Harvesting in the Midst of ICE Storms
From John, October 10th, 2025As we were approaching the 2025 vintage this year, one couldn’t help but notice that throughout the Dundee Hills, most vineyards had put up “NO TRESPASSING” signs. Had they suddenly become unfriendly after decades of being open to and welcoming of the public?
No, instead the word was out that the esteemed agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not enter private property without a warrant. And since the livelihoods of vineyards and wineries in the Dundee Hills rests on having our crops harvested, it became necessary to attempt to deny entry of these goons onto our properties. At Cameron, each day of harvesting was a nervous endeavor, not knowing if black vans would pull up to arrest our picking crew in the middle of doing a critical job.
Thankfully the worst did not happen in wine country. ICE decided instead to turn their wrath on Portland. But we are now learning what it feels like to live in a fascist state, constantly worrying whether heavily armed agents of the state might show up to arrest you and/or your workers.
Portland responded appropriately to the situation with humor. Protesters showed up at the ICE facility dressed up in costumes. There were dinosaurs, a big yellow chicken and dancing frogs. People attached donuts to fishing poles in order to taunt ICE agents. This infuriated the thugs within the compound, so they would rush out each evening and tear gas and fire flash-bang grenades and tackle protesters to the ground. Since the Portland police were there to protect people, they also got tear gassed.
As I write this missive, our great leader is declaring that Portland is on fire from insurrectionists. Of course nothing could be further from the truth but truth is not important to these people. I fear that this will not end well given the lies and hypocrisy leading us to this point.
And, yet, in the midst of it all, we are fermenting our fruit from an exceptional vintage, hoping that what we will best remember from 2025
will not be the carnage wreaked upon our immigrant workers but rather 2025 as a truly magnificent vintage!
Recent News & Rants
Harvesting in the Midst of ICE Storms
In the midst of the ICE storm in Portland, we are fermenting our fruit from an exceptional vintage, hoping that what we will best remember from 2025
will not be the carnage wreaked upon our immigrant workers but rather 2025 as a truly magnificent vintage!
The ICE Age
The agricultural sector of our country absolutely relies immigrants to produce the food that we eat and the wine that we drink. At Cameron we rely on the Latino workforce to accomplish many of the tasks in our vineyards. We simply cannot do it all ourselves. From pruning to pulling leaves around the fruit to harvesting in the Fall, they are a vital part of the process. And without them we will not exist.
There’s More... >The Plague
Phylloxera, an aphid which feeds on grapevine roots and leaves, is a plague that occurs in nearly all viticultural regions around the world. Read on to understand how and why this pest was first introduced and how it is managed today.
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