years in business
Acres of Scion
Acres of rootstock
clonal selections
cu ft cold storage
sq ft green houses
Our mission
Family owned and operated, Inland Desert Nursery supplies the cleanest and healthiest grape vines available to growers across North America. We also provide an extraordinarily high level of knowledgeable service to customers. Our success depends on helping growers develop sustainable, high-quality vineyards.
We are committed to supplying the cleanest and healthiest grapevines available to growers across North America.
Welcome to INLAND DESERT NURSERY
Inland Desert is a family-owned and operated grapevine nursery, vineyard and organic cherry orchard. The Judkins family has provided high quality vines to growers across North America for over 40 years.
Sourcing clean, healthy plants and choosing the right variety, clone and rootstock is key to building profitable, sustainable vineyards. Our experience farming and passion for growing clean, healthy plans gives us a unique advantage in growing the highest quality vines available.
Kevin & Andrea Judkins and their sons, Paxton, Sage and Parker
“Patient investment in quality and the long term view pay off for years and years – not just for a season.”
—Tom Judkins, Founder
Tom Judkins
Our founder, Tom Judkins, first propagated grape cuttings in his high school FFA class in Prosser, Washington. Decades before the wine industry blossomed in Washington State, Tom cared for Concord and Niagara starts in his parents’ backyard. With the support of Dr. Walter Clore, the “Father of Washington’s Viticulture”, Tom pioneered the establishment of the first certified wine grape Mother Blocks in Washington State.
Over forty years later, Tom’s vision, work ethic, and commitment to growers are the hallmarks of Inland Desert Nursery. Our family business takes pride in helping you plant successful vineyards with the cleanest material available. Our recent mother-block expansions, in accordance with Washington State Department of Agriculture standards, offer growers access to a wide portfolio of clean plant material.
Inland Desert Nursery is home to more than 150 acres of recently planted and aggressively maintained WSDA registered rootstock and scion Mother Blocks. We’re dedicated to propagating dormant, field grown, and green-potted vines from these clean sources.
TOM JUDKINS
Leadership
KEVIN JUDKINS
OWNER/CEO
ROBERT COOK
COO/CFO
ARACELY SANCHEZ
GENERAL MANAGER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MIZAEL MENDOZA
GENERAL MANAGER OF PRODUCTION
RYAN WELLS
SALES DIRECTOR
BRIAN JESSEN
SALES MANAGER
EMILY COVINGTON
CA SALES REPRESENTATIVE
HALEY TEBBE
CLEAN VINE MANAGEMENT LEAD
KYLE FERRERA
MOTHERBLOCK & VINEYARD MANAGER
J. ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ
FIELD NURSERY LEAD
RIGOBERTO MORENO
LEAD FOREMAN
SUSY LOPEZ
A/P & OFFICE LEAD
JENNY SAENZ
CUSTOMER SERVICE LEAD
MARIA GUTIERREZ
DATA INVENTORY MANAGEMENT LEAD
LUPITA SANTOS
OPERATIONS SUPPORT LEAD
JUAN SALGADO
VINEYARD LEAD
DAVID RIVERA
WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS LEAD
JANNET OREGEL
HR SUPPORT & TIMEKEEPER LEAD
JOSE MENDOZA
SHOP & EQUIPMENT LEAD
GABINO JIMENEZ
IRRIGATION LEAD
ARMANDO HERNANDEZ
CHERRY ORCHARD LEAD
Kevin graduated from Seattle University with a B.A. in Business Administration (Accounting). He was a member of Washington Ag Forestry’s Class 33, and has served on a variety of committees with a number of professional organizations, from the Washington Grape Society and National Clean Plant Network to the WSU Foundation Block Advisory Group and WA Grapevine Advisory Committee.
Robert Cook is the COO/CFO for Inland Desert Nursery. He is in charge of goal setting and directs all three departments of our organization: Administration, Production and Sales. In 2019, Robert brought over a decade of customer service, sales, operations, financial and business management experience to Inland Desert. Robert has a wife, two children and a dog, enjoys being a father and husband, learning, listening to music, and spending time outdoors with his family.
Aracely Sanchez, General Manager of Business Administration
Aracely began work with Inland Desert Nursery in 2011 after graduating from high school in the lower valley and studying at Heritage University.
Over 13 years she has contributed to the growth and expansion of Inland Desert Nursery in a wide variety of ways. Aracely currently serves as the General Manager of Business Administration, working in HR and Finance, and overseeing the business end of the business.
Mizael Mendoza, General Manager of Production
Mizael has worked with Inland Desert for more than seven years, from his first job in the Maintenance Shop through his current position. Mizael makes sure that everything that the nursery, vineyards and orchards need is on hand and in good running order.
Ryan Wells, Sales Director
Ryan’s training and experience are in vines — from a Horticulture degree from WSU to working with vineyards ever since. That includes experience as a viticulturist with Constellation Wines, Grower Relations for Ascentia Wine Estates and Viticulture Management for the Yakima Valley’s Hogue Ranches.
For more than eight years, Ryan’s main focus has been helping growers around the country get exactly the vines they need with an eye to both terroir and market.