COVID-19 rips through California motel rooms of guest workers who pick nation’s produce [Salinas Californian/CalMatters]
… A monthlong investigation by CalMatters and The Salinas Californian uncovered reports of six outbreaks among guest workers at seven companies in four counties across the state, sickening more than 350. … While these guest workers make up only about 5% of all farmworkers in the state, they are uniquely vulnerable to the virus because they typically live in tight quarters and may face systemic pressure that keeps them quiet. … California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said employers are hamstrung when it comes to housing guest workers in rural California. … “Regulations in many California communities make construction of any new housing difficult—especially new employee housing. State law has also created roadblocks to new H-2A housing.”
As California struggles with Covid-19, farmworkers are among most affected [Wall Street Journal]
Residents of the agriculture-rich Central Valley are falling victim to Covid-19 at the highest rates in California, endangering a largely immigrant workforce during harvest season and helping drive the state’s persistently high infection rate. … Bryan Little, director of employment policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation, a trade group for agriculture companies in the region, said it was illogical to punish workers who complained about Covid-19. “If we were to do that, we would very quickly have no workforce,” Mr. Little said.
‘We are all vulnerable right now.’ Latino Valley leaders call for farmworker COVID-19 aid [Fresno Bee]
… Facing an uphill battle due to a seasonal workforce shortage and COVID-19 outbreaks, some advocates and local leaders say state officials need to step up their efforts to help the agricultural industry’s employees. … Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen agreed more funding for testing and protective equipment were needed, but he said people who are getting tested were still getting their results back too late — about seven to nine days later. … Jacobsen said additional funding could help expedite the process and hopes to expand these services beyond the farms and prioritize them in rural areas.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/agriculture/article244950682.html
Strawberries fall in value, still king of Ventura County crops as newcomer hemp climbs onto list [Ventura County Star]
Strawberries held their spot as the No.1 crop in Ventura County last year amid a steep dip in gross value while newcomer hemp came in 10th in the annual rankings of top sellers. … Ventura County’s role in strawberry production on the West Coast is shrinking, said John Krist, CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, an advocacy organization for the local agricultural industry. … The Farm Bureau chief tied the stagnant results to an uncertain water supply plus harvesting difficulties because of ongoing shortages of farm labor.
IID facing another likely suit from another Abatti [Imperial Valley Press]
While one Abatti brother reportedly plans to take his long-standing quarrel with Imperial Irrigation District over water rights to the California Supreme Court, another one has prepared a claim against the district for revenue he said his business lost through reduced payouts in its water conservation program. Tuesday’s IID Board of Directors meeting agenda includes a memorandum from its human resources department regarding a financial damages claim against the district by El Centro farmer Jimmy Abatti’s Madjac Farms Inc.
New executive director named at Water Association of Kern County [Bakersfield Californian]
The Water Association of Kern County Board of Directors has named Jenny Bertagna Holtermann as the new executive director. … Holtermann, a fourth-generation California farmer and graduate of California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, has been a blogger, freelance writer and social media advocate as well as sales/grower relations specialist for several agricultural firms in the San Joaquin Valley including SunWorld International and Bayer Crop Science Vegetable Seed. She is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Partners in Advocacy Leadership Program and is a board member of the California Farm Bureau Federation, serving on several committees.
