COVID-19

Enhanced safety measures for COVID-19 in place for California strawberries

Over the past nine weeks, the California Strawberry Commission’s (CSC) bilingual outreach and training team has been in the fields providing guidance and training to ensure the safety of our vital workforce in the midst of... more »

USDA posts recording of CFAP direct payments webinar

USDA has posted a recording of the webinar for farmers, ranchers and other producers interested in applying for direct payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program held Thursday, May 14, at 1 p.m. ET. The recording... more »

Michigan grower: Food supply in danger if we don’t use immigrant workers legally

On May 13, Fox Business published the following commentary by Fred Leitz, a farmer and a past president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers who lives in Sodus, Michigan. "The novel coronavirus has given... more »

OPN: Organic produce sales up 18% in April; volume soars over 20%

Total organic fresh produce sales continued to soar in April, increasing 18% from last year, and outpacing conventional produce products in both dollars and volume according to the April 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report. The report... more »

Yakima Valley fruit company workers walk off the job, citing safety concerns

Protests by Yakima County, Washington, agricultural workers over what they consider unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 outbreak continued Wednesday, May 13, with employees walking out of the Monson Fruit Co. in Selah. According to... more »

Report: Tree fruit industry left hanging during the COVID-19 pandemic

A few weeks ago, it seemed like grocery stores couldn’t keep products on their shelves and that business was great for the food industry. According to a story in the Wenatchee World, a lot of... more »

Equitable Food Initiative, workforce development, training unit, marks 5 years

It has been five years since the formal launch of Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and training organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer advocacy groups to improve both compliance and business... more »

Strategies for U-pick, on-farm produce sales topic of Minnesota webinar

The University of Minnesota Extension is offering a webinar on May 20 titled "Practical Strategies for U-Picks and On-Farm Produce Sales for COVID-19." This webinar will discuss science-based management strategies to reduce risks associated with... more »

Direct payments through Coronavirus Food Assistance Program explained

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) will host a webinar on Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 1 p.m. ET, for farmers, ranchers and other producers interested... more »

Colorado produce growers implement measures to keep workers safe

Colorado fruit and vegetable growers are working hard to protect the health of the men and women who work to cultivate, harvest and pack fresh fruits and vegetables. At Petrocco Farms in Brighton, workers are... more »