Dear Members,
What a week it has been! We have sent out quite a bit of updates over the past five days, and I’m certain it’s a bit of information overload. Things are changing quickly, and I would like to assure you that the staff is doing what we can to streamline the information, as well as provide you with the necessary resources for your operations. We are actively involved on numerous fronts to ensure that the health and safety of your employees and your businesses are taken into account as actions are taking place at the State and Federal levels.
With the Governor’s Stay at Home Order and the declaration that the entire food supply chain is an essential business, we want to again draw your attention to our Employee Transit Letter that is attached below. This letter will help your employees in the event you or your employees are stopped by law enforcement that may be enforcing the stay at home order. The letter is now available in Spanish thanks to Rudy Mendoza with the California Agricultural Labor Association.
I would also like to draw your attention to the resources we have linked below from AgSafe. AgSafe is the premier employee safety association and has a new page dedicated to health and safety issues that you may be facing in the field and packinghouses. Their frequently asked questions document is a good quick resource for your operations. AgSafe has also offered its staff expertise if any of our members have more technical questions.
Things are changing quickly, but your staff has and will continue to be very involved in the decisions being made at a rapid pace at all levels of government. We are doing this so you can continue to do what you do best, which is feeding the world with healthy and nutritious citrus. Your work has gone underappreciated by many but is now being brought to the forefront during this time of uncertainty. I echo the sentiments expressed by USDA Secretary Sony Perdue, and thank you for all that you are doing to feed us all!
Please keep in touch with us and let us know when problems begin to arise in your operations. Your feedback has been incredibly helpful so far and will likely be just as important moving forward. All of our staff are available by phone or email to answer any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Casey Creamer
President/CEO
