Jim operates Maverick Farming Company and Hampton Farming Company, LLC, wine business management and consulting companies specialized in vineyard and winery management, business, and property development. He also operates Growers Ag Labor, LLC, a farm labor contracting business, in addition to running his own Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard in San Miguel, CA, Pleasant Ridge Vineyard.
Raised in the Santa Maria Valley, Jim attended St. Joseph's High School and furthered his education at UC Davis to study engineering and play baseball. Jim was drawn to grape farming, because of the lifestyle and opportunities available on the Central Coast. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Crop Science and Management with an emphasis in Pest Control and Viticulture and becoming a Pest Control Advisor, Jim came back to the Central Coast to operate a number of SIP certified vineyards.
Jim's experience includes:
- San Antonio Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Alternate Director
- Cachuma Resource Conservation District, Director
- Dean Brown Leadership Foundation, Director
- Orcutt Babe Ruth, Board Member
- California Agricultural Leadership Program, Class of 2006
Former leadership positions include:
- Orcutt American Little League, Director, President
- Central Coast Vineyard Team, Director
- Central Coast Wine Growers Association, Director, Treasurer
- Food Bank of Santa Barbara County, Board of Trustees
- Santa Barbara County Agricultural Advisory Committee, Member
- Allan Hancock College, Ag Business 122 Vineyard Operations, Instructor
Aside from farming, Jim enjoys sports with his twin boys A.J. and Jack. Baseball has always been a big part of Jim's life, and coaching and watching his boys develop into great players and team leaders has been a fantastic experience.