THOMAS L ROBINSON

***** ********** ***. ****** *****, CA 95690 – 916-***-**** – abi5y8@r.postjobfree.com

DIRECTOR OF FARMING OPERATIONS

Vineyard and Orchard Development and Management – Administrative and Financial Management and Analysis – Strategic Planning

As an experienced and disciplined hands-on leader with 17 years of progressively responsible wine grape growing experience, I was able

to take blighted, mismanaged, and poorly drained properties, and develop them into profitable, sustainable, and productive vineyards. To

support the vineyard development, I sourced and negotiated wine grape contracts with many different wineries. Financially, I constructed

the Vineyard Development Budgets, the annual Production Budgets, and the Discounted Payback analysis and presented them to financial

institutions to secure funding. Culturally, I managed the day to day operational aspects of the vineyards to assure productivity, quality, and

future sustainability. And, as a liaison with many wineries, I regularly communicated key vineyard information throughout the growing

season. CORE COMPETENCIES include:

Vineyard and Orchard Development - Grape Contract Negotiation – Vineyard and Orchard

Farming Plan Development - Strategic Planning - Capital Budgeting - Production Budgeting -

Staff Development - Regulatory Compliance - Third Party Communication and Liaison

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• MBA, California Polytechnic State University, SLO

• BS, California Polytechnic State University, SLO

• Successfully developed a vineyard in the Montezuma Hills, west of Rio Vista, CA, an unproven winegrape growing

area

• Developed 400 vineyard acres and 150 orchard acres in the California Delta Region

• Converted a commercial vineyard to an ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED vineyard (A three year intensive process)

• Researched and Implemented more machinery use in the vineyards to reduce labor costs

• Increased winery customers

• Received many winegrape quality bonuses (typically based on sugar)

• Managed a small plot of Petit Sarah through mid November and assisted the winemaker in making a late harvest

dessert wine (received a Double Gold in the San Francisco Chronicle Competition)

• Private Pilot

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Operations Manager, Lent Burden Farming – January 2014 to Present

Responsible for managing, planning, supervising, and coordinating all farming operations for approximately 5000

almond acres, 4000 vineyard acres, and 1500 walnut acres.

Director of Vineyard Operations, Foley Family Wines (Guenoc Valley) – June 2013 to January 2013

Responsible for managing, planning, supervising, and coordinating all farming operations for 600 vineyard acres. In addition, I

was an integral part of a management team responsible for managing, administrating, and overseeing a $30 million dollar

vineyard development in Napa and Lake Counties.

VINEYARD DEVELOPMENT

• Survey and identify sites conducive to vineyard development

• Coordinate with Engineering Company to develop and implement Erosion Control and Oak Tree

Mitigation Plans

• Continually communicate and update funding companies as to our expenditures and planned future

expenditures via budgets, budget variances, and future cash flow estimates

• Provide information, data, and development site tours to funding companies

• Source and negotiate wine grape contracts with wineries

• Construct and write Request for Proposals for distribution to potential contractors for vineyard site

development, vineyard layout and marking, irrigation/frost system installation, irrigation/frost materials,

trellis installation, trellis materials, pump station construction, and vine planting

• Manage and monitor day to day contractor work in terms of quality and progress

• Manage, mitigate, and resolve all contract disagreements as they occur

• Immediately Review, Negotiate, and Resolve all Contractor Change Order Requests

• Develop timelines

• Coordinate and work closely with soil consultants to determine site suitability and soil amendment

requirements

• Verify water quality and ample water quantity

• Source rootstalk/cultivars from vine nurseries 2 to 3 years in advance

• Create, construct, and discuss farming plans with winery customers.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT

• Actively manage, develop, and work closely with Napa and Lake County Farm Managers

• Insist on Farm Managers attending industry meetings, seminars, and training functions to help in their

future professional development

• Assist Farm Managers with the development of annual production budgets and capital expenditure

budgets

• Verify that the Farm Managers are working and operating pursuant to annual budgets. And, if they are

not, determine the cause.

• Verify that the Farm Managers are complying with all County and State regulations as they pertain to all

farming operations.

• Source and procure farming equipment

• Analyze future equipment and labor requirements that will be needed to support the company’s explosive

growth

Director of Farming, McCormack Sheep and Grain – June 2011 to June 2013

Responsible for managing, planning, supervising, and coordinating all farming operations (approx. 4000 open ground acres, 50

vineyard acres, 125 alfalfa acres, and 2000 head of sheep

Director of Vineyards, Towne Enterprises – April 1996 to June 2011

Responsible for managing, planning, supervising, and coordinating all farming operations (approx. 500 vineyard acres and 200

orchard acres)

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT

• Coordinated with winery grower representatives throughout crop year to assure quality and quantity requirements in

addition to harvest timing and scheduling

• Developed vineyard farming plans with winery representatives to improve wine quality and vineyard productivity

• Regularly communicated the current vineyard tasks as delineated by the vineyard farming plan to winery

representatives and viticulturists throughout the growing season

• Attended post harvest sensory analysis on a year to year basis to assess the impact of various vineyard cultural

practices

• Negotiated all aspects of wine grape purchase contracts with wineries

• Regularly communicated to winery representatives information about vineyard health, maturity, yield estimates, and

sugar levels

• Working with a local chemical company, experimented with seaweed extract to determine its impact on wine grape

productivity

• Planted Malbec to ascertain its viability as a variety for the California Delta Region

• Supervised sugar sampling personnel throughout pre-harvest and harvest to obtain accurate and timely in house sugar

data to assist in harvest planning

• Regularly tracked salt levels in the Sacramento River to time vineyard irrigation

• Developed weekly irrigation schedules

• Obtained bunch counts annually to help determine shoot and bunch thinning strategies

• Regularly scouted vineyards for pests

• If required, manipulated vineyard canopies to improve wine grape quality

• Studied vine balance yearly to develop institutional knowledge and memory that could be utilized yearly in making

various cultural decisions in the vineyard

• Attended industry seminars, workshops, and safety meetings to stay abreast of new technologies, regulations and

market conditions

• Complied with regulatory requirements pursuant to CAL OSHA, County Health Departments, and Agricultural

Commissioner’s Office

FINANCE/PLANNING

• Developed and implemented Annual Crop Production Budgets

• Developed Annual Crop Production Budget Variance Analysis

• Constructed vineyard development budgets and multiple year estimated cash flow estimates

• Maintained Monthly Cash Flow Statements to monitor funding requirements

• Responsible for procuring all required farm equipment in addition to calculating payback periods or net present value

exercises related to all capital purchases

• Initiated and conducted strategic planning sessions with farm owner and partners

Managing Partner, Delta Five Partners, LLC - June 2005 to December 2011

• Teamed up with an investment group to develop 200 acres of winegrapes

• Secured funding and winegrape contracts

• Was responsible for the day to day operational aspects of the business

Partner, Walnut Grove Marina – January 2008 to Present

• Member of Board of Directors responsible for developing and overseeing Marina operating policies, funding

requirements, and strategic planning

REFERENCES

Raymond Reyes, Director of Grower Relations, Domaine Chandon,707-***-****

Cindy Johnson, Grower Relations, Fetzer, 209-***-****

Norm Peters, Grower Relations, The Wine Group, 209-***-****

Brian Rahn, Coastal Viticultural Consultants, 707-***-****

Russ Spain, Landmark Irrigation, 559-***-****

Cooper Rossiter, Don Pedro Pumps, 209-***-****

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