Lodi farmer a guest at Trump's address to Congress
Mar. 5—WASHINGTON — A Lodi farmer and advocate for the wine industry was in attendance for President Donald Trump's first speaking engagement at the U.S. Capitol since his inauguration in January.
Lodi Winegrape Commission executive director Stuart Spencer attended the first address of 119th Congress last night in Washington, D.C.
Spencer was invited by Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, as a special guest.
"The Valley is home to the best crops and wine in the world because of hardworking family farmers, and I'm honored to have Stuart Spencer join me in Washington to highlight our agriculture communities," Harder said. "From severe disasters to rising costs and foreign competition, our farmers are facing real challenges, and they need real solutions from Washington. I'm committed to working with anyone to ensure that our farmers have the support they need to thrive, not just survive."
Spencer has been farming winegrapes since he was 10 years old, and his family has been farming for 50 years. These include 40 acres of nine different Portuguese and Spanish varieties.
Spencer joined the Winegrape Commission in 1999 as a program manager and became executive director in 2018.
During his time with the commission, Spencer has overseen its marketing program, providing guidance and support to advertise regional events such as ZinFest, as well as lead branding efforts for campaigns including LoCA, Save the Old Vines and the "A Rising Tide" Lodi Grower Video Series. He also spearheaded the installation and opening of the Lodi Wine Visitor Center inside the Wine & Roses Resort and Spa at 2545 W. Turner Road in 2000.
Spencer has also been heavily involved in educational efforts for the Lodi winegrape industry, including recent initiatives to focus attention on California winegrower challenges and opportunities in the current wine industry.
He was instrumental in developing the LODI RULES for Sustainable Winegrowing program which celebrated its 20th year of certification in January.
Since 2005, the program has grown from 1,555 acres of certified sustainable Lodi vineyards to more than 75,000 acres of planted vines certified in California, Washington, and Israel.
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