Top Brass and Vignolo Farms is a fourth-generation family farm that handles all aspects of growing, harvesting, cooling, storage, shipping and sales, with fresh table grapes from the central valley of California harvested starting in July and continuing into December.
Since its establishment in 1967, the California Table Grape Commission has assisted California table grape growers to create and expand markets for each season’s crop. The 2022 initiative continued the work to foster demand for California table grapes around the world through the fielding of a robust global marketing campaign targeting the U.S. which consumed 76 percent of the 2021 volume, and 16 foreign markets that together represented 95% of export volume June through December 2021.
By
December 14, 2020
Carl Northam grew up in Shafter, CA, in the 1940s and ‘50s in the heart of the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, so it seemed only natural to look for a job on a ranch when he was first seeking employment in his late teens.
Carl Northam
In 1960, Northam did, in fact, secure what he calls a “gopher” position with nearby Vignolo Farms. At the time, Vignolo Farms was a row crop operation growing alfalfa, cotton, wheat and beans.
“The founder, C.J. (Ted) Vignolo, was a personable fellow so I stayed around,” said Northam.
In those early years, Northam didn’t think much beyond the next day so he didn’t really consider that this would be his career. But it is 60 years later and the longtime farm manager for Vignolo Farms is ready to retire. He quipped that the years flew by and “then I woke up one day and it was 60 years later.”