Brownfield vineyard led by women from vines to wine tasting

BROWNFIELD, Texas (KCBD) - Farmhouse Vineyard is primarily led by women, working in the vineyard, tasting rooms, and management. The co-owner says this isn’t intentional, but has worked out well.

The crew that takes care of 124 acres of vines is 95% women. The crew lead, Graciela Garcia, says her team does a great job.

“I’m very proud because it seems like we’re women, we’re doing it without the men,” Garcia said.

Garcia has been working at Farmhouse Vineyard for five years. She tackles something new every day with her team.

“We do different types of work. Like right now, we’re pruning, then we’ll tie it,” Garcia said. “Everything is different, so we don’t do the same work every day.”

If you walk into the wine-tasting room in Brownfield, you’ll also see women are the ones pouring you a glass.

The co-owner of Farmhouse Vineyard, Katy Jane Seaton, says that wasn’t planned, but several coworkers, from the field to the storefront, are family.

“Men are great, men sell a lot of wine to the young women and the older women who come into the tasting room, but we are a huge family here and we’re really fortunate that we have a lot of like mother daughter relationships,” Seaton says.

The leadership trend goes all the way through the grapevine to management. Seaton handles the marketing and big ideas while her partner, Traci Ferguson, takes care of the administrative side.

“Pricing, infrastructure, budgets, forecasting, and all the really, what I deem yucky stuff, but the one that allows us to return to the bank and renew an operating loan,” Seaton said.

While it wasn’t planned, Seaton says it worked out. She says the vines look great because women pay closer attention to detail.

“Because they have a better understanding, they have more patience, they’re more delicate...in their choices that they make when they approach each vine,” Seaton said.

While the brand is women-led, Seaton says they appreciate their number one supporters.

“We like to pay compliments, too, to our strong husbands who are really supportive of that,” Seaton said.

For more information on Farmhouse Vineyard click here.

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