Western Growers Board of Directors’ nomination ballots were emailed to all regular members for the two-year term through 2022. Our new, secure online voting platform replaces the old paper-ballot system and focuses on privacy, security and verifiability—all of which are paramount to hosting an honest election. 

The nomination ballot is the first step in a two-part process. It lists prospective candidates from your district for inclusion on the official ballot. The official ballot will be emailed to you in September in order to vote to fill the allotted board seats.

As a regular member of Western Growers, your participation in the process of electing the board of directors is critical to our continued relevancy and influence. It is through your involvement in this process that board members are elected to serve your district and the entire membership on the key issues facing our industry. 

Please check your email for your secure online nomination ballot and complete no later than June 19, 2020. 

For any questions regarding the election process, please contact Kim Sherman at (949) 885-2265 or email [email protected].

Western Growers Board of Directors’ nomination ballots were emailed to all regular members for the two-year term through 2022. Our new, secure online voting platform replaces the old paper-ballot system and focuses on privacy, security and verifiability—all of which are paramount to hosting an honest election. 

The nomination ballot is the first step in a two-part process. It lists prospective candidates from your district for inclusion on the official ballot. The official ballot will be emailed to you in September in order to vote to fill the allotted board seats.

As a regular member of Western Growers, your participation in the process of electing the board of directors is critical to our continued relevance and influence. It is through your involvement in this process that board members are elected to serve your district and the entire membership on the key issues facing our industry. 

Please check your email for your secure online nomination ballot and complete no later than June 26, 2020. 

For any questions regarding the election process, please contact Kim Sherman at (949) 885-2265 or email [email protected].

As previously reported in Spotlight, the Western Growers Board of Director’s nomination ballots are due Friday, June 26.

Western Growers Board of Directors’ nomination ballots were emailed to all regular members for the two-year term through 2022. Our new, secure online voting platform replaces the old paper-ballot system and focuses on privacy, security and verifiability—all of which are paramount to hosting an honest election. 

The nomination ballot is the first step in a two-part process. It lists prospective candidates from your district for inclusion on the official ballot. The official ballot will be emailed to you in September in order to vote to fill the allotted board seats.

As a regular member of Western Growers, your participation in the process of electing the board of directors is critical to our continued relevance and influence. It is through your involvement in this process that board members are elected to serve your district and the entire membership on the key issues facing our industry. 

Please check your email for your secure online nomination ballot and complete no later than June 26, 2020. 

For any questions regarding the election process, please contact Kim Sherman at (949) 885-2265 or email [email protected].

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) have released joint guidance to protect agriculture workers from COVID-19.

Agricultural employers can adopt these recommendations to protect workers at their particular work sites or in specific work operations.

Western Growers is currently working with key government agencies and industry stakeholders to develop additional educational and training materials for employers in the fresh produce industry. These additional resources will be available soon.

According to the guidance, agriculture work sites, shared worker housing, and shared worker transportation vehicles present unique challenges for preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19. Consistent application of specific preparation, prevention, and management measures can help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Key points in the guidance include:

• Create a COVID_19 assessment and control plan. Management in the agriculture industry should conduct work site assessments to identify coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risks and infection prevention strategies to protect workers.
• Work site guidance for COVID-19 prevention and control should be taken into consideration in employer-furnished shared worker housing, transportation vehicles and work settings.
• Prevention practices should follow the hierarchy of controls, which includes using source control and a combination of engineering controls, administrative controls (especially proper sanitation, cleaning, and disinfection), and personal protective equipment.
• Grouping workers together into cohorts may reduce the spread of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace by minimizing the number of different individuals who come into close contact with each other over the course of a week, and may also reduce the number of workers quarantined because of exposure to the virus.
• Owners/operators should maximize opportunities to place farmworkers residing together in the same vehicles for transportation and in the same cohorts to limit exposure.
• Basic information and training about infection prevention should be provided to all farmworkers in languages they can understand.
• Agriculture work sites developing plans for continuing operations where COVID-19 is spreading among workers or in the surrounding community should work directly with appropriate state and local public health officials and occupational safety and health professionals.

Click here to access the joint guidance for COVID-19.

On June 9, at 12:00 p.m. PT, USDA will host a webinar for specialty crop producers interested in learning more about the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and how to submit additional commodities for USDA consideration through the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process. 

The deadline to sign up for CFAP is August 28, 2020, while the deadline to submit additional commodities for USDA consideration is June 22, 2020.

Visit the FSA webinar page for the registration link, which is coming soon.

Please be reminded of the CFAP Call Center available for producers who would like additional one-on-one support with the CFAP application process. Call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance.

Click here for information on how to submit additional commodities for inclusion in CFAP.

Of the $1.4 billion in relief checks already provided to more than 80,000 farmers and ranchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, less than $25 million (less than 2%) has been allocated to specialty crop producers.

As part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to provide $16 billion in direct payments. As of June 8, the breakdown in assistance is as follows:

• Livestock: $676 million
• Non-Specialty Crops: $368 million
• Dairy: $337 million
• Specialty Crops: $25 million
• Total: $1.4 billion

The weekly report provided by USDA shows that most of the payments have gone to Midwestern farmers. In Western Growers member states, specialty crop farmers have received:

• California: $5.9 million
• New Mexico: $1.5 million
• Arizona: $700,000
• Colorado: $0

Western Growers members are encouraged to explore the USDA direct payment program to determine eligibility.

Background

CFAP provides financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

Eligibility

For eligible specialty crops, the total payment will be based on the volume of production sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020; the volume of production shipped, but unpaid; and the number of acres for which harvested production did not leave the farm or mature product destroyed or not harvested during that same time period, and which have not and will not be sold.

Eligible specialty crops include:

• Fruits: apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons
• Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, dry onions, green onions, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, taro
• Nuts: almonds, pecans, walnuts
• Other: beans, mushrooms

Additional crops may be deemed eligible at a later date.

Applying for Assistance

Producers can apply for assistance beginning on May 26, 2020. Additional information and application forms can be found at farmers.gov/cfap. Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.

USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with agricultural producers by phone and using email and online tools whenever possible.

On Tuesday, June 9, Western Growers, United Fresh Produce Association and the American Frozen Food Institute held an industry stakeholder discussion to review COVID-19 guidance for produce operations.

Click here to access a recording of the call.

The three organizations have teamed up to develop COVID-19 guidance for the produce industry, which is a companion document to the recently-released guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

According to the CDC and DOL, agriculture work sites, shared worker housing, and shared worker transportation vehicles present unique challenges for preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19. Consistent application of specific preparation, prevention, and management measures can help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Click here to access the CDC/DOL interim guidance for agriculture workers and employers.

Building off the CDC guidance, industry-created COVID-19 guidance provides useful advice and recommendations to help farm owners and operators prepare for seasonal operations including onboarding of seasonal workers, field and facility procedures, and shared/communal housing and transportation to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Click here to access the industry guidance for fruit and vegetable farm operators and processors.

Western Growers will make additional, industry-specific educational opportunities available to members who still have questions about how to apply the COVID-19 guidance to their operations. More details will be announced soon.

As part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), USDA is making $16 billion in direct payments available for producers who have suffered a five-percent-or greater price decline due to COVID-19.

Western Growers has summarized the key eligibility requirements, payment limitations and procedures for applying in a new CFAP Direct Payment Program Fact Sheet.

Producers were first able to apply for assistance beginning May 26, 2020, and applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.

As of June 8, 2020, USDA has dispersed $1.4 billion in relief checks to more than 80,000 farmers and ranchers across the country. However, less than two percent of that money, just shy of $25 million, has been allocated to specialty crop producers.

Moreover, only $8 million has been distributed to specialty crop producers in our home states of Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. The balance has gone to the livestock, dairy and non-specialty crop sectors of the agriculture industry.

Western Growers members are encouraged to explore the USDA direct payment program to determine eligibility.

For additional information, visit the USDA CFAP website, which includes all the information you’ll need to apply for the direct payment program.

With peak season for many labor-intensive commodities quickly approaching, USDA has compiled a list of potential federal, state, and philanthropic alternative housing opportunities for seasonal farmworkers.

Because farmworker housing is typically communal, which could increase the risk for spreading COVID-19, the federal government is gathering housing-related resources designed to protect worker safety and maintain critical working infrastructure.

Included in the document are resources involving community development grants, housing development grants and loans, rent assistance and other housing services. Employers should ensure that any options considered meet required regulatory housing standards.

Click here to view the USDA potential alternate housing opportunities for seasonal workers document.

As of June 15, USDA has allocated nearly $2.9 billion of $16 billion in direct payments as part of its Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

Specialty crops continue to lag other sectors of the agriculture industry, receiving just $53 million (1.8%) of the total funds spent to date. Furthermore, the specialty crop industry has only submitted 1,500 (0.6%) of the approximately 275,000 applications.

• Livestock: $1.4 billion
• Non-Specialty: $758 million
• Dairy: $667 million
• Specialty: $53 million

Of the $53 million allotted to the specialty crop industry, less than $19 million have gone to Western Growers member states:

• California: $15 million
• New Mexico: $2.2 million
• Arizona: $1.7 million
• Colorado: $39 thousand

To assist members in accessing the CFAP direct payment program, Western Growers has summarized the key eligibility requirements, payment limitations and procedures for applying in a new CFAP Direct Payment Program Fact Sheet.

Background

CFAP provides financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

Eligibility

For eligible specialty crops, the total payment will be based on the volume of production sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020; the volume of production shipped, but unpaid; and the number of acres for which harvested production did not leave the farm or mature product destroyed or not harvested during that same time period, and which have not and will not be sold.

Eligible specialty crops include:

Fruits: apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons

Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, dry onions, green onions, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, taro

Nuts: almonds, pecans, walnuts

Other: beans, mushrooms

Additional crops may be deemed eligible at a later date.

Applying for Assistance

Producers can apply for assistance beginning on May 26, 2020. Additional information and application forms can be found at farmers.gov/cfap. Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.

USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with agricultural producers by phone and using email and online tools whenever possible.

In addition to the Interim Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers recently released by the CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor, the CDC has made the following resources available for the agriculture industry.

• Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan

To prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, agricultural employers can use this checklist to create a COVID-19 assessment and control plan for applying specific preparation, prevention, and management measures. This checklist has been developed based on the Agriculture Workers and Employers Interim Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor.

• Households Living in Close Quarters

This guidance is intended for people living together in close quarters, such as people who share a small apartment, or for people who live in the same household with large or extended families.

• Testing Strategy in High-Density Critical Infrastructure Workplaces

This document presents different testing strategy options for exposed co-workers when public health organizations and employers determine testing is needed to help support existing disease control measures.

Cal/OSHA continues to develop guidance and resources for employers and workers to protect against COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the disease.

Recently, Cal/OSHA has developed guidance related to COVID-19 infection prevention in agriculture. Links to this guidance, along with other agriculture-specific Cal/OSHA resources, are provided below.

Cal/OSHA Agriculture Guidance

• Infection Prevention for Agricultural Employers and Employees (English) (Spanish)
• COVID-19 Daily Checklist for Agricultural Employers (English) (Spanish)
• COVID-19 General Checklist for Agricultural Employers (English) (Spanish)
• COVID-19 Worker Protection Video – Infection Prevention for Agricultural Workers
  • (Video in English) (Transcript in English)
  • (Video in Spanish) (Transcript in Spanish)
  • (Video in Mixteco) (Transcript in Mixteco)

Cal/OSHA has also produced additional agriculture-related guidance in conjunction with the Governor’s Office and the Calif. Department of Public Health.

• Agriculture and Livestock guidance
• Agriculture and Livestock checklist
• Food packing guidance for facilities that process or pack meat, dairy, or produce
• Food packing checklist

On the heels of well-publicized COVID-19 outbreaks in meat-packing facilities across the country, there have been an increasing number of outbreaks on U.S. produce farms. To minimize the risks of disruption to our critical workforce, the CDC and Department of Labor recently released interim guidance for agriculture workers and employers.

But how does this guidance apply specifically to the fresh produce industry? What additional practical steps can fresh produce companies take to implement this guidance on the farm or in the facility? How are other fresh produce companies implementing this guidance in their operations?

To help answer these questions and more, Western Growers has teamed up with leading experts from UC Davis, Rutgers University and Colorado State University to conduct a COVID-19 webinar series. Each webinar in the three-part series will break down a different element of the interim guidance for fresh produce operations, and the experts will be available at the end of each webinar to field your questions. Be sure to register and attend them all.

Click here to register for Part 1: Basics of COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plans.

Part 1: Basics of COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plans

Date:                June 26

Time:                11:00 a.m. PT

Speakers

• Sonia Salas, Assistant VP, Food Safety, Science & Technology, Western Growers
• Heather Riden, Program Director, Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, UC Davis
• Don Schaffner, Ph. D., Extension Specialist, Food Science, Rutgers University

Content

• Introduction, CDC guidance and current news/issues
• What do we know about COVID-19 now? What key risk factors affect the fresh produce industry?
• What is a COVID-19 assessment and control plan? How do you develop one in the fresh produce industry?
• Screening and monitoring workers: What should you know?
• What do you do if a worker has, or has been exposed to, COVID-19?

Click here to register for Part 1: Basics of COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plans.

Part 2: Assessment and Control Plans: Do’s and Don’ts

Date:                June 30

Time:                9:00 a.m. PT

Speakers

• Ken Cooper, Director, Risk Strategy, Western Growers Insurance Services
• Whitney Pennigton, Outreach Coordinator, High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, Colorado State Universitry
• Martha Sullins, Extension Specialist, Colorado State University

Content

• Hierarchy of Controls Approach
• Engineering Controls
• Cleaning and Sanitizing
• Administrative Controls
• Personal Protective Equipment

Part 3: Shared Housing and Transportation

Date:                July 9

Time:                TBD

Speakers

• Jason Resnick, Vice President/General Counsel, Western Growers

Content

• CDC Recommendations
• Fresh Produce Industry Challenges and Resources
• H-2A Worker Considerations

Register now for Part 1: Basics of COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plans