As Wine Country harvest approaches, farmworkers continue to pay high pandemic price [North Bay Business Journal]
With the 2020 grape harvest approaching, growers and farmworker support groups face new evidence that agriculture workers are being hit hard by the coronavirus. … Trade groups Sonoma County Winegrowers and the Farm Bureau of Sonoma County provide COVID-19 prevention education, information and training opportunities through webinars, websites, printed materials and videos. … Kruse said a partnership between the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and Sonoma County Winegrowers has been convening Ag Stakeholder communications and outreach meetings and together are filming videos in Spanish of farmworkers talking about protocols to stay safe that can be shared peer to peer.
Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas to study COVID-19 impact on farmworkers [KION TV, Monterey/Salinas]
At Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, testing for COVID-19 happens fast and frequently. … “We want to know the risk factors as well as what we can do in terms of prevention,” said study coordinator with Clinic de Salud, Kimberly Parra. Parra is working to recruit around 5,000 local farmworkers for the study. In addition to gathering test results, she takes notes on each patient’s lifestyle. … Researchers at the University of California Berkley said the data will help them identify risk factors. Their goal is to eventually give recommendations that will increase safety for farmworkers.
This SLO County group is giving thousands of dollars to undocumented immigrants. Here’s why [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
… SLO County UndocuSupport was formed in April by a network of local nonprofit organizations, churches, public sector leaders and community volunteers. So far the program has collected about $150,000 so far through various philanthropic grants and donations to distribute $300 to $500 per undocumented person and up to $599 per family. … UndocuSupport coordinators say immigrants serve key roles in San Luis Obispo County’s agriculture industry, which contributed $2.5 billion overall to the local economy, according to a 2019 county Farm Bureau report.
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article244482882.html
Coronavirus: Need for food banks, gardens rising as pandemic halts supply [Chico Enterprise-Record]
Local concern about food availability is reflecting a national fear for strains on the food supply chain during the coronavirus. … The need for food can be seen in the number of people seeking assistance with monthly groceries. … Applications for Cal Fresh “nearly doubled,” in March and April, Butte County Employment and Social Services Assistant Director Ken Mackell said. Since then, applications have “dropped from what they were,” Mackell said. “Part of that is due to the $600 a week extra that people were getting for unemployment putting them over the limit. Since that ended in July, my thought is some more people might be coming back in.”
As US milk sales rise amid pandemic, “Got milk?” ads return [Associated Press]
… Six years after the popular tagline was retired, “Got milk?” ads are back. A dairy industry-funded group is reviving the campaign, hoping to prolong the boost milk has gotten during the pandemic. … Unlike the original “Got milk?” campaign, which debuted in 1994 and was known for its glossy photos of celebrities sporting milk mustaches, the new campaign reflects the age of social media. … From January through July 18, U.S. milk retail sales were up 8.3% to $6.4 billion, according to Nielsen. During the same period last year, milk sales were down 2.3%.
Shipments of ‘mystery seeds’ confirmed in Yuba-Sutter-Colusa [Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
… “It definitely has raised lots of interest and our phone rang non stop this morning,” said Lisa Herbert, Sutter County Agricultural Commissioner. … According to Herbert, the mysterious seeds are concerning because invasive species can devastate the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects, severely damage crops, and poison livestock. … As of Monday afternoon, Stephen Scheer, Yuba County Agricultural Commissioner, said there had been several seed shipments, approximately 30, reported in the bi-county area and more cases were reported in Colusa County.
