CALLAHAN, Fla. — While growing up on her family farm, Bailey Walker from Callahan, Fla. never thought she would turn the pastures into her own business: Tuscan Rose Vineyards.
"Some things that students do on the weekend are not the same that I do on the weekend," Walker said. "I work 16 hour days on wedding days," she said.
When Walker isn't taking care of her cows and horses, she's planning weddings and planting branches in the vineyard, acting as the on-site operation supervisor.
Walker runs Tuscan Rose Vineyards with her family, on top of being a full-time college student at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business and Technology. It's what she has been doing throughout her college career to guarantee she would have a job in agritourism.
“I do hear on social media and on TikTok and things like that, that there [are students who] went to college, spent so much money on college, and can't get a job,” Walked told First Coast News.
This is a reality some of Walker's classmates will face when they graduate in May. According to a study done by Intelligent in 2022, only 46% of college graduates say they currently work in their field of study.
Walker's marketing professor, Irina Toteva, says taking the risk of this business venture will allow walker to use her degree, even before graduating.
“Bailey is in the target market of the ideal customer for this business and this is huge for marketing because she can put herself in the shoes of a bride,” Toteva said.
Since opening Tuscan Rose Vineyards, Walker says the business has quadrupled. She's encouraging herself to start construction of a new winery that will open by the end of the year.
“This land, this agriculture, this business will be here forever and generations to come, and I hope that I can give my kids the same opportunities my mom has given me,” Walker said.
Tuscan Rose Vineyards plans to finish constructing their new winery by December.