California farmworkers endure harsh conditions, wildfires and the coronavirus [KTVU TV, Oakland]
From oppressive heat, to wildfires and smoke, all amid the coronavirus pandemic, California farmworkers are putting their lives on the line and facing greater risks in 2020. … Despite efforts to keep clean, data shows fieldworkers, many who are Latino, are three to four times more likely to get sick with the virus. … In many ways, agricultural workers can only work with what they’re given and investigations into produce companies’ operations are scarce. … Advocates for farmworkers argue there’s still a lack of protective equipment, improper pay or long hours that may go unchecked or unreported.
California work safety agency’s response to COVID complaints: letters, not inspections [CalMatters/Salinas Californian]
… During the pandemic, Cal/OSHA has defaulted to responding to the vast majority of worker complaints about coronavirus hazards with letters rather than on-site inspections, even as workplace outbreaks have fueled the spread of the virus across the state. … The low inspection rate raises questions about how many COVID hazards the agency may have allowed to persist, and how many negligent employers may have been given a free pass, despite endangering their employees’ lives. … Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker responded that Cal/OSHA has “tried to focus our efforts on industries where there are low wage and immigrant workers,” like agriculture.
A smaller harvest spells trouble for Napa Valley’s agricultural workforce [Napa Valley Register]
… A harvest interrupted by smoke has negative implications for the whole of Napa Valley’s wine industry — vintners and grape growers, yes, but also the staff they employ in tasting rooms, cellars and winemaking facilities. … But farmworkers’ income directly correlates with the amount of fruit picked, according to Michael Wolf, who owns an eponymous vineyard management company in Napa, which puts them in an especially vulnerable position this year. The more fruit rejected, the less work there will be — and the more dire the situation for the agricultural workforce becomes.
Catastrophic Glass Fire marks new, dangerous era for Napa wine industry [San Francisco Chronicle]
…The implications ripple through every facet of life here. … And it endangers the viability of the wine itself: In 2020, due to complications of fire and smoke, as much as 80% of Napa Valley’s Cabernet Sauvignon grapes may, by one estimate, not ever be made into wine. A wildfire in Wine Country has the power to destroy not only buildings — but also the region’s economic and cultural fabric. … Despite the extent of the losses, most of the 215 wineries within Napa Valley’s evacuation zones were still standing by the time the Glass Fire was reaching a stable containment level, one week later. … But the hard questions were only starting to surface.
Ocean patterns help scientists forecast drought, water flow in the Colorado river [United Press International]
By analyzing what researchers call “long-term ocean memory,” scientists have been able to identify connections between flow rates in the Colorado River and sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The breakthrough analysis — described Friday in the journal Communications Earth and Environment — allowed scientists to develop a forecasting model capable of predicting the Colorado River water supply on multi-year timescales. … Access to more accurate long-term forecasting models could aid water resource management decisions.
Protecting the walnut [Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
As one of the highest grossing commodities in Yuba and Sutter counties, walnuts are a big deal in the area. But so is walnut theft, so ordinances were enacted years ago to protect the crop. … Lisa Herbert, Sutter County agricultural commissioner, said the price of walnuts reached record highs in 2014 and, with the price so high, many wanted in on the profits — including thieves. … To deter such illegal activities and gain some control to protect walnut growers and the industry, many counties started enacting nut theft ordinances around this time.
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