COVID-19 exposure: Monterey County issues recommendations for farmworkers [Monterey Herald]
Monterey County officials and agricultural leaders released advisory recommendations for farmworkers and other employees in an effort to better protect them from coronavirus exposure, which comes as the industry continues to experience chronic labor shortages. … The county’s new advisory adds voluntary enhanced worker health and safety measures, officials said in a press release. … The recommendations outline employee hygiene, ill employees, routine cleanings, as well as training, changes to process, and limiting non-essential visits and travel, the advisory says.
Opinion: Immigrant farmworkers feed us despite the coronavirus pandemic. They deserve better [Sacramento Bee]
… In the midst of a global pandemic, one of California’s most marginalized populations – farmworkers – is being asked to work. … When the crisis passes, maybe we will appreciate the role these workers play in our basic sustenance. Hopefully, we can then agree to do better by farmworkers and afford them the fair treatment they have long been denied. If farmworkers are essential enough to be told to keep working, then it’s only right to honor their work with fair pay and equal rights.
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article241341626.html
California’s rural hospitals can’t handle a coronavirus wave. ‘People will die,’ doctor warns [Sacramento Bee]
… Scattered across the vast rural areas of the state, often hours from major cities or the midsize towns that serve as rural “medical hubs,” these small facilities inhabit the quietest corners of the state. … Experts say that on a good day, these facilities — often serving populations that tend to be older and infirm — lack the staffing and resources to handle a sudden influx of people needing critical care. They’re particularly at risk of getting swamped with COVID-19 patients if the predictions hold true in the coming weeks.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article241383646.html
San Diego farmers find new models for marketing food [San Diego Union Tribune]
San Diego farmers devised inventive ways to get their produce to customers last week, as they struggled with confusing information on the status of farmers’ markets. “Our farmers are adapting to an ever-evolving situation that we are all dealing with right now, so they are implementing a number of different creative ideas to get their produce to the market and get fresh, local food into the hands of our population,” said Hannah Gbeh, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2020-03-22/san-diego-farmers-markets
A happy little miracle in dark times: The plant nursery business is booming [Los Angeles Times]
… People are clamoring to plant vegetable gardens, and Southern California nurseries — deemed an essential service by state and local officials — have found creative ways to meet the demand while keeping customers and staff at a safe distance amid coronavirus concerns. Multiple nurseries in Southern California are now offering online or phone orders for customers skittish about coming inside. Customers can pick up their orders in business parking lots and some nurseries are even delivering orders to homes.
Opinion: Count on Kern County Farm Bureau to continue bringing you food [Bakersfield Californian]
This is certainly an interesting time in our history, and the admittedly tiresome situation has altered considerably “business as usual” for most of our lives. Fortunately for our community, Kern’s resource economies continue to work hard to provide a safe and reliable food supply even in times of economic uncertainty. … From the Kern County Farm Bureau, thank you to all of our professionals who continue to work tirelessly through these strange days. Farmers will do the same and will continue doing what we do best: growing a safe and reliable food supply for our fellow Americans.
