Redwood Reserve Vinegar
Pierce Morgan looked at me with a look of genuine intrigue.
“Is there any reason I should go through that much effort for a single bottle of vinegar?”
This was like a bonus question. I answered comfortably.
“Don’t you want to see more organic farms in California, Mr. Morgan? And I’m not asking for any special favors. I’m perfectly willing to undergo the rigorous certification process. It’s just that I’m not well-versed in the administrative procedures, and if I get hit with constant requests for corrections, it’ll be tough. If I could get some consulting to handle things efficiently, I think immigrant-run farms like ours could become truly competitive.”
He looked surprised by my answer.
“You don’t sound like a typical student.”
“Hahaha! Thank you for saying so.”
“Fine. But as you said, I can only help with the administrative process. I cannot shorten the certification process itself.”
“I know. The legal transition period is 36 months.”
There is such a thing as a legal transition period. You must go 36 consecutive months without using any prohibited substances before you can stamp the USDA Organic mark on crops harvested from that land, and this period cannot be shortened.
“...You know that, too? Then you could have just prepared at a leisurely pace.”
“What do you mean? I have to apply as soon as possible so that the wine three years from now can carry the organic mark.”
“That’s true, but most people don’t tend to rush for things that are so far off in the future.”
“It’s a Korean trait—we can’t stand being slow.”
He nodded, stared straight into my eyes for a moment, and asked.
“Let me ask you one thing. Why are you trying to farm organically? It’s going to be difficult and tedious. Just because it pays more?”
Organic certification is, in a way, nothing special, but in another way, it’s everything. From a farmer’s perspective, the advantage of organic farming is the higher price point, but the disadvantages are also clear: it’s incredibly demanding. There are so many things to consider, so much to worry about, and it’s physically exhausting.
Why would Silveroak Hills use pesticides after receiving organic certification? Because it’s convenient and makes management easy.
Ultimately, this means that to farm organically, you need to know a lot and deal with a lot of hassle, but if you can endure it, it leads to much higher profits.
“It’s not for any grand reason. When you raise a child, you don’t raise them with the sole intention of making them a great historical figure, do you? I think that’s the right way to approach it. It’s just a desire not to harm the land and the trees.”
He chewed on my words for a while before nodding.
“......I see. Fine. Write down the farm address and leave it with me, and I’ll get in touch.”
“Thank you.”
I quickly scribbled the farm’s address on the memo pad he offered, stood up, and said,
“The harvest wasn’t great last year, which is why I made vinegar, but this year’s Cabernet Sauvignon will be excellent. It’s going to be a killer wine. And we’ll be putting out table grapes, too.”
His eyes sparkled.
“Are you giving me that information on purpose?”
“Hahaha, I’m just letting you know. I won’t be surprised if I see you at the table grape market later.”
“I won’t be surprised to see you then, either.”
After saying our goodbyes and the immigrant student from Korea left the office, Pierce handed a note to Elisa Chen, the agricultural outreach and support coordinator.
“Can you check on this farm? The farm went bankrupt and the Korean immigrant who just left bought it.”
“What should I look into?”
“Why the previous farm went bankrupt, what the current situation of the farm is, things like that...”
“Got it. But... wait? This farm...”
Pierce asked her as she furrowed her brow.
“What is it?”
“Silveroak Hills is not far from this farm.”
“Ah, the place that just had its organic certification revoked?”
“That’s right. When their certification was revoked, I heard a student deduced their pesticide use by using dead honeybees from an almond orchard... Could it be...?”
“That student?”
Pierce blinked, then burst into laughter.
“Haha... If that’s the case, it’s quite a coincidence. One had their organic certification revoked, and the farm next door is applying for it. Since it will take three years for Silveroak to get their certification back, they might both end up receiving their organic certifications at the same time.”
“They probably won’t have a good relationship, will they? Two farms growing the same varieties so close to each other...”
Unlike her, who looked worried, Pierce couldn’t stop laughing.
“Doesn’t that make it even more interesting?”
“You seem very interested.”
“He’s a strange kid. No, not strange—special.”
“In what way?”
“First of all, there are almost no kids who are that sincere about agriculture... He knew more than most of the undergraduates here at UC Davis.”
She widened her eyes in surprise. She knew exactly what the level of the students here was like.
“Besides, a high school student on the verge of entering college looks like an adult on the outside, but to adults who have lived in the real world, they’re no different from children. The knowledge learned in school has nothing to do with the knowledge actually used in society.”
“That’s true. That’s why everyone is so confident before they enter the real world.”
“But that kid is different. Major knowledge? No, should I call it agricultural knowledge? He knows not just that, but how society actually functions.”
“Is he that good?”
“He came to me today to ask for help with organic certification, but almost no one knows how the process works before they actually apply, right?”
“Right. We have to explain everything to them.”
“That student? I had nothing to explain. Not only that, he knew how the public sector moves organically. It’s fascinating that a high school student who hasn’t even entered college knows all that. And he doesn’t make excessive demands; he only asks for exactly what I can help with. Honestly, I’ve never seen a kid like that.”
“He’s certainly worth paying attention to.”
“I might keep seeing him here next year.”
“I suppose so.”
Pierce Morgan began to be genuinely curious about the Cabernet Sauvignon that student would harvest. So, he returned to his room and fiddled with the official document on his desk once more.
The document read as follows:
Selection of Pilot Sites for the Regional Organic Transition Demonstration Project (ROTDP).
A few days later, at school.
“Brian! I made it. Do you want to see?”
During lunch, Rachel opened her laptop and called me over. I went to her, wondering if she was already done, and Armando followed, unable to contain his curiosity.
“I want to see, too!”
I looked over Rachel’s shoulder at the laptop screen and saw a yellowish background with a beautiful image of grapes, framed by grapevines.
“Whoa, that’s nice!”
“It’s pretty!”
Both Armando and I exclaimed as soon as we saw it.
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s really good.”
“Did you decide on a name?”
“Yeah. Redwood Reserve Vinegar. How is it?”
“Oh, that sounds classy. Use a clean, neat font for the text.”
She typed the name I gave her using a font on her laptop. Adding the product name made it look even more professional.
“You’re not just putting that on there, right?”
“Of course not. I decided on the copy. The first line says: EST. 2003 – Napa Valley, California.”
“Is it okay if I make the font small like this?”
“That’s good. And underneath the product name, write Premium Handcrafted Grape Vinegar in small letters. And next to the main logo, write: ‘Our vinegar, crafted from select Napa Valley grapes and perfectly aged, balances rich aroma with crisp acidity. Ideal for gourmet cooking, dressings, and marinades.’”
“Ooh~ that’s good!”
I was very satisfied with the finished label design.
“Great!”
After a quick high-five, I said,
“Send the image to my email. And I’ll make sure to put your name on the label as well.”
“Of course. Sigh... it’s a shame. If we could just slap an organic certification mark on here, we could get at least 50% more for the unit price...”
And that was just the minimum; if we managed to get into a high-end shopping center like South Coast Plaza, it could even double. There was a reason I was so intent on getting that organic certification.
Just then,
“Hmph! You think *you* can get organic certification?”
I wondered where that familiar voice of criticism was coming from, and sure enough, there was Elena, standing with her arms crossed and glaring at me as if she wanted to eat me alive.
“Yeah. I actually just went to inquire about it. I’ve already submitted the application documents, and they’re coming to the farm for an inspection.”
“Instead of worrying about organic certification, shouldn’t you be worrying about whether your farm can even produce proper grapes?”
“I appreciate you worrying about our farm’s pest control, but they’re growing just fine, thank you. Oh, by the way, you have to re-apply for your farm’s organic certification—did you do it? If not, go contact them quickly. It would be great if the inspector stopped by Silveroak on their way to our farm, wouldn’t it?”
“You have no idea how strict organic certification is, do you? From now on, you can’t use anything even remotely like a pesticide for three years. Do you think you can manage that?”
Elena, who didn’t attend the Agriscience Club, had no idea what I was capable of. If she had seen my performance at the almond orchard, she wouldn’t be able to doubt me... Wait?
“You don’t seem to be close with Chloe lately, do you?”
“What?”
Elena’s eyes wavered for a split second.
“If you were close with Chloe, you wouldn’t be doubting my ability to farm organically. You haven’t heard anything, have you?”
“......”
“It’s okay. There isn’t much high school left, so being an outcast for a few months won’t kill you. I’m rooting for you. Just please don’t bother me. As you can see, I’m very busy. Don’t be too jealous—this vinegar is cheap compared to wine, anyway.”
Elena disappeared, huffing with a face turned bright red. Armando tilted his head as he watched her go.
“Why did she bother picking a fight when she couldn’t even win a single point? She should’ve just kept her mouth shut.”
“She probably can’t stand the sight of my face. We met at a seminar before, and she said she lost $200,000.”
“$200,000? Whoa! You deserve to be cursed at!”
“......Why is that the conclusion?”
“You’re really something! If I had screwed someone over for $200,000, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I might even get shot.”
“......”
Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine.