The Paul Vander Schalie Memorial Fund was created in the memory of Paul Vander Schalie. All of the proceeds will go to non-profit organizations that are dedicated to sustainable farming. The memorial fund is being facilitated by CHARITYSMITH, which is a non-profit organization that creates and administers memorial funds. 

About Paul

Paul was one of the most talented Viticulturists in the Napa Valley. He began his career in vineyard management in 1980 after graduating from U.C. Davis and landing his first job as a vineyard supervisor with Beringer Vineyards. After a few years with Beringer, he went to work for Peter Michael Winery, developing their vineyards in Knights Valley. He then worked for Charles Krug for 14 years, managing 12 different varietals of grapes. He spent the last nine years of his life working for Burgess Cellars on the beautiful Howell Mountain in Angwin. 

Paul has overseen the development of hundreds of acres of grapes in the Napa Valley and has managed countless more. Paul will forever be remembered as one of the most dedicated and hard working farmers in the Napa Valley. He was also an avid cyclist and an outdoorsman, but his first love was the grapes; nobody loved their job more than Paul. His passion for grape growing came through in the exceptional quality of wine he helped produce. 

Paul passed away from cancer on July 3, 2008. He was 58. 

There are two reasons why the focus of Paul's memorial fund is on sustainable farming. The first reason is that Paul's main passion in life was farming, so it makes sense that his memorial fund would go toward tilling the land in some capacity. The second reason is that Paul had concern for land and water issues. Supporting sustainable agriculture around the world is a way to take his concern and move it into creative problem solving.     

On Paul's birthday, October 13, 2008, a $1000 donation was made from this memorial fund to a non-profit that takes in abandoned children in Mexico and teaches them the skill of sustainable farming. You can read about them at:

http://www.mexico-child-link.org/Mexico-sustainable-agriculture-training.htm

We are currently researching other non-profits and will make more donations in the future, particularly on Christmas of 2008, as a way to include him in our holiday celebrations as well as on his birthday in 2009. Your suggestions are welcome at summerpeyton@hotmail.com 

We appreciate your donations!

Recipients:

• 2008: The Farm