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The Grape Nut: Looking at vineyard labor on the Central Coast

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Brian Talley, of Talley Vineyards, walks through Rosemary's Vineyard in preparation for harvest.
Betsey Nash
Brian Talley, of Talley Vineyards, walks through Rosemary's Vineyard in preparation for harvest.

For Labor Day, The Grape Nut, Betsey Nash, spoke with people involved with vineyard work on the Central Coast. Learn about wages, visas, living conditions and more.

Betsey moved from Burbank to the central coast to attend Poly in January of '69, only to be greeted by a horse tied to a tree in front of the English building. "Oh no, what have I done!": Her culture shock didn't end there: there were vacant lots between the houses! People drove on the beach! And, oh look at those gorgeous green hills! A tradition that she and her roommates embraced was started when their Morro Bay neighbors brought a couple dozen chocolate chip cookies and a jug of Pesenti Zinfandel Rose over to help them get through mid-terms and finals weeks. The place became home.