As news came in this week that farmworkers in some parts of California are starting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, questions came pouring in to SLO County Farm Bureau asking when our local ag industry will be eligible. The answer is this: our county has not yet received enough vaccines to cover Phase 1A (healthcare workers, people in longterm care residents and staff) and the first tier of Phase 1B (people age 75+).

Thanks to valuable feedback from our members, ag industry partners, farm labor contractors, Latino community outreach leaders and others, we will have a plan in place to immediately begin vaccinating SLO County agriculture when it is our turn. We are up next.

Farm Bureau is exploring all avenues to expedite vaccines for our farmworkers and essential agriculture industry, but the state's delivery of vaccines "continues to be inscrutable and somewhat erratic" according to San Luis Obispo County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.

CALIFORNIA WOMEN FOR AGRICULTURE – SAN LUIS OBISPO CHAPTER 

https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/85416389304 

Click here to read the latest email newsletter from CWA-SLO

Round 2 of the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program opened on February 2, 2021 and runs through February 8, 2021 at 6pm. This program is providing $500M in micro grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to eligible small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 and related health and safety restrictions. 

For assistance applying, contact the Cal Poly CIE Small Business Development Center here or apply directly here.

As a part of the Governor’s Executive Order to "conserve 30 percent of land by 2030", the Department of Food and Agriculture will be hosting a series of stakeholder meetings with farmers and ranchers to solicit feedback about on-farm climate solutions (carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emission reduction and biodiversity enhancements). Meetings will be organized in three categories: (1) livestock and dairy; (2) annual crops (row and field crops); (3) perennial crops (trees and vines). After these meetings, CDFA will develop a report open for public comment. This report will inform the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart strategy which will guide the AB 32 Scoping Plan. Below are the meetings and links for participation:  

Farm Bureau strongly encourages growers, dairymen and women and ranchers to participate in these discussions and share the needs and challenges to implement and scale up on-farm climate practices. Staff Contact: Taylor Roschen, troschen@cfbf.com or 916-446-4647. 

Items on the Feb. 9 Board of Supervisors Agenda Pertaining to Agriculture:

To review the full agenda click here.

By Kevin Hecteman, AgAlert - Feb. 3, 2021

The San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau is part of a county task force planning and coordinating vaccine distribution. "We appreciate San Luis Obispo County, the way they have specifically included agriculture," county Farm Bureau Executive Director Brent Burchett said. "They solicit our opinion. They ask for farmers and ranchers to give feedback." Getting vaccines to people in an effective manner will likely mean breaking the agriculture category down into smaller, targeted groups, Burchett said. 

To read the full article click here. Editor's note: Some members were experiencing issues accessing the online version of AgAlert as of press time. All Farm Bureau members should be receiving a paper copy in the mail. Please contact SLO County Farm Bureau if you do not receive AgAlert by mail each week.

The COVID-19 Farmworker Study (COFS) will provide critical missing information on farmworkers’ abilities to protect themselves and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study brings together a collective of community-based organizations, researchers and advocates to reveal information that can only be gathered directly from farmworkers who have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more here.

G3 provides a totally integrated packaging solution from grape to glass. With the nation’s most experienced group of experts, we utilize a holistic, advanced analytical approach to assist customers throughout the production process. Whether it is an application problem, a new product package, process improvement or challenges pre-bottling or during bottling production, our talented technical teams can help identify problem areas and provide solutions.

(800) 321 - 8747 g3enterprises.com

Reymondo Manuel, John Walter, Nick Guriel, Steven Victor, Charlie Lackie, Viticultural Management, Grapevine Land Management LLC, HM Holloway, Marguerite Nunn, Grey Ranch, Rancho Cortez, John Wallace, David Tuohey Mote, William and Shirley Bianchi Living Trust

Livestock News: Agri-Pulse - House Probing Meatpacking COVID-19 Outbreaks

After almost 60 years of service, the well-known Shasta Livestock Auction Yard is closing its gates. The business has spent more than a half century conducting weekly livestock auctions starting in Anderson and eventually ending up...

To read more click here.

"A Shot in the Arm: Cal/OSHA and Employment Law Issues Related to the COVID-19 Vaccine" 

FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. PST 

Register now here.

Employers are reminded to implement any needed changes to written COVID prevention programs as indicated in the regulation. Cal/OSHA has a resource page to assist employers to understand and comply with the standard. The resource page is available in English here and in Spanish here.   

More updates will be available to employers at CFLCA’s upcoming webinar on COVID Prevention Updates. 

Wind and rain in late January spoiled hopes of having an abundance of berries for Valentine’s Day for Southern California strawberry growers, but they say the fruit still should be available, albeit at lower volumes and at higher prices than anticipated. 

Read more here.

To review WRAC documents click here.

By Christine Souza

Farm groups say a proposed regulatory permit known as the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program for Central Coast agriculture, which regulates waste discharge from irrigated lands throughout the Central Coast, would make it more difficult for farmers to achieve the desired results, while harming the region's agricultural economy.

To read more click here.

Upcoming Compliance Trainings from Air Resource Board: 

MS525: Compliance Overview: Truck & Bus Rule, Off-Road Regulation, and Portable Equipment 

March 4, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Register here.

April 22, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Register here.

Do you own, operate, or dispatch heavy-duty diesel trucks in California? Then you need to know that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) enforces air pollution regulations affecting all types of heavy-duty diesel vehicles operating in the State. This course gives you information about how to comply with CARB diesel regulations and how to report to continue operating legally in 2020 and beyond.  March 11, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Register here.

Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) are used on semi-trailers, truck vans, shipping containers, and rail cars. Most TRUs are diesel-powered. Although TRU engines are relatively small, significant numbers of these engines congregate at distribution centers, truck stops, and other facilities, resulting in exposure to diesel particulate matter (PM) and health risks to those that live and work nearby. To reduce the risks of exposure to diesel PM from TRUs, owners, operators, dispatchers, and distribution centers must comply with the TRU Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM).  February 18, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Register here and April 8, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Register here.

Our weekly E-News is sent out every Friday to our membership. If you're interested in an effective, low-cost advertising campaign ($150 a month) please give us a call or send an email to SLO County Farm Bureau Executive Director Brent Burchett.

Join SLO County Farm Bureau now or renew your membership online. Go to slofarmbureau.org to join, or download the membership form PDF. Have your renewal notice available to speed up the process; you will need to enter your membership number, name and ZIP code. Renewal dues may be paid online or over the phone by credit card.