that Vestas is gonna have to do the same thing, is assume the debt as is to take these assets over and, uh, and assets. We don’t know what it is yet. We don’t know if it’s employees, if it’s operations, if it’s ip, if it’s just factories. We don’t know what’s all involved in it. Um, but like you said, because. TPI being a publicly traded company in the United States, they have to file all this stuff with SEC. Allen Hall: Well, they’ll, they’re be delisted off of. Was it, they were Joel Saxum: in Nasdaq? Is that where they were listed? The India stuff that could be private. You may ne we may not ever hear about what happened. Valuation there. Allen Hall: Okay, so what is the, the [00:05:00] future then for wind blade production? ’cause TPI was doing a substantial part of it for the world. I mean, outside of China, it’s TPI. And LM a little bit, right? LM didn’t have the capacity, I don’t think TPI that TPI does or did. It puts Joel Saxum: specifically GE in a tight spot, right? Because GEs, most of their blades were if it was built to spec or built to print. Built to spec was designed, uh, by LM and built by lm. But now LM as we have seen in the past months year, has basically relinquished themselves of all of their good engineering, uh, and ability to iterate going forward. So that’s kind of like dwindling to an end. TPI also a big side of who makes blades for ge if Vestas is gonna own the majority of their capacity, Vestas isn’t gonna make blades for ge. So GEs going to be looking at what can we, what can we still build with lm? And then you have the kind of the, the odd ducks there. You have the Aris, [00:06:00] you have the MFG, um, I mean Sonoma is out there. This XCS factory is there still in Turkey. Um, you may see some new players pop up. Uh, I don’t know. Um, we’ll see. I mean, uh, Rosemary, what’s, what’s your take? Uh, you guys are starting to really ramp up down in Australia right now and are gonna be in the need of blades in general with this kind of shakeup. Rosemary Barnes: What do we say? My main concern is. Around the service of the blades that we’ve already got. Um, and when I talk to people that I know at LM or XLM, my understanding is that those parts of the organization are still mostly intact. So I actually don’t expect any big changes there. Not to say that the status quo. Good enough. It’s not like, like every single OEM whose, um, FSAs that I work with, uh, support is never good enough. But, um, [00:07:00] it shouldn’t get any worse anyway. And then for upcoming projects, yeah, I, I don’t know. I mean, I guess it’s gonna be on a case by case basis. Uh, I mean, it always was when you got a new, a new project, you need a whole bunch of blades. It was always a matter of figuring out which factory they were going to come from and if they had capacity. It’ll be the same. It’s just that then instead of, you know, half a dozen factories to choose from, there’s like, what, like one or two. So, um, yeah, I, that’s, that’s my expectation of what’s gonna happen. I presumably ge aren’t selling turbines that they have no capability to make blades for. Um, so I, I guess they’re just gonna have a lot less sales. That’s the only real way I can make it work. Allen Hall: GE has never run a Blade factory by themselves. They’ve always had LM or somebody do it, uh, down in Brazil or TPI in Mexico or wherever. Uh, are we thinking that GE Renova is not gonna run a Blade Factory? Is that the thought, or, or is [00:08:00] that’s not in the cards either. Rosemary Barnes: I don’t think it’s that easy to just, just start running a Blade Factory. I mean, I know that GE had blade design capabilities. I used to design the blades that TPI would make. So, um, that part of it. Sure. Um, they can, they can still do that, but it’s not, yeah, it’s, it’s not like you just buy a Blade factory and like press start on the factory and then the, you know, production line just starts off and blades come out the other end. Like there is a lot of a, a lot of knowhow needed if that was something that they wanted to do. That should have been what they started doing from day one after they bought lm. You know, that was the opportunity that they had to become, you know, a Blade factory owner. They could have started to, you know, make, um, have GE. Take up full ownership of the, the blade factories and how that all worked. But instead, they kept on operating like pretty autonomously without that many [00:09:00] changes at the factory level. Like if they were to now say, oh, you know, hey, it’s, uh, we really want to. Have our own blade factories and make blades. It’s just like, what the hell were you doing for the last, was it like seven years or something? Like you, you could easily have done what? And now you haven’t made it as hard for yourselves as possible. So like I’m not ruling out that that’s what they’re gonna try and do, because like I said, I don’t think it’s been like executed well, but. My God, it’s like even stupid of the whole situation. If that’s where we end up with them now scrambling to build from scratch blade, um, manufacturing capability because there’s Yolanda Padron: already a blade scarcity, right? Like at least in the us I don’t know if you guys are seeing it in, in Australia as well, but there’s a blade scarcity for these GE blades, right? So you’re, they kind of put themselves in an even more tough spot by just now. You, you don’t have access to a lot of these TPI factories written in theory. From what we’re seeing. You mean to get like replacement blades? Yeah. So like for, for issues? Yeah. New [00:10:00] construction issues under FSA, that, Rosemary Barnes: yeah. I mean, we’ve always waited a, a long time for new blades. Like it’s never great. If you need a new blade, you’re always gonna be waiting six months, maybe 12 months. So that’s always been the case, but now we are seeing delays of that. Maybe, maybe sometimes longer, but also it’s like, oh well. We can’t replace, like, for like, you’re gonna be getting a, a different kind of blade. Um, that will work. Um, but you know, so that is fine, except for that, that means you can’t do a single blade replacement anymore. Now, what should have been a single blade replacement might be a full set replacement. And so it does start to really, um, yeah. Mess things up and like, yeah, it’s covered by the FSA, like that’s on them to buy the three blades instead of one, but. It does matter because, you know, if they’re losing money on, um, managing your wind farm, then it, it is gonna lead to worse outcomes for you because, you know, they’re gonna have to skimp and scrape where they [00:11:00] can to, you know, like, um, minimize their losses. So I, I don’t think it’s, it’s, it’s Yolanda Padron: not great. Yeah. And if you’re running a wind farm, you have other stakeholders too, right? It’s not like you’re running it just for yourself. So having all that downtime from towers down for a year. Because you can’t get blades on your site. Like it’s just really not great. Rosemary Barnes: Yeah, and I mean, there’s flaws on there. Like they’ve got an availability guarantee. Then, you know, below that they do have to, um, pay for that, those losses. But there’s a flaw on that. So once you know, you, you blast through the floor of your availability, then you know, that is on the owner. Now it’s not on the, um, service provider. So it’s definitely. Something that, yeah, there’s lots of things where you might think, oh, I don’t have to worry about my blades ’cause I’ve got an F, SA, but you know, that’s just one example where, okay, you will, you will start worrying if they, they yeah. Fall through the floor of their availability guarantee. Joel Saxum: Two questions that pop up in my mind from this one, the first one, the first one is [00:12:00] directly from Alan. You and I did a webinar, we do so many of ’em yesterday, and it was about, it was in the nor in North America, ferc, so. They have new icing readiness, uh, reporting you, so, so basically like if you’re on the, if you’re connected to the grid, you’re a wind farm or solar farm and you have an icing event, you need to explain to them why you had an outage, um, and why, what you’re doing about it. Or if you’re not doing something about it, you have to justify it. You have to do all these things to say. Hey, some electrons weren’t flowing into the grid. There’s certain levels. It’s much more complicated than this, but electrons weren’t flowing into the grid because of an issue. We now have to report to FERC about this. So is there a stage when a FERC or uh, some other regulatory agency starts stepping into the wind industry saying like, someone’s gotta secure a supply chain here. ’cause they’re already looking at things when electrons are on the grid. Someone’s got a secure supply chain here so we can ensure that [00:13:00]these electrons are gonna get on the grid. Could, can something like that happen or was, I mean, I mean, of course that’s, to me, in my opinion, that’s a lot of governmental overreach, but could we see that start to come down the line like, Hey, we see from an agency’s perspective, we see some problems here. What are you doing to shore this up? Allen Hall: Oh, totally. Right. I, I think the industry in general has an issue. This is not an OEM specific problem. At the minute, if this is a industry-wide problem, there seems to be more dispersed. Manufacturers are gonna be popping up. And when we were in Scotland, uh, we learned a lot more about that. Right, Joel? So the industry has more diversification. I, I, here’s, here’s my concern at the minute, so. For all these blade manufacturers that we would otherwise know off the top of our heads. Right. Uh, lm, TPI, uh, Aris down in Brazil. The Vestus manufacturing facilities, the Siemens manufacturing [00:14:00] facilities. Right. You, you’re, you’re in this place where. You know, everybody’s kind of connected up the chain, uh, to a large OEM and all this made sense. You know, who was rebuilding your blades next year and the year down, two years down the road. Today you don’t, so you don’t know who owns that company. You don’t know how the manager’s gonna respond. Are you negotiating with a company that you can trust’s? Gonna be there in two or three years because you may have to wait that long to get blades delivered. I don’t know. I think that it, it put a lot of investment, uh, companies in a real quandary of whether they wanna proceed or not based upon the, what they is, what they would perceive to be the stability of these blade companies. That’s what I would think. I, I, Vestas is probably the best suited at the minute, besides Siemens. You know, Vestas is probably best suited to have the most perceived reliability capability. Control, Joel Saxum: but they have their own [00:15:00] blade factories already, right? So if they buy the TPI ones, they’re just kind of like they can do some copy pasting to get the the things in place. And to be honest with you, Vesta right now makes the best blades out there, in my opinion, least amount of serial defects. Remove one, remove one big issue from the last couple Allen Hall: years. But I think all the OEMs have problems. It’s a question of how widely known those problems are. I, I don’t think it’s that. I think the, the, the. When you talk to operators and, and they do a lot of shopping on wind turbines, what they’ll tell you generally is vestus is about somewhere around 20% higher in terms of cost to purchase a turbine from them. And Vestus is gonna put on a, a full service agreement of some sort that’s gonna run roughly 30 years. So there’s a lot of overhead that comes with buying a, a Vestas turbine. Yes. You, you get the quality. Yes. You get the name. Yes, you get the full service agreement, which you may or [00:16:00] may not really want over time. Uh, that’s a huge decision. But as pieces are being removed from the board of what you can possibly do, there’s it, it’s getting narrow or narrow by the minute. So it, it’s either a vestus in, in today’s world, like right today, I think we should talk about this, but it’s either Vestus or Nordic. Those are the two that are being decided upon. Mostly by a lot of the operators today. Joel Saxum: That’s true. We’re, and we just saw Nordex, just inked a one gigawatt deal with Alliant Energy, uh, just last week. And that’s new because Alliant has traditionally been a GE buyer. Right. They have five or six ge, two X wind farms in the, in the middle of the United States, and now they’ve secured a deal with Nordex for a gigawatt. Same thing we saw up at Hydro Quebec. Right. Vestas and Nordex are the only ones that qualify for that big, and that’s supposed to be like a 10 gigawatt tender over time. Right. But the, so it brings me to my, I guess my other question, I was thinking about this be [00:17:00] after the FERC thing was, does do, will we see a new blade manufacturer Allen Hall: pop Joel Saxum: up? Allen Hall: No, I don’t think you see a new one. I think you see an acquisition, uh, a transfer of assets to somebody else to run it, but that is really insecure. I, I always think when you’re buying distressed assets and you think you’re gonna run it better than the next guy that. Is rare in industry to do that. Think about the times you’ve seen that happen and it doesn’t work out probably more than 75% of the time. It doesn’t work out. It lasts a year or two or three, and they had the same problems they had when the original company was there. You got the same people inside the same building, building the same product, what do you think is magically gonna change? Right? You have this culture problem or a a already established culture, you’re not likely to change that unless you’re willing to fire, you know, a third of the staff to, to make changes. I don’t see anybody here doing that at the minute because. Finding wind blade technicians, manufacturing people is [00:18:00] extremely hard to do, to find people that are qualified. So you don’t wanna lose them. Joel Saxum: So this is why I say, this is why I pose the question, because in my mind, in in recent wind history, the perfect storm for a new blade manufacturer is happening right now. And the, and the why I say this is there is good engineers on the streets available. Now washing them of their old bad habits and the cultures and those things, that’s a monumental task. That’s not possible. Allen Hall: Rosemary worked at a large blade manufacturer and it has a culture to it. That culture really didn’t change even after they were acquired by a large OEM. The culture basically Rosemary Barnes: remained, they bizarrely didn’t try and change that culture, like they didn’t try to make it a GE company so that it wasn’t dur, it was wasn’t durable. You know, they, they could have. Used that as a shortcut to gaining, um, blade manufacturing capabilities and they didn’t. And that was a, I think it was a choice. I don’t think it’s an inevitability. It’s never easy to go in and change a, a culture, [00:19:00] but it is possible to at least, you know, get parts of it. Um, the, the knowledge should, you should be able to transfer and then get rid of the old culture once you’ve done that, you know, like, uh. Yeah, like you, you bring it in and suck out all the good stuff and spit out the rest. They didn’t do that. Joel Saxum: The opportunity here is, is that you’ve got a, you’ve got people, there’s gonna be a shortage of blade capacity, right? So if you are, if you are going to start up a blade manufacturing facility, you, if you’re clever enough, you may be able to get the backlog of a bunch of orders to get running without having to try to figure it out as you go. Yolanda Padron: I feel like I’d almost make the case that like the blade repair versus replace gap or the business cases is getting larger and larger now, right? So I feel like there’s more of a market for like some sort of holistic maintenance team to come in and say, Hey, I know this OEM hasn’t been taking care of your blades really well, but here are these retrofits that have proven to be [00:20:00]to work on your blades and solve these issues and we’ll get you up and running. Rosemary Barnes: We are seeing more and more of of that. The thing that makes it hard for that to be a really great solution is that they don’t have the information that they need. They have to reverse engineer everything, and that is. Very challenging because like you can reverse engineer what a blade is, but it doesn’t mean that, you know, um, exactly like, because a, the blade that you end up with is not an optimized blade in every location, right? There’s some parts that are overbuilt and um, sometimes some parts that are underbuilt, which gives you, um, you know, serial issues. But, so reverse engineering isn’t necessarily gonna make it safe, and so that does mean that yeah, like anyone coming in with a really big, significant repair that doesn’t go through the OEM, it’s a, it’s a risk. It, it’s always a risk that they have, you know, like there’s certain repairs where you can reverse engineer enough to know that you’re safe. But any really big [00:21:00] one, um, or anything that involves multiple components, um, is. Is a bit of a gamble if it doesn’t go through the OEM. Joel Saxum: No, but so between, I guess between the comments there, Yolanda and Rosemary, are we then entering the the golden age of opportunity for in independent engineering experts? Rosemary Barnes: I believe so. I’m staking, staking my whole business on it. Allen Hall: I think you have to be careful here, everybody, because the problem is gonna be Chinese blade manufacturers. If you wanna try to establish yourself as a blade manufacturer and you’re taking an existing factory, say, say you bought a TPI factory in Turkey or somewhere, and you thought, okay, I, I know how to do this better than everybody else. That could be totally true. However, the OEMs are not committed to buying blades from you and your competition isn’t the Blade Factory in Denmark or in Colorado or North Dakota, or in Mexico or Canada, Spain, wherever your competition is when, [00:22:00] uh, the OEM says, I can buy these blades for 20 to 30% less money in China, and that’s what you’re gonna be held as, as a standard. That is what’s gonna kill most of these things with a 25% tariff on top. Right? Exactly. But still they’re still bringing Joel Saxum: blades in. That’s why I’m saying a local blade manufacturer, Rosemary Barnes: I think it’s less the case. That everyone thinks about China, although maybe a little bit unconventional opinion a about China, they certainly can manufacture blades with, uh, as good a quality as anyone. I mean, obviously all of the, um, Danish, uh, American manufacturers have factories in China that are putting out excellent quality blades. So I’m not trying to say that they dunno how to make a good blade, but with their. New designs, you know, and the really cheap ones. There’s a couple of, um, there’s a couple of reasons for that that mean that I don’t think that it just slots really well into just replacing all of the rest of the world’s, um, wind turbines. The first is that there are a lot of [00:23:00] subsidies in China. Surely there can only continue so long as their economy is strong. You know, like if their economy slows down, like to what extent are they gonna be able to continue to, um, continue with these subsidies? I would be a little bit nervous about buying an asset that I needed support for the next 30 years from a company like. That ecosystem. Then the other thing is that, um, that development, they move really fast because they take some shortcuts. There’s no judgment there. In fact, from a develop product development point of view, that is absolutely the best way to move really fast and get to a really good product fast. It will be pervasive all the way through every aspect of it. Um, non-Chinese companies are just working to a different standard, which slows them down. But also means that along the way, like I would be much happier with a half developed, um, product from a non-Chinese manufacturer than a half developed product from a Chinese manufacturer. The end point, like if China can keep on going long enough with this, [00:24:00] you know, like just really move fast, make bold decisions, learn everything you can. If they can continue with that long enough to get to a mature product, then absolutely they will just smash the rest of the world to pieces. So for me, it’s a matter of, um, does their economy stay strong enough to support that level of, uh, competition? Allen Hall: Well, no, that’s a really good take. It’s an engineering take, and I think the decision is made in the procurement offices of the OEMs and when they start looking at the numbers and trying to determine profitability. That extra 20% savings they can get on blades made in China comes into play quite often. This is why they’re having such a large discussion about Chinese manufacturers coming into the eu. More broadly is the the Vestas and the Siemens CAAs and even the GE Re Novas. No, it’s big time trouble because the cost structure is lower. It just is, and I. [00:25:00] As much as I would love to see Vestas and Siemens and GE Renova compete on a global stage, they can’t at the moment. That’s evident. I don’t think it’s a great time to be opening any new Blade Factory. If you’re not an already established company, it’s gonna be extremely difficult. Wind Energy O and M Australia is back February 17th and 18th at Melbourne’s Pullman on the park. Which is a great hotel. We built this year’s agenda directly from the conversations we’ve had in 2025 and tackling serial defects, insurance pressures, blade repairs, and the operational challenges that keeps everybody up at night around the world. So we have two days of technical sessions, interactive roundtables and networking that actually moves the industry for. Forward. And if you’re interested in attending this, you need to go to WMA 2020 six.com. It’s WOMA 2020 six.com. Rosemary, a lot of, uh, great events gonna happen at. W 2026. Why don’t [00:26:00] you give us a little highlight. Parlet iss gonna be there. Rosemary Barnes: Parlow is gonna be there. I mean, a highlight for me is always getting together with the, the group. And also, I mean, I just really love the size of the event that uh, every single person who’s there is interested in the same types of things that you are interested in. So the highlight for me is, uh, the conversations that I don’t know that I’m gonna have yet. So looking forward to that. But we are also. Making sure that we’ve got a really great program. We’ve got a good mix of Australian speakers and a few people bringing international experience as well. There’s also a few side events that are being organized, like there’s an operators only forum, which unfortunately none of us will be able to enter because we’re not operators, but that is gonna be really great for. For all of them to be able to get together and talk about issues that they have with no, nobody else in the room. So if, if you are an operator and you’re not aware of that, then get in touch and we’ll pass on your details to make sure you can join. Um, yeah, and people just, you know, [00:27:00] taking the opportunities to catch up with clients, you know, for paddle load. Most or all of our clients are, are gonna be there. So it is nice to get off Zoom and um, yeah, actually sit face to face and discuss things in person. So definitely encourage everyone to try and arrange those sorts of things while they’re there. Joel Saxum: You know, one of the things I think is really important about this event is that, uh, we’re, we’re continuing the conversation from last year, but a piece of feedback last year was. Fantastic job with the conversation and helping people with o and m issues and giving us things we can take back and actually integrate into our operations right away. But then a week or two or three weeks after the event, we had those things, but the conversation stopped. So this year we’re putting some things in place. One of ’em being like Rosemary was talking about the private operator forum. Where there’s a couple of operators that have actually taken the reins with this thing and they wanna put this, they wanna make this group a thing where they’re want to have quarterly meetings and they want to continue this conversation and knowledge share and boost that whole Australian market in the wind [00:28:00]side up right? Rising waters floats all boats, and we’re gonna really take that to the next level this year at Allen Hall: WMA down in Melbourne. That’s why I need a register now at Wilma 2020 six.com because the industry needs solutions. Speeches. That wraps up another episode of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate all the feedback and support we received from the wind industry. If today’s discussion sparked any questions or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Just reach out to us on LinkedIn and please don’t forget to subscribe so you’d never miss an episode. For Joel Rosemary and Yolanda, I’m Allen Hall. We’ll catch you next week on the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast.
With seven show left before Mark Garrow turns out the lights he turns back the pages of time to 2005 and a get together at Indy with Jeff Gordon and comedian Jay Leno. Then he throws back to 1995 when the late Dale Earnhardt joked about his tactics in his one and only Sonoma win.
Text the ShowThis wonderful topographic feature blesses northern Marin and southern Sonoma counties with cool foggy mornings and refreshing winds. Invest 10 minutes in the reasons the Petaluma Gap matters to the world of wine.ExploreMacRostie Nightwing Vineyard
Does spirituality have a role in winemaking? Where else to have this conversation than in Burgundy, the region that claims 1,000 years of a wine history that began with monks. We sat down with Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée Conti, who is not just acknowledged as one of the greatest winemakers of all time, but also one of the most spiritual. We were joined by Ted Lemon, owner of Littorai in Sonoma, a deep thinker, who articulated his vision for winemaking. The conversation ranged across what spirituality means in the context of fine wine today, but also how it influenced the historic growth and development of wine. It was the most unconventional discussion that Areni Global has ever hosted, but also one of the most meaningful. For more articles, reports and insights on the future of fine wine, visit www.areni.global and subscribe to our newsletter.
Today on The Profitable Photographer, I'm hanging out with Jason Guy, and super successful boudoir photographer based in Sonoma, California.He has spent the last ten years photographing women in a way that's honest, empowering, and beautifully lit. He says his job is showing clients what they look like from their best angles—but what I loved is hearing how his clients ended up changing him. From health to aging, they taught him to see bodies (including his own) with a lot more respect and curiosity.This was one of those easy, meaningful conversations—the kind where you're talking shop, but you're also talking about life.In this episode, we talk about:How he found his way into photography and why boudoir became both his creative playground and a smart business moveWhat years of photographing women taught him about confidence, bodies, health, and aging (spoiler: it's not about perfection)Why boudoir is the ultimate training ground for posing, lighting, and sculpting the body in flattering, human waysHow he helps clients relax fast and feel comfortable, seen, and even excited once the camera comes outA Gift for You:He's sharing his Boudoir Guide, originally created for clients but now loved by photographers too—full of practical tips and insight: https://jgboudoir.com/boudoir-guide/Want to Connect?The best way to reach him is through his contact page: https://jgboudoir.com/contact/If you photograph people—and especially women—this episode is a great reminder that when you lead with care, curiosity, and a little humor, both your work and your business get better.Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas: Website Email: luci@lucidumas.comInstagram FacebookYouTubeNew episodes drop every week — make sure to subscribe so you never miss an inspiring guest or a powerful solo episode designed to help you grow your photography business.
Hard as it may be to fathom, we're headed into the home stretch, with almost an entire year in the rearview mirror. This is a time of parties and celebrations, gatherings of families and friends. All of these occasions could benefit from bubbles, specifically those you'll sip in a glass of crisp and refreshing sparkling wine. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe's, we're traveling to Sonoma, deep in the heart of California's wine country, where some of our favorite sparkling wines are carefully crafted and bottled. Travel with us to Northern California, then make the short trek to your neighborhood Trader Joe's and pick up a bottle of your favorite bubbly. It'll make any occasion special. Transcript (PDF)
Welcome back to Everyone Racers, the podcast for weekend warriors, budget-built race cars, wrench-turning heroes, and anyone who loves the chaos of amateur motorsports. Episode #415 is a wild ride packed with racing news, wrenching disasters, automotive comedy, and deep-in-the-paddock storytelling every grassroots racer will appreciate.In this Steering wheel Ep 415, Tim's fancy truck makes him do his own driving, like a sucker! Chris hangs pictures, Chrissy got a new helmet while Mental breaks down and buys a Hyundai.Really this week the gang talks about everything from golfing at Cypress Point, DIY sink disasters, buying a 2025 Toyota Tacoma, new helmets, Christmas trees, and the eternal struggle of traffic-assist systems that swear they see ghosts in the fog. We also dive into the hilarious chaos of a Waymo self-driving car wandering into a felony stop, Hyundai recalling only its silver cars, and a Tesla showing “people” in a cemetery at night. Then it's onto real racing:
Dean Biersch, who runs Hopmonk Taverns and co-founded Gordon/Biersch, joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. This is his first time on the show. Herlinda has invited Dean Biersch whom she ran into at a Hopmonk concert last Saturday. Dean remembers his first job in hospitality was preparing big spreads for the passengers at Hornblower Yachts in San Francisco. “You learn a lot when you work on boats,” says Dean. “Hospitality in general is like 90% planning.” Daedalus remembers covering the opening of Hopmonk for the local press, back when it opened. Dean remembers having to reorganize the physical space in the first location in Novato, to create a beer garden. They developed the first venue as a music venture and beer garden at the same time and he feels that it is a magic combination. They would love to have more large concerts in Sonoma but there are regulatory barriers. Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more. “The trailing edge of the leading edge” Hopmonk was “on the trailing edge of the leading edge” of the beer revolution. His job was in the city and then a friend introduced him to a brewpub in Hopland. He had tasted real ale while traveling in Europe, so he recognized what they were doing there in Hopland. He wrote a business plan, showed it to a friend of the family who had always invited such a move, then he met Dan Gordon. They eventually became business partners. Dan had taken a brewery engineering university program in Germany. He brought small scale craft German beer to California, with Gordon/Biersch beers. Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around!
In this episode, Janina sits down with Cristina Torres, fifth generation of the iconic Torres family and the new voice leading Marimar Estate in Sonoma. They explore the family's Catalan roots, Marimar's groundbreaking journey as a woman building a winery in California, the rise of Albariño and Godello in Russian River Valley, sustainability, Pinot Noir clones, and what the future looks like as Christina steps into leadership. Janina also tastes the Christina Pinot Noir and explains why she finds it one of the most romantic Pinots she has ever tried. Shownotes 02:19 Marimar's cookbooks and why they're perfect for Christmas gifting. 02:55 Torres' ancestral grape recovery project — 139 sites, micro-vinifications and standout varieties like Forcada. 04:52 Christina's first harvest at DeLoach - the shock, the workload, and what she learned. 05:30 Childhood memories of wanting to join the family winery. 06:55 Five generations of Torres winemaking since 1870. 08:14 How Christina and Marimar work together and manage the mother-daughter dynamic. 11:00 Marimar's pioneering story: emigrating from Franco-era Spain and founding a winery in California. 13:22 What makes Russian River Valley unique: fog, Pacific influence, cool climate. 15:12 Whether Green Valley is the coolest AVA in Sonoma. 16:41 Christina's years in the UK at John E. Fells and how they shaped her career. 19:40 Differences in leadership style between mother and daughter. 21:26 Early plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Marimar Estate. 23:04 Albariño in Sonoma - similarities and differences compared to Galicia. 24:27 Godello in Russian River: aromatics, texture, concrete eggs and fan favourite status. 27:04 The first (too cold) Albariño attempt in Sonoma Coast. 28:18 Why Pinot Noir remains their flagship grape. 29:43 The Christina Pinot Noir: barrel selection, extra ageing, structure and depth. 31:19 Janina's tasting notes - a romantic, perfumed, seductive Pinot. 33:12 Where to buy the wines in the UK (Vinum £2019 £65.20). 34:00 The estate dogs and their enthusiastic greetings. 35:09 Winery vs. house - the masía architecture and events at Marimar's home. 36:03 The Torres legacy: sustainability and ancestral grape recovery. 37:58 The suitcase-cuttings story and the visit from the inspector. 38:28 Janina reflects on why Marimar is such an inspirational figure. 41:11 Pinot Noir clones: 115, 667, 777 and Pommard. 42:17 What makes Pommard so balanced and expressive. 43:52 A vineyard surprise: the tiny Mencía trial block. 45:17 Fun story - six-year-old Christina baking cookies for the future King of Spain. To follow Marimar Estate on Instagram CLICK HERE and Christina Torres CLICK HERE
El universo gastronómico español celebra la incorporación de dos nuevas Estrellas Michelin que reconocen la excelencia y la innovación basada en la tradición. Los restaurantes Barahonda, en Yecla (Murcia), y ReComiendo, en Córdoba, han sido los últimos en recibir el prestigioso galardón. Alfredo Candela (regenta Barahonda) y Periko Ortega, chef de ReComiendo compartieron su emoción y la filosofía de sus proyectos en el programa 'Fin de Semana' de Cristina López Schlichting.Barahonda nace como la culminación de un proyecto familiar con cuatro generaciones de bodegueros a sus espaldas. Alfredo Candela, al frente del restaurante, explicó que la idea surgió para replicar el modelo enoturístico de regiones como Napa y Sonoma, abriendo la bodega al cliente final. "Queríamos hacer esto", afirmó Candela sobre la intención de acercar el proceso del vino al consumidor, un proyecto que este año coincide con el centenario de la bodega original fundada por su abuelo.La ...
Show Yourself to Me - A Fresh Prayer O great beings, source of life-infusing All of creation, I offer my hands to you this day so that I may assist in the great turning. May I discover the most abundant and gorgeous way to share the gifts I carry. I offer my heart to you this day.You, who are earth, air, fire, water, crystal, stone, gold, salt, and stardust bone. May I be in devotion to the emergent creation story that is the most generous in these times. These times are crossroad times when those of us who are called to guide the revolution are on our knees harvesting the seeds for the futureraising up our faces in prayer to the clearing in the sky. I offer my mind, my conscious, co-creative energies of thought and shape and form to collaborate with the flow of life force, gracefully moving through every single particle and wave that is waving at us. Oh, hello, I'm waving back! Since the great Cosmic Orgasm started,the great turning, the stardust and light has been moving into the shape that we are, here and now, into the shape of this temple body itself. My cooling sack of stars, my cosmic address, my coordinates and space, time and place, inhabited by a personality that was shaped by stories I didn't even know I was choosing.But now I choose. Now I choose my mystic path. Won't you come along with me? No qualifications are needed. No permissions will be granted. Ritual under the moon will ensue and be so much better with you. May I now, this moment, step into the identity which is truly me.Oh, that Highest Soul Self seeming sometimes so out of reach. I'm ready for you to move through me now in liberating self-expression and the ecstatic dance of being in a body with an infinite soul. Oh baby, oh the irony. How it feels to be in matter and know I am energy. The stardust lineage moves through mecalling on the presence of true and chosen family. Ancestral streams of coded light pouring through me, creating healing patterns of sacred wealth and sacred health. Oh, intentional chemistry, chosen destiny. Oh, the possibilities. Oh, the power of intentional creativity. Oh, great beings, show yourself to me. With loveShiloh SophiaWell, everyone, this is my P.S. Consider this my updated prayer status.In 2026, I am opening my mystery school called The Stardust Lineage. Enrollment in two different ways to play is opening soon. I'm offering this focus for my year onto the altar of creation with reverence for the sacredness of all of life here at the foot of Sonoma Mountain in the Valley of the Moon.In one of our offerings, our year-long painting pilgrimage, we paint and write poetry. I used to write every morning, and today I am returning to starting my day with language and image instead of emails. Truth, though. I do start my day by putting on my fuzzy pajamas, going outside to see the stars, the moon, the sunrise.So often here, the sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time. I don't know if it's like that everywhere, but it is here. On the night that I was born in 1970, the sun and the moon were in the sky. It was a full moon, not so different than this one, this Gemini moon.Today, the glorious Gemini full moon shined back at me, winking from her Milky Way majesty. She told me, it is time to pray, and I started laughing, and this is that prayer.If you happen to be in Sonoma or near, we have Cura Council circle on the first Thursday of every month at MUSEA Center. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cura-sonoma-womens-circle-tickets-354362235987Please also plan for the Cura Council on 12/21 ! Get full access to Tea with the Muse at teawiththemuse.substack.com/subscribe
Saturn stationing Direct, a profound time of crafting our manifesto of dedicated devotion. Thanksgiving – to convene the Ouiji Board of Directors – the ancestral commuity of the dead. We invite them to help! Whatever bowl of dedication we put on the table – Jupiter will fill. Opportune, if dedicated. Caroline proffers a portion of her November 12th talk in Sonoma. Rising Aroused in Apocalyptic Times BodhiSattva Coyote's astro*mytho*politico guide to navigating this dangerous, opportune time with Dark humor, Grief, Community alchemical magic and jaunty Trickster pluck. Not averting our gaze from the cruel horror of our rampaging rogue species…. We are definitely in Act IV – which is evil, and are assigned the task of crafting Act V – Redemption First by understanding that the domestic tyranny before us is a grotesque animation of all that is unaddressed in America's shadow…. At this time of mega accelerating collapse, it behooves us all to animate the opportunities so generously proffered too us, lest we leave the fate of the world to the dementors… Tyranny has always attacked Community – because tyranny is a cult – the toxic mimic of Community. So, Let's compost the “cult” out of culture. The post The Visionary Activist Show – Rising Aroused in Apocalyptic Times appeared first on KPFA.
It's highly likely that the Grumman LLV has been a regular part of your life for much longer than you're aware of. But what is it? And why is it so important? Luckily for you, the newest Revelations episode on the Hagerty YouTube channel answers all of the above. === This episode of the Carmudgeon Show is sponsored by Vredestein Tires: https://www.vredestein.com/ === Before getting deep into the excitement of mail delivery vehicles and government contracts, Jason discusses his recent autocross experience at Sonoma Raceway in his MK7 Volkswagen e-Golf and E30 BMW 325i - with none other than Randy Pobst as his passenger and coach. The results of this endeavor surprise us - from new learnings about tires, to beating lap times in ways we might not expect. Meanwhile on the other side of the track, Derek discusses his recent track day at Sonoma driving his 1982 Porsche 911 SC - bringing the oldest car on track by a good 15 years closest to a 1997 BMW M3. Most of the episode is devoted to discussing the Grumman LLV (Long Life Vehicle') - one that has delivered the mail to millions of Americans for decades, and will soon retire and be replaced by the Oshkosh NGDV, for better and worse. Jason and Derek discuss Grumman's long and illustrious history covering everything from canoes to large aircrafts such as the Albatross and the Tomcat. As the LLV is on the brink of being fully retired, they have already become relatively collectable (and difficult to obtain as a civilian) - so no better time than to celebrate it's long life on the road. All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our guest on the garden show -- Bob Tanem In The Garden with Edie Tanem -- this morning is Dan Posey. Dan was a colleague and sometimes competitor with Bob Tanem in the nursery business, they met competing with their show gardens at the Marin and Sonoma county fairs many years ago. Edie has known Dan since she was, well, a lot younger. These days, Dan is with Oaks of Hebron, a non-profit service agency in Sonoma County, and he is mentoring a new startup nursery in Sebastopol called Growing Together Nursery, which complements Growing Together Farm and other endeavors. The nursery is located at the former California Carnovores retail location at 2833 Old Gravenstein Highway in Sebastopol, and is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, and on Saturday from 8:00 to 4:30 pm. and is open to the public. Dan reminisced with Edie about old times, county fairs, and then talked about their more recent endeavors. Of seasonal interest, Dan is offering an old-fashioned Christmas Wreath making workshop; there are public workshops at the nursery, and for groups of about 10 or more, Dan will do a private class -- either at the nursery, or wherever the party is. Materials and instructions are included, and participants will leave with a hand made wreath.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our guest on the garden show -- Bob Tanem In The Garden with Edie Tanem -- this morning is Dan Posey. Dan was a colleague and sometimes competitor with Bob Tanem in the nursery business, they met competing with their show gardens at the Marin and Sonoma county fairs many years ago. Edie has known Dan since she was, well, a lot younger. These days, Dan is with Oaks of Hebron, a non-profit service agency in Sonoma County, and he is mentoring a new startup nursery in Sebastopol called Growing Together Nursery, which complements Growing Together Farm and other endeavors. The nursery is located at the former California Carnovores retail location at 2833 Old Gravenstein Highway in Sebastopol, and is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, and on Saturday from 8:00 to 4:30 pm. and is open to the public. Dan reminisced with Edie about old times, county fairs, and then talked about their more recent endeavors. Of seasonal interest, Dan is offering an old-fashioned Christmas Wreath making workshop; there are public workshops at the nursery, and for groups of about 10 or more, Dan will do a private class -- either at the nursery, or wherever the party is. Materials and instructions are included, and participants will leave with a hand made wreath.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, the crew welcomes back Todd Jolly from Sonoma's Best — better known to many as @sonomawinemerchant. A certified sommelier and proudly dubbed “The Champagne King,” Todd serves as Wine Director for Sonoma's Best and The Sonoma Cheese Factory, where he's built an exceptional program that blends local standouts with global gems. Todd shares his perspective on the current wine market, shifting consumer trends, and the importance of personal connection in wine retail. The group also talks about his deep love for the Oregon Ducks, his approach to curating unique lists, and what's exciting him most in the world of bubbles and beyond. [Ep 391]
James MacPhail James MacPhail is our in-studio guest today on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is his first time on the show. James MacPhail tells about how he was able to buy back the rights to his brand in July of 2024, so his business is undergoing a rebirth. He has just finished his thirtieth harvest. He and his wife started a brand in 2012 called Tongue Dancer Wines and he has four other collaborations where he is the winemaker. He works with some of the best vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma counties. Over several years he built his company MacPhail Family Wines, then sold it to Hess, then bought it back. Dan mentions that he will have to reassert his style over the brand's production. With the tagline, “Crafted by nature, nurtured by hand,” the prospects are very good. CWC is brought to you by Deodora Estate Vineyards. Visit Deodora to discover 72 acres in the Petaluma Gap that are producing exceptional Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. “After 30 years, I'm still a kid in a candy store. I still love what I do. I still get up at 4AM. You know? And it has not yet… put me down.” He and his wife collaborate on their company. He just makes the wine and she does everything else. “Sometime she is a lot busier than I am.” Their tasting room is open by appointment. San Giacomo Family Vineyards Dan asks about the connection to San Giacomo Family Vineyards. The name is well known in the wine business but not so much outside. James says the San Giacomo family represents Sonoma County to him. San Giacomo sends grapes to many wineries, but James MacPhail is the only winemaker who lists their name on the label. Dan credits MacPhail with being predicting of what Pinot Noir would become, starting in the early ‘80s. The San Giacomo fruit is “precise” says Dan. The San Giacomo vineyard had early success planting Chardonnay en masse, providing fruit to all the up and coming producers. At that time, UC Davis was really figuring out how to grow Chardonnay. At first, James made a lot of reds, but he needed to add a white to his production. Dan describes Chardonnay as red wine with no color, and Pinot Noir is like white wine but with color. Pinot Noir is seductive and Chardonnay can be powerful and intense. Dan says they should be served at the same temperature. James and his wife have been traveling to Italy recently so his knowledge of wine is extending to Italian wines. Vermentino, Arneis and Cortese are Italian white wines that were hardly ever exported until the last 25 years. That is because they have only recently improved production technology, using stainless steel that is temperature controlled. There are more varieties in Italy than anywhere, more than 200 white varieties and 400 reds.
INTRO (00:24): Kathleen opens the show drinking a Buddy Sprinkles Saves The Day IPA from Kent Falls Brewing Company, and reviews her weekend in Upstate New York. TOUR NEWS: See Kathleen live on her “Day Drinking Tour.” COURT NEWS (15:11): Kathleen shares news announcing that Cher will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live Dec 20th, Jelly Roll leaves Australia, and Post Malone will headline the Halftime show at the Dallas Cowboy's Thanksgiving Day game. TASTING MENU (4:55): Kathleen samples O'Donnell's Hot Honey Fusion Chips, Mi Nina Jalapeno Agave Chips, and Parlor City Jalapeno Apple Hot Sauce. UPDATES (21:51): Kathleen shares updates on Cowboys co-owner Charlotte Jones supporting Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl Halftime performer, Sarah Ferguson suffers a new blow, and the Chernobyl Blue Dogs mystery is solved. HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND IT (29:14): Kathleen reveals that an endangered New Sea Angler bird has been spotted off the Sonoma coast. FRONT PAGE PUB NEWS (30:40): Kathleen shares articles on the “6 7” Gen Alpha slang, Jack White is headlining the halftime show at the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game, Country Music has its first AI generated hit, Target's new 10-4 employee policy rolls out, the last-ever penny was minted in Philadelphia, Pope Leo shares his 4 favorite movies, Starbucks announces more holiday merch, there's been a credible Bigfoot sighting in Pennsylvania, and the quietest room on earth is revealed. SAINT OF THE WEEK (1:16:22): Kathleen reads about St. Padre Pio, patron saint of adolescents, stress relief, and civil defense volunteers. WHAT ARE WE WATCHING (18:46): Kathleen recommends watching “It's All Her Fault” on Peacock. FEEL GOOD STORY (1:12:15): Kathleen shares a story about France becoming the first country to force supermarkets to give unsold food to the needy.
For more than six decades, the Phoenix Heart Ball has brought our community together to raise critical funds and awareness for the American Heart Association — an organization that's been fighting heart disease and stroke for over 100 years. This year marks the 66th Annual Phoenix Heart Ball, happening November 22, 2025, and it's a celebration of generosity, research, and the people whose dedication keeps every heart beating stronger. Joining me today are Sue Carter and Caroline Conner, both serving as Vice Chairs for this year's Heart Ball. Sue and Caroline are deeply connected to this cause — each with personal family experiences that inspire their passion for advancing heart health — and they're here to share what makes this year's event so meaningful. Calendar of Events Scottsdazzle's Tinsel Trail Scottsdale is adding even more sparkle to the holidays with its first-ever Tinsel Trail, part of this year's Scottsdazzle celebration. Local artists will transform Old Town storefronts into festive works of art from November 14th - 24th creating a self-guided holiday window tour for everyone to enjoy from November 29- December 31st Visitors can stroll the trail, meet the artists through an online map, and even vote for their favorite display. Visit https://scottsdazzle.com/ for more. Holiday Lights 2025 At McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale November 28 - December 30 The park transforms into a sparkling winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights and festive displays. Hop on the Charros Carousel, soak up the holiday magic, and warm up with a cozy cup of hot cocoa from Hartley's General Store. https://www.therailroadpark.com/event/holiday-lights/ Vineyards in the Valley Saturday, December 6th at the Charro Lodge in Scottsdale Stadium. The event features wines from over 70 ultra-premium, highly allocated wineries from Sonoma and Napa Regions, curated gourmet food pairings, entertainment, and a charity auction — all in support of life-saving health services for women and children in southern Haiti. VineyardsInTheValley.org.
For more than six decades, the Phoenix Heart Ball has brought our community together to raise critical funds and awareness for the American Heart Association — an organization that's been fighting heart disease and stroke for over 100 years. This year marks the 66th Annual Phoenix Heart Ball, happening November 22, 2025, and it's a celebration of generosity, research, and the people whose dedication keeps every heart beating stronger. Joining me today are Sue Carter and Caroline Conner, both serving as Vice Chairs for this year's Heart Ball. Sue and Caroline are deeply connected to this cause — each with personal family experiences that inspire their passion for advancing heart health — and they're here to share what makes this year's event so meaningful. Calendar of Events Scottsdazzle's Tinsel Trail Scottsdale is adding even more sparkle to the holidays with its first-ever Tinsel Trail, part of this year's Scottsdazzle celebration. Local artists will transform Old Town storefronts into festive works of art from November 14th - 24th creating a self-guided holiday window tour for everyone to enjoy from November 29- December 31st Visitors can stroll the trail, meet the artists through an online map, and even vote for their favorite display. Visit https://scottsdazzle.com/ for more. Holiday Lights 2025 At McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale November 28 - December 30 The park transforms into a sparkling winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights and festive displays. Hop on the Charros Carousel, soak up the holiday magic, and warm up with a cozy cup of hot cocoa from Hartley's General Store. https://www.therailroadpark.com/event/holiday-lights/ Vineyards in the Valley Saturday, December 6th at the Charro Lodge in Scottsdale Stadium. The event features wines from over 70 ultra-premium, highly allocated wineries from Sonoma and Napa Regions, curated gourmet food pairings, entertainment, and a charity auction — all in support of life-saving health services for women and children in southern Haiti. VineyardsInTheValley.org.
Napa, CA-based artist Arleene Correa Valencia talks about: Why she lives in Napa, CA, and the two distinct versions of the town, for the wealthy and for the poor ("you're either the owner of the vineyard, or you're working the vineyard," as she put it); how she's the first generation to not be working the vineyards, his dad having worked the vineyard for a period before transitioning to hand-painting etched wine bottles for a winery (which he had to ultimately leave for lack of being paid enough because he didn't have an MFA); her favorite wines by grape (Pinots and Cabs from Sonoma mainly), and more recently a master fabricator color theorist and surface touch-up artist; making her dad's dreams to become an artist come to fruition through her; how she always refers to the work she makes as 'ours,' assuming everyone knows that her father always has a hand in the projects, in addition to consistently collaborating with makers from her culture of origin; the letters she exchanged with her father, while he was working to lay a foundation for the family to move to the U.S., among the artworks acquired by Stanford's Cantor Arts Center; her complicated DACA (Dreamer) status, and the exhibition she was able to have in Mexico (in Puebla, about 2 hours from Mexico City) which ultimately allowed her to apply for, and get, a green card; how she had to defer her dream to go to a 4-year university or art school until she received DACA status, and then she got a Diversity Scholarship that allowed her to attend California College of the Arts, which she would never otherwise would have been able to afford; how one of her 1st interviews was for someone interested in learning about being undocumented in the arts (originally published in Hyperallergic, she had to have it taken down for legal reasons to protect her); how her various supporters propelled her into her art-making and her art school education, and in turn the questions she asks herself about how she can help others, undocumented and otherwise… This podcast relies on listener support; please consider becoming a Patreon supporter of the podcast, for as little as $1/month, here: https://www.patreon.com/theconversationpod In the 2nd half of our conversation (available on Patreon), Arleene talks about: How her mom comes from a family with 36 brothers and sisters, so is part of an enormous extended family; the BRCA mutation in her family, in which bodies are much more susceptible to various cancers, including breast cancer and ovarian; why ICE hasn't been active in the Napa Valley area, very likely because people of wealth and/or power won't allow their wine supply to be affected; how aware she is of her career and her sales, and that she's proud of her production rate and the work her gallery is doing with her; the demand for her truck paintings, and why she has a need to make those paintings, not producing them for a paycheck; when she requested a collector give her more time to finish a piece that she wasn't happy with, and re-made it; how integral her dad is to her work and her process, and how he's celebrated along with her, if only through his tremendous pride in her, and that it wouldn't all happen without him; the work they do with a tattoo family, and how it's similar to the dynamic that she and her dad as a family do together, which she acknowledges is a bit like the man behind the curtain; her Tochtli (rabbit) tattoo, a symbol in her family that signifies selflessness and the ultimate sacrifice; how the evolution of her being tattooed, which started when she was 18, has been about honoring the story of her ancestry and claiming her identity, and how her brothers, like her, are acquiring full body suits of tattoos.
Send us a textThis is a good quality, tasty, $7.99 Sonoma County Zinfandel.It has a dark berry flavor, spice, mocha, and chocolate.It is an easy-to-drink wine, but not boring.Rich and dark, with a little spice for interest.I think this is a sipping wine, but it will pair with comfort food!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com
El director ejecutivo de la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Condado de Sonoma, Héctor Velázquez, nos visitó para darnos información del evento que están organizando para educar de sus derechos a dueñxs de negocios pequeños en nuestra comunidad. Habrá participación del consulado mexicano en San Francisco y Sonoma County Legal Aid. #sonomacounty #santarosacalifornia #cámaradecomercio #camaradecomerciohispana #hispanicchamber #sepasusderechos #negocios #duenosdenegocios #finanzas #consuladomexicano
Ben is a seasoned viticulturist and winemaker currently serving as the Director of Viticulture and Winemaker at Large at Walsh Vineyards Management, overseeing approximately 1,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma. His journey in the wine industry began in 2004 after graduating with a biochemistry degree, starting at RH Phillips and later working with Jim at Seavey Vineyard. At Walsh Vineyards Management, Ben works with a team of 125 full-time employees and up to 400 seasonal workers, focusing on client relations, vineyard management, development. Alongside his professional role, he has created his own wine brand, Vidi Vitis, which started in 2015 with a unique opportunity to salvage a ton of Stags Leap District Cabernet. His winemaking philosophy emphasizes quality fruit, experimentation, and a passion for exploring different grape varieties. Resources from this Episode Walsh Vineyards Management Vidi Vitis / Forgotton Union Wines This podcast is sponsored by InnoVint. Wineries of all sizes rely on InnoVint's winery operating system to optimize vineyard tracking, manage wine production processes, automate compliance reporting, track costs seamlessly, and make data-driven decisions. The best part? The software is intuitive, easy to use, and mobile and offline friendly! And with the highest-rated customer service in the industry, you're guaranteed to have a smooth transition, even right before harvest. Learn more: innovint.us Get a demo: innovint.us/request-a-demo/ Join our free winemaking community: innovint.us/join-the-punchdown/ Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes Now on Spotify And Amazon Music
Join wine educator Anna Shafer as she interviews viticulturalist JT Jaegar on what goes into developing a vineyard.
Send us a textIn this special episode, Kim and Amy recount their recent visit to The Sitting Room, a unique library and literary salon in Sonoma, CA, dedicated to women's literature. Trip highlights included a stay at a Julia-Morgan-designed architectural gem in Berkeley, a private tour of Jack London State Park, and a fascinating tour of The Sitting Room's extensive collection of books and artifacts. Listeners will also hear snippets from an engaging evening with library co-founder J.J. Wilson, making this episode a heartfelt homage to the preservation and celebration of books by women writers.Mentioned in this episode:Julia MorganThe Berkeley City ClubLitquakeJack London State ParkLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 27 on Charmian Kittredge LondonCharmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer by Iris Jamahl DunkleThe Sitting RoomJ.J. WilsonLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 187 on Kay BoyleLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 162 on Meridel Le SeuerLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 264 on Jessica MitfordLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 140 on Zora Neale HurstonLyndall GordonA Luminous Halo: Selected Writings by Virginia WoolfThe Life of Violet: Three Early Stories by Virginia WoolfGorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envelope PoemsSupport the showFor episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.comSubscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast
GUESTS: Kathy Fang Owner: "Fang" Restuarant in San Francisco Co-Author: House of Nanking-Family Recipes from San Franciscos Favorite Chinese Resturant Fang House of Nanking: Family Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite Chinese | Omnivore Books on Food Sean Quinn Co-Owner Bazaar Sonoma Bazaar Sonoma (BaSo/巴索/バソ) • Restaurant & Konbini • Forestville, CA Pop Up Schedule at bottom Fundraiser by Jo Luck Club : Friends of BaSo seek your help with fire recovery
Cuando se agotaron las prestaciones de CalFresh durante el cierre federal, miles de familias del condado de Sonoma se vieron de repente en apuros para poner comida en la mesa. Jessica Hernández, directora de programas del Redwood Empire Food Bank, nos cuenta qué está haciendo su organización sin ánimo de lucro para satisfacer las necesidades, y cómo puedes ayudar a garantizar que todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad tengan suficiente para comer.
PhotoBizX The Ultimate Portrait and Wedding Photography Business Podcast
When a repetitive strain injury forced Jason Guy to hang up his paintbrush, he picked up a camera — and accidentally discovered a whole new career photographing women in a way that changes how they see themselves. Today, Jason runs a $200K-a-year boudoir business from Sonoma, California, photographing just four clients a month and handling every step himself — from first email to final album. His average client spends around $6,000, and some invest as much as $20,000 on their sessions and artwork. In this episode, he shares how he attracts health-focused, motivated clients without relying on censored ads, why his transparent sales process builds trust (and bigger orders), and the simple offline marketing tool that keeps his calendar full. This one's a masterclass in building a profitable photography business on your own terms — no hustle, no hype, just honest connection and consistent excellence. The post 641: Jason Guy – How 4 Clients a Month Became a $200K Photography Business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.
Zinfandel has been called California's grape: it's a little rebellious, often misunderstood, and always the life of the party. In this episode of Unfiltered, we're diving deep into Zin's roots with Chris Morisoli, fifth-generation Napa Valley grapegrower, helicopter pilot, and host of the Nine One Wine podcast. From the old vines of Rutherford to the spicy, fruit-driven bottles from Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, Amanda and Chris unpack what makes Zinfandel so uniquely American—and why it's poised for a major comeback. Along the way, Chris shares family stories dating back to the 1800s, what it's really like during harvest season (spoiler: it starts at 3AM), and why the “Old Vine” label isn't always what it seems. Wine Featured on This Episode: 2023 Dancing Zinfandel Fresh Take Dry Creek Valley
This week, Spike is joined by NASCAR driver Daniel Suárez as they dive into his historic racing career, mental resilience, and passion for classic car collecting. Highlights include Daniel sharing the emotional story of reclaiming his childhood Volkswagen bus and his perspective on NASCAR's evolution. ______________________________________________ BUY SCR MERCH! https://spikescarradio.com Listen to a new audio-only Jerry Seinfeld episode on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spikescarradio
This week we're sipping on: Jessica: 2022 Merlot from Vinos Unidos, Sonoma, CA Erika: 2012 Pinotage from Oak Mountain Winery, Temecula, CA October is here, spooky season is wrapping up, and Jessica and Erika are catching up like only they can — with laughter, a little chaos, and a lot of chisme! From how fast the year has flown by to cozy fall rituals, funny life updates, and the realities of adulting, this episode is your monthly dose of wine-fueled girl talk.
Californians are deciding on a ballot measure that could reshape how our state is represented in Congress. Proposition 50 would redraw California's congressional district lines to help Democrats pick up five additional seats in the House. Prop 50 is part of a national fight over redistricting. And if it passes, political lines from Sonoma down to San Diego will be transformed. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED To understand what's at stake with Proposition 50, we're going to some of the districts that would be redrawn. It's a series we're calling California Divided. We begin in the state's 3rd Congressional District, at Lake Tahoe: a blue dot in a Republican-held district. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
100 agentes de ICE llegaron a San Francisco para empezar una operación llamada “invasión.” Durante esta operación ICE planea moverse por varios condados de la bahía que incluyen el condado de Sonoma, Napa y otros más en un área de 40 millas. Sepa sus derechos. #sonomacounty #familia #migrantes #inmigrantes #lakecounty #mendocinocounty #daca
This week Sam discusses Germany's smallest vintage in 15 years, an initiative to recognise fortified-wine production as Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO, a $99-million wine Ponzi scheme, PacifiCorp to pay Oregon wineries $125 million and, finally, a new Sonoma entry on the list of wineries with Regenerative Organic Certification. You can read the transcript of this newscast (with linked news sources) at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/germanys-tiny-2025-vintage-oregon-wildfire-payout-rams-gate-winery-goes-roc.
Ken Wilson and Katie Ambrosi from Wilson Artisan Wines are here on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Harry Duke sitting in for the vacationing Daedalus Howell. This is their first time on the show, although some award-winning Wilson wines were mentioned on Dan Berger’s report from the 2023 Harvest Fair competition, on this episde. Dan says that Wilson Artisan Wines is one of the most successful brands in Sonoma County and wine country, with many award winning wines in their portfolio. Their first wins go back to 1991. They produce a lot of different varieties from several leading vineyards. The early ’90s were tough times for the wine industry. They were lucky that the first wine they made, a 1993 or 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon won Best of Class at Harvest Fair a couple of years after that. The business expanded as opportunities opened up, especially during wine market downturns. Most of their fruit comes from northern Sonoma County. The furthest south they go is probably a Bacigaluppi and some from St. Anne’s Crossing and a few others. But it’s mostly northern county and mostly mountain fruit. Mazzocco and Antoine Favera In the early 2000s there was another glut and nobody could sell wine to the East Coast, after 9-11. That’s when Ken had a lot of fruit that the wineries didn’t want that year. That’s when he acquired Mazzocco and that is when Antoine Favera became their winemaker. There are lots of other brands in the Wilson Artisan Wines portfolio, and each one has a view on the Wilson Artisan Wines website. One after another, Ken had the opportunity to acquire various vineyards. Some were in need of restoration but every one produces great wine. Some of them are specialized in one varietal, like Honey Hill is mostly Zinfandel. Ken tells the story of each one that Harry asks about. They also blend brandies. You get one gallon of distillate out of ten gallons of wine. They have been tasting the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon labeled Pocket Highlands. That is the name of their ranch at the top of Mayacama Mountains. It is about 2000 feet altitude. Pocket Highlands Ranch is located east of Asti. Ken loves his mountain vineyards. A picture of the vineyard is used as the Apple computer OS update Sonoma.
Federal immigration officials could be setting their sights on Sonoma county. A local supervisor says Department of Homeland Security officials asked in a meeting if the sheriff's office would notify DHS when undocumented immigrants are arrested. Shandra Back, KRCB Farmers in wine country have been working at all hours to get their grapes off the vine before they rot. The harvest follows an especially hard season slowed by a cooler summer and made worse by other obstacles including tariffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Gondak has been chasing the dream. Experiences making wine in Napa, Sonoma, Australia, New Zealand, France, Santa Cruz, and South Africa have broadened his view into what is possible. The wide array of hands-on experience accompanied by the study of winemaking and viticulture at both Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and Napa Valley College has yielded one curious wine nerd. Will has been calling Sonoma County home since 2015 and is looking forward to his 18th harvest in 2025. A full-time side hustle, Gondak Cellars was established in 2015. Will spends the majority of his work time helping make wines for several other brands while slowly building Gondak Cellars. [Ep 388] gondakcellars.com @gondakcellars
The Farm4Profit Podcast heads to California wine country for a two-part series highlighting the remarkable people shaping the legacy and future of Sonoma County Winegrowers.In Part 1, Dan Rotlisberger—fifth-generation farmer and Vineyard Manager at Robert Young Estate Vineyards—shares how his family's operation evolved from diverse orchards to one of Alexander Valley's most respected vineyards. He discusses the heritage of Sonoma County farming, the transition from prunes to grapes, and the enduring commitment to sustainability and soil stewardship. With over 14 years of professional vineyard management experience, Dan also touches on how education, mentorship, and local collaboration keep Sonoma at the forefront of responsible viticulture.In Part 2, listeners meet Kris Hicks, Vineyard Manager for Vimark Vineyard Management and Trione Vineyards & Winery. Kris's unconventional journey—from construction and concrete work to vineyard leadership—embodies what it means to grow through grit and curiosity. He shares stories of mentorship under longtime vineyard legend John Tankersley, his philosophy of farming alongside his crew, and the techniques he employs—water conservation, cover crops, integrated pest management—to farm profitably while leaving the smallest environmental footprint possible.Across both episodes, listeners gain insights into:How multi-generational family farms adapt across decades of change.The parallels between Sonoma's sustainability goals and the Midwest's regenerative agriculture movement.The mindset of vineyard managers who balance heritage, quality, and innovation.The personal stories that keep family farming—and the passion for the land—alive.From Dan's century-old family farm to Kris's craftsmanship in every vine, these episodes reveal that farming excellence is both art and science—no matter the crop or coast. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Good morning everyone! I wanted to share the story of my first self initiation at 23 which was guided by my cousin Bridget. This image is the creek that I steward in Sonoma not the creek that I dunked in, but it seems like a fitting Image considering I continue to position myself next to a creek! I was so teary after I recorded it but I called my cousin Bridget even though I know she's getting ready for school. And I thanked her. I know I've thanked her before for that incredible day 30 years ago. This episode includes * The feeling we have when it's time for a change* An invitation to join me for an initiation* The story of my first self-initiation* Why we need it right nowI am also inviting you to join me for a self initiation of your own. My training begins October 21 and you don't wanna miss it! Shiloh Sophia Www.musea.org (you may need to cut and paste that URL) Get full access to Tea with the Muse at teawiththemuse.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome back to Beats, Vines & Life, where the worlds of wine, music, and living boldly collide! In this special bonus episode, host MJ Towler (aka the Black Wine Guy) reunites with friends and Sonoma-based winemakers Justin and Beth Harmon of Argo Wines for a deep dive into their highly-anticipated 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet releases. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at harvest updates, the family vibe of Argo's winemaking process, and the evolution of their standout wines like the Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir, hedonistic Syrahs, Chardonnay, and—today's focus—their serious, crowd-pleasing Napa Cabs.From Sunday “fun day” nostalgia to breaking into Napa's exclusive vineyard network, the conversation is candid and lively, filled with tasting notes, wine geekery, talk of terroir, and relatable laughter (and even a few burger pairings).Whether you're a dedicated wine lover or just love stories of mavericks pursuing big dreams, this Totally Biased Wine Review will have you thirsty for a glass—and inspired to live life deliciously. Cheers!For more information about Argot Wines click the link!Follow Argot on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give Beats Vines and Life a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyFollow Beats Vines and Life @beatsvinesandlifeFollow Totally Biased Wine Reviews on IGThank you to our sponsor, The Conaway Fund. The Conaway Fund is a philanthropic initiative under The Prosperity Foundation that allows donors to contribute to a fund that supports various causes such as scholarships, nonprofit organizations, schools, and families facing financial challenges. Donors can recommend where the funds should be directed, providing a flexible way to make a positive impact in communities. The Conaway Fund embodies the spirit of giving and community support, aiming to create a lasting impact through strategic philanthropy.For more information, go to The Conaway Fund and please donate! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week the cinematographer and steadicam operator Ghitta Larsen whose credits include The Shop, My Kind of People, 90 Day Fiance, Meek. Ghitta was born in Sonoma, CA in 1994. She has a younger brother Anthony who is a jazz musician. Her mother Sylvia, an architect, constantly encouraged Ghitta to pursue her talents in a variety of sports. A challenge that Ghitta took seriously which resulted in her becoming a competitive swimmer at age nine. From there she discovered water polo and, in her words, became obsessed with the sport, playing for the Central Coast ODP team at Sonoma Valley High School and then Division 1 in Southern California during college at Cal State Northridge, which led to joining the Olympic Development Program. When she moved to New York Ghitta explored weightlifting and became competitive. She says she still has unfinished business in this arena but for now she is into Cross Fit, which also helps her core strength for camera work. During her sports career Ghitta studied film, graduating from the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor's Degree in Film & TV. in 2016. Her first job combined her love of filming with the sport of cross fit and since then she has widened her aperture to include music videos, shorts and TV. She enjoys thought provoking genres, including horror movies and has ambitions to explore underwater photography too, which would combine her love for swimming. Currently she is spending most of her time as a camera operator and as a DP. Ghitta lives in New York with her partner Rusmaldo Faccio. Ghitta's links:https://www.ghittalarsen.com/https://www.instagram.com/ghitta.larsenhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm12820074/ Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wisp--4769409/support.
This week the cinematographer and steadicam operator Ghitta Larsen whose credits include The Shop, My Kind of People, 90 Day Fiance, Meek. Ghitta was born in Sonoma, CA in 1994. She has a younger brother Anthony who is a jazz musician. Her mother Sylvia, an architect, constantly encouraged Ghitta to pursue her talents in a variety of sports. A challenge that Ghitta took seriously which resulted in her becoming a competitive swimmer at age nine. From there she discovered water polo and, in her words, became obsessed with the sport, playing for the Central Coast ODP team at Sonoma Valley High School and then Division 1 in Southern California during college at Cal State Northridge, which led to joining the Olympic Development Program. When she moved to New York Ghitta explored weightlifting and became competitive. She says she still has unfinished business in this arena but for now she is into Cross Fit, which also helps her core strength for camera work. During her sports career Ghitta studied film, graduating from the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor's Degree in Film & TV. in 2016. Her first job combined her love of filming with the sport of cross fit and since then she has widened her aperture to include music videos, shorts and TV. She enjoys thought provoking genres, including horror movies and has ambitions to explore underwater photography too, which would combine her love for swimming. Currently she is spending most of her time as a camera operator and as a DP. Ghitta lives in New York with her partner Rusmaldo Faccio. Ghitta's links:https://www.ghittalarsen.com/https://www.instagram.com/ghitta.larsenhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm12820074/ Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.
Sonoma native and former U.S. poet laureate Ada Limón's collection of new and selected poetry contemplates her relationship to nature, the role of art in an unruly world, and our connection to one another. Her hope is to create “some strange idiosyncratic song, an imperfect echo, to nature and humanity so they will know how much they are loved.” We talk to Limón about her new collection, “Startlement.” Guests: Ada Limón, poet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lumo: https://lumo.ag/Great episode for you today with Devon Wright of Lumo. The Lumo story is really interesting for a number of reasons. One of which is that they have managed to take on venture capital, but still remain very focused on serving a very specific market within agriculture. As you'll hear they have resisted the temptation that has led to the demise of so many agtech companies to try to be for everyone and rapidly expand to as many acres as possible. But Lumo is focused exclusively on wine grapes, and for a long time only wine grapes in the areas of Sonoma and Napa Counties in California. Also, Devon is just an interesting dude. I'll read his bio here to give you a sense of what I'm talking about: Devon Wright is an entrepreneur, investor, and the co-founder and CEO of Lumo, where he and his team are on a mission to massively improve food and freshwater security by giving farmers the best irrigation system in the world. He sold his first startup, a local marketing platform for restaurants, to Yelp in 2017. When he's not helping growers dial in their irrigation precision or providing advice to other early-stage startups, he's spending time with his wife and three young daughters on their little farm, or writing cheesy sci-fi romance.
Dreams don't have expiration dates—and Ron Rubin proves it. In this inspiring episode of the 365 Driven Podcast, host Tony Whatley sits down with the former CEO of The Republic of Tea and current owner of River Road Family Vineyards and Winery. Ron reveals how a passion he discovered in his 20s took four decades to come true, and why perseverance, patience, and smart business practices were the keys to making it happen. From scaling The Republic of Tea into a household name to running a debt-free winery in Sonoma, Ron shares powerful lessons on brand building, culture, and staying true to your vision. He opens up about succession planning with his son, the value of mentors and consultants, and why consistency and focus matter more than chasing trends. Whether you're a new entrepreneur or a seasoned leader, Ron's story will remind you that big dreams are worth the wait—and that with discipline, creativity, and heart, you can build businesses that last generations. Key highlights: How Ron Rubin turned a 40-year dream into reality. Why staying debt-free can transform your business. The strategy behind building The Republic of Tea into a specialty brand. Lessons in branding, packaging, and staying true to your company's DNA. How to create a memorable company culture that people love. Smart succession planning and preparing the next generation of leaders. The value of mentors, consultants, and outside perspectives. Why focusing on existing customers can fuel exponential growth. How philanthropy and business can work hand-in-hand to save lives. Encouragement to never give up on your dream—no matter how long it takes. Connect with Ron Rubin: Website: republicoftea.com Get Ron's book: goldinyourbackyard.com Connect with Tony Whatley: Website: 365driven.com Instagram: @365driven Facebook: 365 Driven
"Every community has different values, and every community should have different choices. And that's why local food is so important so that local communities and local farmers can decide what's most important to them and how they want to connect the people who grow our food with the people who are seeking nourishment." —Andy Naja-Riese "The health of our Farmers Market is really dependent upon the health of our farmers." —Tanner Keys Wonder why local food sometimes costs more, or if it's really worth the effort to shop there? The real story behind farmers' markets is more complicated—and more important—than you might think. Andy Naja-Riese, CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, and Tanner Keys, Cooperative Agreement Manager for the Islands of Remote Areas Regional Food Business Center, have spent years on the front lines of food access. Their work in California and Hawaii gives them a unique view on what it takes to make local food affordable, how certification and regulations shape what you see at the market, and why these markets matter for everyone. Listen in for honest talk about food prices, local farming, organic rules, food as medicine, and how farmers' markets are working to make healthy food available to all. You'll get practical insights, real solutions, and a fresh look at what's possible in your own community. Meet Andy: Andy Naja-Riese brings 17 years of experience in community food systems, public health, and food equity programs & policy. As Chief Executive Officer, he leads AIM's major programs, partnerships, strategic planning, advocacy, and fundraising, including a capital campaign for AIM's Center for Food and Agriculture in collaboration with AIM's Board of Directors. Andy joined AIM in 2018 after spending 10 years working for the Federal government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service. Andy is currently the Co-Chair of the Marin County Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Collaborative, serves on the Steering Committees of the Marin Carbon Project and Marin Community Health Improvement Plan, sits on the National Farm to School Network's Advisory Board, and represents AIM on the California Food and Farming Network & Food and Farm Resilience Coalition. He received the 2022 CVNL Heart of Marin Award for Excellence in Leadership and the 2023 Farmers Market Champion of the Year award from CAFF. He earned his master's degree from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and his bachelor's degree from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He lives with his husband and dog in Sonoma, where he enjoys backyard gardening, cooking farmers market hauls, eating bagels, and enjoying Northern California's natural beauty Website Facebook X Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Meet Tanner: Tanner Keys grew up in an agricultural community & lifestyle that has instilled a passion for food & land. He has served in various roles with the Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance (HGFA) beginning in 2022, helping the organization in its beginning years and later leading a project of HGFA, the Hawaiʻi Farmers Market Association. Before that, he served as the Team Leader to the FoodCorps Inc., an AmeriCorps program, from 2019 to 2021. Tanner has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Oregon, and it was his service in the Peace Corps (Timor-Leste ʻ16-ʻ18) that led him back to the path of supporting agriculture & food security. LinkedIn Connect with Hawai'i Good Food Alliance Website Instagram Facebook Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:16 Geography and Food Access: How Location Changes Everything 06:13 Comparing Coasts: East vs West Market Experiences 10:38 Organic vs Certified— What “Certified” Really Means 16:53 Hawaii and California's Diversity 23:40 Making Markets Accessible 27:55 Permanent Market Dreams: Building for the Future 33:57 Are Farmers' Markets Expensive? The Real Price of Local Food Resources: Podcast S5 Ep 27: AIM— Preserving the Farmer's Market for Everyone with Andy Naja-Riese Part 2S7 Ep1: Boosting a Healthy, Accessible Local Farm-to-Table Revolution with Andy Naja-Riese Part 2
We explore the power of creating a "love list" to help us stay connected with the people who matter most. We share a clever way for getting someone’s honest opinions, plus, we dive into listeners' most practical back-to-school tips. Resources & links related to this episode: Order my new book Secrets of Adulthood Request a signed bookplate here Elizabeth is reading: Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: Pied Piper by Nevil Shute (Amazon, Bookshop) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.