KB Blog: Wine and Roses

Wine and Roses: Benefit for the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust (pvhealthtrust.org)

A week ago, Kitayama Brothers sponsored a table for the Wine and Roses - 30th anniversary charity event.  10 KB staff and guests were able to spend a few hours at the Santa Cruz fairgrounds sampling the local wine and food of Santa Cruz County.  We enjoy eating and drinking while feeling good about ourselves.  Just about everyone I know in Watsonville comes to Wine and Roses.  

Here's a picture of Joe and Jim with Scott.  Joe worked with me at Cal Pacific Flowers 20 years ago, and now he sells flowers for himself.  Jim was Ryder Flowers; they had very interesting, novelty flowers.  I wish he still grew flowers locally. 

 

We see Natal with his Natal Port. KB sales manager Tony Scalisi goes a long way back with Natal.  He is a customer and supplier.  His port is sweet, but I like it.

 

It is nice to see KB Mass Market Manager Karen Nakamura, Grower Jimmy Zheng and HR Manager Maria Ledesma get out together.  I enjoy working, eating and drinking with them.

 

WATSONVILLE ROSES

Once upon a time, Watsonville, CA was the top rose growing area in the USA; Kitayama Brothers was the largest grower.  Today there is one rose grower left in Watsonville, Pajarosa who grows beautiful roses.  

Pajarosa Roses Here is a display of their roses. 

ROSES

Roses area my favorite flower.  I have flirted with peonies, iris, lilies, gardenias, lisianthus, gerberas, etc., but carnations and roses defined Kitayama Brothers. Roses are the Queen of Flowers.   

I predict before I leave Kitayama Brothers, we will grow roses again.

RHK