California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Non-Video

  • California Strawberry Growers & Farm Workers Pick Safety

    Pick Safety is a new effort from the California Strawberry Commission to highlight farm worker safety and industry-leading training and safety practices by emphasizing that everybody is responsible to always pick safety.

    “Our new I Pick Safety logo reminds people to be safe and healthy, and it highlights why this is important,” said Carolyn O’Donnell, communications director of the Commission. “Incorporating the tag line ‘For Me. For All.’ keeps the focus on every person’s role in protecting our families—from kids to seniors, along with the community at large.”

    The Commission is highly respected for its award-winning food safety program, providing train-the-trainer, classroom and in-field training programs, as well as sustainability and a variety of workforce training and safety courses. As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic was identified, the Commission went straight to work, identifying how to keep workers safe and healthy, and working with government and medical experts to provide the best advice available to California strawberry farmers.

    The Commission’s website has become the go-to source for current information on the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation, specifically tailored for farms and farm workers (https://www.calstrawberry.com/en-us/Coronavirus). This website has a series of audio, video, visual aids, guidance, and other resources that are available in English and translated into Spanish and Mixtec to help farm workers stay safe on the job and at home. Many materials are printed and suitable for posting on the ranch.

    Over the past 60 days, the Commission staff has visited nearly every strawberry farm currently operating in California, and provided on-site training, signage and informative materials to keep farm workers healthy, highlighting the Centers for Disease Control guidance on creating a safer work environment, and how to protect oneself through daily activities.

    California’s 400+ family strawberry farms provide over 70,000 well-paying jobs and generate over $3.4 billion of annual economic impact. “Strawberries are one of the most labor-intensive crops, and strawberry farmers are working diligently to protect farm workers while providing a consistent supply of this nutritious fruit to consumers,” said  O’Donnell. “Many strawberry farmers started in the fields planting and picking berries. This gives them a unique perspective and they are very appreciative and protective of their workforce.”  

    The Commission’s efforts include information on increased illness prevention training (at home and work), adopting crew and schedule modifications to implement social distancing during harvest, increasing the amount of hand washing facilities and hand sanitizing stations available in the field, sanitizing field facilities and work stations more frequently and keeping a watchful eye on employee health.

    Strawberry farmers and field supervisors are also working to quickly identify any workers who may be exhibiting illness symptoms and are being trained to help them isolate the individual to avoid spreading the virus to others. In California, most strawberry farm workers have paid sick leave as well as health insurance.

    While COVID-19 presents new challenges, for many years farmers in California have operated under the most stringent standards in the nation, governing field sanitation and worker safety. These existing standards have provided an important basis for the I Pick Safety program as farmers move with expediency to adopt worker protection protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, maintain the health of our dedicated farm workers and ensure the safety of our food supply. The increased training and attention during this coronavirus pandemic should reassure consumers that wholesome and delicious strawberries will remain available for their families to enjoy.

    About California Strawberries:

    The California Strawberry Commission represents more than 400 strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors, proudly working together to advance strawberry farming for the future of our land and people. Commission programs create opportunities for success through groundbreaking programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, we deliver good news about sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms, and communities. California Strawberry Commission

  • Prima Wawona Empowers Stone Fruit Retailers with Key Category Data

    Prima® Wawona (prima.com), the largest stone fruit producer in the U.S., has partnered with a leading fresh produce strategic insight and research company to provide retailers with key stone fruit category data. These insights help retailers identify areas of growth and opportunity within the category and allow Prima® Wawona to develop programs specifically tailored to their retail partners. Leveraging Nielsen data from thousands of grocery stores throughout the United States, this service from Prima® Wawona enables retailers to customize their programs and promotions to achieve higher sales performance.

    “Our goal in everything we do is to help our retail partners provide consumers with the right quantities of the highest-quality stone fruit available,” said Ben Vived, Retail Sales Manager at Prima® Wawona. “Our category management program allows us to monitor national trends and analyze category data on a per-retailer basis to provide recommendations and keenly tailored retail programs. For example, we can see if a retailer isn’t experiencing the expected sales volumes on yellow peaches or if there’s a growth opportunity on white nectarines, and work with them to fill gaps and capitalize on opportunities.”

    Prima® Wawona reviews and analyzes data such as margins, the effect of price on sales volumes over time, retailer performance compared to the industry average, sales promotion performance, price gaps and more, segmented by commodity across the stone fruit category.

    “We’re the only producer offering this strategic data service so it’s a game-changer for retailers looking to serve existing customers and attract those who will buy organic—an increasingly important segment of the category,” added Dan Gerawan, CEO of Prima® Wawona. “We’re giving our retail partners insight on factors that drive success in this category, including how other leading retailers are performing, and that’s giving them a competitive edge in their market.”

    Prima® Wawona offers a full line of organic and conventional stone fruit under the Prima® and Sweet2Eat® brands, allowing retailers to meet demand for this important summer fruit category. For more information or to place an order, please call 559-528-4000 or email b.hammack@gerawan.com.

    About Prima® Wawona:

    Prima® Wawona is the largest producer of stone fruit in the U.S. Based in the heart of California’s central San Joaquin Valley, the company is a category leader both in terms of volume, quality, and the unique data insights and services it provides to retail partners to support them and promote their success. Prima® Wawona offers a full line of premium-quality organic and conventional stone fruit and citrus under the Prima®, Sweet2Eat®, Sweet2Eat® Organic and Sweet Value® brands, with a robust stone fruit season running from May through October. Visit prima.com to learn more.

  • Tree & Vine Growers Eligible for Ongoing Disaster Assistance for Drought, Wildfire, Etc.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started making payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program – Plus (WHIP+) to agricultural producers who suffered eligible losses because of drought or excess moisture in 2018 and 2019. Signup for these causes of loss opened March 23, and producers who suffered losses from drought (in counties designated D3 or above), excess moisture, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms or wildfires can still apply for assistance through WHIP+. 

    “To date, FSA has received more than 33,000 WHIP+ applications,” said Richard Fordyce, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “We want to remind producers that we are still accepting applications for WHIP+, and we encourage producers to call our offices for next steps on how to apply.”

    To be eligible for WHIP+, producers must have suffered losses of certain crops, trees, bushes or vines in counties with a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or a Secretarial Disaster Designation (primary counties only) for qualifying natural disaster events that occurred in calendar years 2018 or 2019. Also, losses located in a county not designated by the Secretary as a primary county may be eligible if a producer provides documentation showing that the loss was due to a qualifying natural disaster event.

    For losses due to drought, a producer is eligible if any area of the county in which the loss occurred was rated D3, or extreme drought, or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor during calendar years 2018 or 2019. Producers who suffered losses should contact their FSA county office. 

    In addition to the recently added eligible losses of drought and excess moisture, FSA will implement a WHIP+ provision for crop quality loss that resulted in price deductions or penalties when marketing crops damaged by eligible disaster events. To ensure an effective program for all impacted farmers, the Agency is currently gathering information on the extent of quality loss from producers and stakeholder organizations.

    USDA Service Centers, including FSA county offices, are open for business by phone only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information on Service Centers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus, and more information on WHIP+ can be found at Remind.

  • Honey Bee & Pollinator Facility Officially Opened

    Washington State University celebrated the opening of its new Honey Bee & Pollinator Research, Extension, and Education Facility today with a formal ribbon cutting and self-guided tours of the building.

    “This new facility will be a tremendous benefit to our WSU bee and pollinator researchers as well as the beekeeping and agricultural industries in Washington and around the world,” said André-Denis Wright, dean of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. “The support we’ve had from donors like the Hiatt family, Ken and Sue Christianson, and Eric and Sue Olson, and groups like the Washington State Beekeepers Association has made this possible. We look forward to developing these important relationships as our scientists work to help save the bees.”

    The nearly 50-acre property, which WSU bought this winter, will house most of WSU’s Honey Bee and Pollinator program, which is part of the Department of Entomology. Over $3 million has been raised and fundraising is continuing to expand the impact of the Honey Bee and Pollinator program.

    “Our industry needs to support the science WSU researchers are doing,” said Tim Hiatt, co-owner of Hiatt Honey Co. “We’re happy to have helped secure this new home for them and are looking forward to the valuable research that will come out of it.”

    It’s not just beekeepers that will benefit, but the agriculture industry as a whole.

    “The seed crops we grew are so dependent on healthy pollinators,” said Ken Christianson, a retired seed grower and WSU alum. “The WSU bee program and the work they do is so essential to the future of agriculture and feeding the planet.”

    Research Work

    The 2020 season for WSU bee scientists will mostly be focused on getting moved in and set up as well as increasing their stock of honey bees. One of the biggest benefits of the new location is being able to have a commercial-sized number of colonies.

    “Having more colonies allows us to do larger field studies on a wide variety of topics,” said Steve Sheppard, P. F. Thurber Endowed Professor of Pollinator Ecology in WSU’s Department of Entomology. “We’re working on scaling up our fungi research to a commercially relevant scale, plus we hope to collaborate more with the seed production industry.”

    The program has indoor cold storage chambers already located in Othello that will be used to ramp up previous work researchers have done on a smaller scale. Now they can test the impact of in-season bee hibernation to fight varroa mites, one of the major causes of colony collapse, on a commercial scale.

    New Projects Possible With More Support

    The new property has two other structures that the bee program plans to make the most of: a greenhouse and a large building with netting inside.

    While they both will require updates to be functional, they will allow the program to expand its research into working with other pollinators like bumblebees and other native pollinators.

    The program is now fundraising to allow for new projects, and the scientists feel their research track record will instill confidence in future donors.

    This summer, WSU will host its annual beekeeping short course at the new facility, allowing both classes and bees to be located in the same place.

  • NMSU Determining Combination of Native Flowers to Attract Different Pollinators

    Pollinator insects play a critical role in the agricultural world. Without their natural transference of pollen from plant to plant while obtaining nutrients, many types of vegetables and fruit for human consumption would not exist.
     
    More than 80 percent of plants are pollinated by animals, mainly insects. In recent years, there has been a decline in pollinator insects for many reasons, one being the decline or loss of habitat.

    This is one area people can help support pollinator populations, by growing native flowering plants from which the pollinators obtain protein and lipids from the pollen, and carbohydrates and amino acids from the nectar.

    Researchers at New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences are studying the activity of insects, both pollinator and beneficial, around native plants to determine what mix of flowering cultivars will attract the different insect types.

    “We have evaluated 22 different perennial native plants in seven different mixes, or combinations,” said Miranda Kersten, senior program specialist at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas, of the study that began in 2017. “For the last two summers, we have done visual observations where we record the number of different insect groups visiting the flower, and taken vacuum samples from each of the plots to see which species are attracted to the plants.”

    From the current study, which is supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Extension Implementation Program grant, the researchers can suggest plants to attract bumble bees, large and small native bees, and natural enemies of pests such as the ladybeetles, syrphid flies, and large and small wasps.

    “The flowers range in color from various shades of purple and pink, to orange, yellow and white,” Kersten said. “We did not use red flowers because insects don’t see that color well and are less attracted to the blossoms.”

    When planning a pollinator garden, it is important to include plants that flower at different times of the season. 

    “All during the season, bees are busy collecting nectar and pollen, depending if they are honey bees or native bees, to feed their babies during the winter,” said Amanda Skidmore, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service small farm integrated pest management specialist. 

    “Spring blooms help the early emerging pollinators,” she said. “Blooms throughout the summer that are different colors and shapes help attract the insects while they are building their nest. Fall blooms help them store up an energy source for their babies’ development.”

    Bees are considered to be the most efficient pollinator. They are the only pollinator that feeds on pollen/nectar as larvae and adults.

    “Some of our native bees are generalists, visiting many types of flowers, while others are specialists, visiting a specific species,” Skidmore said. “Bumblebees are generalists that are active from early spring to late fall, while different species of native bees are active in different times of the year.”

    A little-known fact is that New Mexico has more than 1,000 unique native bee species – the third-highest number in the nation behind California and Arizona.

    During the project, the researchers learned that Riddell’s ragwort was the latest-blooming flower of the plants included in the study and it was highly visited by bees and wasps in the fall. Plants with extra-floral nectaries, such as Rocky Mountain penstemon, can provide additional resources through the growing season and benefit a variety of insects.

    To learn more about identifying these beneficial insect groups, visit https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H172/welcome.html for the Extension publication “Backyard Beneficial Insects of New Mexico.” — By Jane Moorman, New Mexico State University

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans Now Available to Ag

    U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal will reopen today as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the President one week ago, provided additional funding for farmers and ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    “For more than 30 years, SBA has been prohibited by law from providing disaster assistance to agricultural businesses; however, as a result of the unprecedented legislation enacted by President Trump, American farmers, ranchers and other agricultural businesses will now have access to emergency working capital,” said Administrator Carranza. “These low-interest, long-term loans will help keep agricultural businesses viable while bringing stability to the nation’s vitally important food supply chains.”

    Agricultural businesses include businesses engaged in the legal production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). Eligible agricultural businesses must have 500 or fewer employees.

    The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

    For more information, please visit: www.sba.gov/Disaster.

  • CAL/OSHA COVID-19 Infection Prevention for Ag Employers & Employees

    California employers are required to establish and implement an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) to protect employees from all worksite hazards, including infectious diseases. This guidance contains information, recommendations, and requirements for agricultural employers on how to update their IIPPs to include preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This guidance does not introduce any new legal obligations, but because COVID-19 is widespread in the community, most California workplaces must consider the disease a workplace hazard.

    Employee Training on COVID-19

    Agricultural employers must provide training in a way that is readily understandable by all employees. Employees should be trained on the following topics:

    • Information related to COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including:

    o   What COVID-19 is and how it is spread.

    o   Preventing the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick.

    o   Symptoms of COVID-19 and when to seek medical attention.

    • Information fromCalifornia’s COVID-19 Response Webpage for additional resources, including ones in Spanish.
    • The importance of frequent hand-washing with soap and water, including:

    o   Following CDC guidelines to wash for at least 20 seconds.

    o   When employees arrive at work and before they leave work.

    o   Before and after eating or using the toilet.

    o   After close interaction with other persons.

    o   After contacting shared surfaces or tools.

    o   Before and after wearing masks or gloves.

    o   After blowing nose or sneezing.

    • That hand sanitizer is not as effective ashand-washing but can be used as an interim measure if a hand-washing station is not immediately available.
    • Methods to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
    • Coughing and sneezing etiquette, including covering a cough or sneeze with a tissue or a sleeve instead of a hand.
    • Safely using cleaners and disinfectants on surfaces and objects, which includes:

    o   Carefully following label directions.

    o   Assessing the hazards of all cleaners and disinfectants used at the worksite.

    o   Wearing personal protective equipment (such as gloves).

    o   Ensuring cleaners and disinfectants are used in a manner that does not endanger employees.

    • Limiting close contact with others as much
      as possible and maintaining safe physical distancing (see Physical Distancing information on next page).
    • The importance of not coming to work if theyhave a frequent cough, fever, or difficulty breathing, or if they live with or have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
    • The employer’s plan and procedures to protect employees from COVID-19 illness.

    Procedures to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 at the Worksite

    IIPP administrators should establish and implement the following procedures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

    • Immediately send employees with acute respiratory illness symptoms home or to medical care as needed.
    • Establish procedures to notify local healthofficials upon learning that someone has a COVID-19 infection. These officials will help employers determine a course of action.
    • Encourage sick workers to stay home by not punishing them for missing work. Considersick leave benefits to help prevent the spread among workers who might otherwise work out of economic necessity. Educate eligible employees on other benefits they can access if symptoms, illness, or caring for an ill family member prevents them from working.
    • Make hand-washing stations more readily available and encourage their use. Employers are advised that hand-washing is compensable as nonproductive time for piece-rate workers.
    • Establish procedures to routinely clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and objects (e.g., water containers, steering wheels, shared tools, shared work stations, door handles, seat belts, insides of toilet facilities) throughout the workday. These procedures should include:

    o   Using products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19.

    o   Providing EPA-registered disposable wipes for employees to wipe down commonly used surfaces before use.

    o   Following the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., safety requirements, protective equipment, concentration, contact time).

    o   Ensuring there are adequate supplies to support cleaning and disinfection practices.

    Procedures to Increase Physical Distancing

    Physical distancing is an infection control measure that can stop or slow down the spread
    of an infectious disease by limiting contact between people. Safe physical distancing means maintaining a distance of at least six feet from other people. Agricultural employers should use the following physical distancing measures to stop or slow down the spread of COVID-19:

    • Physical distancing should be practiced, whether outdoors, in vehicles, or in structures.
    • Establish work practices and work stations, and adjust line speed and other processes to enable employees to maintain safe physical distancing while working.
    • Stagger break and lunch times.
    • Limit crew size by staggering work shifts or increasing the number of work shifts.
    • Provide additional seating and shade structures to allow employees to take breaks while staying at least six feet apart.
    • Encourage employees to avoid large gatherings and practice physical distancing during non-work hours. Employers who house workers are encouraged to be proactive in making physical distancing possible and totake affirmative steps to quarantine any housed worker exhibiting symptoms.
    • Establish a location for receiving regulardeliveries away from on-farm high-traffic areas and housing.

    o   Place drop-boxes or drop-off locations near the road so vehicles do not need to enter the farm.

    Health experts do not recommend the use of respirators by the general public or the general workforce for COVID-19. However, if available, employers should provide them to agricultural workers when needed to protect workers against excessive dust, Coccidioides fungus (the source of Valley Fever), or other harmful agents.

    • Create specific instructions for deliveries.

    o   Provide suppliers and customers with the location of and all the procedures to be used at the drop-off point.

    o   Create signage to easily identify drop-off points. Include contact information on the signs to assist with questions leading up to delivery and upon arrival.

    Good Sanitation Practices

    • 
Agricultural employers must ensure bathrooms and hand-washing facilities are readily accessible to all employees at all times.

    o   Restrooms must be clean and sanitary.

    o   Hand-washing facilities must be located at or near the restrooms.

    o   Soap or other suitable cleansing agent and single-use towels must be provided.

    o   Additional hand-washing supplies should be placed as close to work areas as possible to allow for frequent hand-washing.

    o   Enough time must be allowed for frequent hand-washing.

    o   Due to increased hand-washing, the employer should frequently check the supply of soap, paper towels, and toilet paper, and replenish them before they run out.

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans Now Available to Ag

    U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal will reopen today as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the President one week ago, provided additional funding for farmers and ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    “For more than 30 years, SBA has been prohibited by law from providing disaster assistance to agricultural businesses; however, as a result of the unprecedented legislation enacted by President Trump, American farmers, ranchers and other agricultural businesses will now have access to emergency working capital,” said Administrator Carranza. “These low-interest, long-term loans will help keep agricultural businesses viable while bringing stability to the national’s vitally important food supply chains.”

    Agricultural businesses include businesses engaged in the legal production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). Eligible agricultural businesses must have 500 or fewer employees.

    The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

    For more information, please visit: www.sba.gov/Disaster.

  • CAL/OSHA COVID-19 Infection Prevention for Ag Employers & Employees

    California employers are required to establish and implement an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) to protect employees from all worksite hazards, including infectious diseases. This guidance contains information, recommendations, and requirements for agricultural employers on how to update their IIPPs to include preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This guidance does not introduce any new legal obligations, but because COVID-19 is widespread in the community, most California workplaces must consider the disease a workplace hazard.

    Employee Training on COVID-19

    Agricultural employers must provide training in a way that is readily understandable by all employees. Employees should be trained on the following topics:

    • Information related to COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including:

    o   What COVID-19 is and how it is spread.

    o   Preventing the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick.

    o   Symptoms of COVID-19 and when to seek medical attention.

    • Information from California’s COVID-19 Response Webpage for additional resources, including ones in Spanish.
    • The importance of frequent hand-washing with soap and water, including:

    o   Following CDC guidelines to wash for at least 20 seconds.

    o   When employees arrive at work and before they leave work.

    o   Before and after eating or using the toilet.

    o   After close interaction with other persons.

    o   After contacting shared surfaces or tools.

    o   Before and after wearing masks or gloves.

    o   After blowing nose or sneezing.

    • That hand sanitizer is not as effective ashand-washing but can be used as an interim measure if a hand-washing station is not immediately available.
    • Methods to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
    • Coughing and sneezing etiquette, including covering a cough or sneeze with a tissue or a sleeve instead of a hand.
    • Safely using cleaners and disinfectants on surfaces and objects, which includes:

    o   Carefully following label directions.

    o   Assessing the hazards of all cleaners and disinfectants used at the worksite.

    o   Wearing personal protective equipment (such as gloves).

    o   Ensuring cleaners and disinfectants are used in a manner that does not endanger employees.

    • Limiting close contact with others as much
      as possible and maintaining safe physical distancing (see Physical Distancing information on next page).
    • The importance of not coming to work if theyhave a frequent cough, fever, or difficulty breathing, or if they live with or have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
    • The employer’s plan and procedures to protect employees from COVID-19 illness.

    Procedures to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 at the Worksite 

    IIPP administrators should establish and implement the following procedures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

    • Immediately send employees with acute respiratory illness symptoms home or to medical care as needed.
    • Establish procedures to notify local healthofficials upon learning that someone has a COVID-19 infection. These officials will help employers determine a course of action.
    • Encourage sick workers to stay home by not punishing them for missing work. Considersick leave benefits to help prevent the spread among workers who might otherwise work out of economic necessity. Educate eligible employees on other benefits they can access if symptoms, illness, or caring for an ill family member prevents them from working.
    • Make hand-washing stations more readily available and encourage their use. Employers are advised that hand-washing is compensable as nonproductive time for piece-rate workers.
    • Establish procedures to routinely clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and objects (e.g., water containers, steering wheels, shared tools, shared work stations, door handles, seat belts, insides of toilet facilities) throughout the workday. These procedures should include:

    o   Using products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19.

    o   Providing EPA-registered disposable wipes for employees to wipe down commonly used surfaces before use.

    o   Following the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., safety requirements, protective equipment, concentration, contact time).

    o   Ensuring there are adequate supplies to support cleaning and disinfection practices.

    Procedures to Increase Physical Distancing

    Physical distancing is an infection control measure that can stop or slow down the spread
    of an infectious disease by limiting contact between people. Safe physical distancing means maintaining a distance of at least six feet from other people. Agricultural employers should use the following physical distancing measures to stop or slow down the spread of COVID-19:

    • Physical distancing should be practiced, whether outdoors, in vehicles, or in structures.
    • Establish work practices and work stations, and adjust line speed and other processes to enable employees to maintain safe physical distancing while working.
    • Stagger break and lunch times.
    • Limit crew size by staggering work shifts or increasing the number of work shifts.
    • Provide additional seating and shade structures to allow employees to take breaks while staying at least six feet apart.
    • Encourage employees to avoid large gatherings and practice physical distancing during non-work hours. Employers who house workers are encouraged to be proactive in making physical distancing possible and totake affirmative steps to quarantine any housed worker exhibiting symptoms.
    • Establish a location for receiving regulardeliveries away from on-farm high-traffic areas and housing.

    o   Place drop-boxes or drop-off locations near the road so vehicles do not need to enter the farm.

    Health experts do not recommend the use of respirators by the general public or the general workforce for COVID-19. However, if available, employers should provide them to agricultural workers when needed to protect workers against excessive dust, Coccidioides fungus (the source of Valley Fever), or other harmful agents.

    • Create specific instructions for deliveries.

    o   Provide suppliers and customers with the location of and all the procedures to be used at the drop-off point.

    o   Create signage to easily identify drop-off points. Include contact information on the signs to assist with questions leading up to delivery and upon arrival.

    Good Sanitation Practices

    • 
Agricultural employers must ensure bathrooms and hand-washing facilities are readily accessible to all employees at all times.

    o   Restrooms must be clean and sanitary.

    o   Hand-washing facilities must be located at or near the restrooms.

    o   Soap or other suitable cleansing agent and single-use towels must be provided.

    o   Additional hand-washing supplies should be placed as close to work areas as possible to allow for frequent hand-washing.

    o   Enough time must be allowed for frequent hand-washing.

    o   Due to increased hand-washing, the employer should frequently check the supply of soap, paper towels, and toilet paper, and replenish them before they run out.

  • Western Growers Launches Leafy Green Food Safety Website

    Answering the nation’s call for enhanced food safety measures, Western Growers (WG) has developed a website to facilitate changes to the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA)-approved Leafy Green Food Safety Guidelines: www.leafygreenguidance.com. The interactive website now easily allows the public to participate in routine discussions and process amendments that will ensure continuous improvement of the leafy green food safety preventive practices.

    “As an industry leader in produce safety, Western Growers remains committed to driving the evolution of guidance for preventive food safety programs in leafy greens as well as other commodities,” said Sonia Salas, WG’s assistant vice president of food safety, science & technology. “In a time where COVID-19 is top of mind for all industries, Western Growers is committed to ensuring that the important work of improving food safety continues with broad agricultural industry engagement and complete transparency among leafy green growers. This website will ensure access to that process.”

    In 2007 following the E. coli O157:H7 spinach outbreak, WG, working with the leafy green industry, facilitated the development of written best practices for the safe production and harvest of leafy greens, currently known as the Commodity Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production and Harvest of Lettuce and Leafy Greens (Leafy Green Guidelines). These guidelines were subsequently adopted by both the California and Arizona LGMAs as the best practices for leafy green growers selling to handlers in their states. Since its first publication, the Leafy Green Guidelines have been updated many times as new research has become available and practices have evolved. This website provides an avenue to systemically amend these best practices and allows users to easily submit comments. A new comment period opens in April 2020.
     
    In addition to simplifying the Leafy Green Food Safety Guidelines amendment process, the website also offers the following:
    • Master Calendar: calendar that outlines the comment period and deadlines for issues related to agricultural water, field sanitation, soil amendments and concentrated animal feeding operations; entire amendment process at a glance
    • LGMA Final Document: commodity-specific food safety guidelines for the production and harvest of lettuce and leafy greens
    • Leafy Green Info Sheet: document explaining how the Leafy Green Food Safety Guidelines amendment process works and the importance of continual incorporation of new science and information


     About Western Growers:
    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.