California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • Potential for Late-Season Spraying of Organic Herbicides to Control Yellow Starthistle

    Yellow starthistle is a noxious weed common in many areas of California’s grasslands, and is often a priority for control, due to its effects on decreased livestock carrying capacity, decreased plant diversity, and interference with recreational uses (reviewed in DiTomaso et al. 2006). A number of conventional herbicides are highly effective in controlling yellow starthistle (DiTomaso et al. 2006, USFS 2014), but in many settings, there is increased pressure to decrease use of conventional herbicides and find alternative control methods.

    Organic herbicides have received increased attention, including in the UC Weed Science Blog (https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5623, https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCDWeedScience/index.cfm?tagname=organic%20herbicide), but often require repeated applications when trying to control plants during the growing season (Reiter and Windbiel-Rojas 2020).

    Yellow starthistle at the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve

    When considering the use of organic herbicides, it is important to not just substitute them into management protocols for conventional herbicides, but to consider their mode of action, and how that may shape promising approaches for their use. For example, D-Limonene (Avenger) and Capric and Caprylic acids (Suppress) contact-kill tissues, but are not systemic. This may make their effectiveness weaker when controlling weeds during the growing season, but could be promising in killing flowers and preventing seeding, as has been found with a number of conventional herbicides on yellow starthistle (DiTomaso et al. 2006), and in the use of both conventional herbicides and the organic herbicide Suppress in decreasing flowering of Wooly Distaff Thistle (DiTomaso et al. 2017).

    To assess whether these organic herbicides could provide effective control of yellow starthistle, we collaborated with Putah Creek Riparian Reserve to compare the effects of the timing and type of herbicide on yellow starthistle. Plots were mowed in December 2018 to assure good contact of the organic herbicides with growing plants. In 3 m x 3 m plots (7 replicates per treatment), we applied one of four herbicide treatments (no herbicide (control), the conventional herbicide Transline (clopyralid), the organic herbicide Avenger (D-Limonene), and the organic herbicide Suppress (caprylic and capric acids). These were applied in the spring of 2019 at 3 timings: early spring, mid-spring, and then at the initiation of yellow starthistle flowering in the late spring (see table below for details on applications).

    In the year of treatment, only the early and mid-spring applications of Transline decreased yellow starthistle, essentially eliminating it (see Photo 2), and there were no effects of the organic herbicides on the cover of yellow starthistle.

    However, all three herbicides applied at flowering resulted in damage to yellow starthistle (see Photo 3.)

    In June 2019, all herbicides applied at flowering resulted in damage to yellow starthistle

    In the following growing season, vegetation cover assessed in the late spring of 2020 showed that the most effective control of yellow starthistle was achieved from the late-season (at flowering) spray in the previous year—with equally effective control of the organic herbicides and Transline (Figure 1).

    Figure 1: Effects of 2019 herbicide applications on the percent cover of yellow starthistle at the end of the growing season in 2020.

    Of course, more time is needed to assess the long-term effects of late-season applications of organic herbicides, but based on two years of results, organic herbicides applied during the growing season have little effect on yellow starthistle, but applications at flowering are promising. Late-season applications are also beneficial because most desirable plants have already senesced at this time, providing the opportunity for yellow starthistle control with minimal unintended effects on other vegetation. — By Valerie Eviner, Professor of Ecosystem Management & Restoration, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences

    References:

    DiTomaso, JM, GB Kyser, and MJ Pitcairn. 2006. Yellow starthistle management guide. Cal-IPC Publication 2006-03.

    DiTomaso, JM, GB Kyser, DJ Lewis and JA Roncoroni. 2017. Conventional and organic options for the control of Wooly Distaff Thistle (Carthamus lanatus). Invasive Plant Science and Management 10: 72-79.

    USFS. 2014. Field guide for managing yellow starthistle in the Southwest. USDA TP-R3-16-07.

    Reiter, M and K Windbiel-Rojas. 2020. Organic herbicides and glyphosate for weed control: results of coordinated experiments in urban landscapes. CAPCA Advisor Magazine. February 2020. Pp 24-30.

  • US Loses $44 Billion to Soil Erosion

    “Dirt cheap.” It’s an old saying, but hardly accurate. The fact is, the United States loses about $44 billion each year from soil erosion. The challenge is to keep that dirt where it is needed. Soil erosion is the detachment and movement of soil from one place to another by water or wind. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists from around the country have long studied the problem and recently developed a coordinated strategic vision for ongoing ARS erosion research, including improved models to predict erosion and how to control it. Their work, the ARS Strategic Plan for Erosion, was published in the November/December issue of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

    “ARS is the world leader in understanding and modeling erosion and has been since at least the 60’s,” said Marlen Eve, ARS deputy administrator for natural resources and sustainable agricultural systems. “Erosion mitigation research has been a core effort of ARS for decades and this strategic plan is an effort to modernize our models and create new ‘precision agriculture’ approaches to managing soils and mitigating erosion. This is a doubling down on our commitment. Our soil erosion research is helping lead America toward a more sustainable, food secure future.”

    The plan is the result of an ARS soil erosion modeling workshop held in the fall of 2019 and is a coordinated effort across several soil erosion modeling platforms, including the Rangeland Hydrology Erosion Model (RHEM). RHEM has been a focus of several ARS labs for nearly 30 years. In addition, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) rely on RHEM.

    The ARS team has also developed an RHEM PowerPoint tutorial for NRCS, BLM, and the governments of Kazakhstan and Jordan and provides training upon request to state and federal agencies.

    “The most vulnerable rangeland areas for soil movement are where annual precipitation is between 4 and 16 inches per year, which limits the soil moisture available to sustain plant growth,” said Mark Weltz, rangeland hydrologist with the ARS Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit in Reno, NV. Weltz was one of the authors of the ARS Strategic Plan for Erosion. With low plant density and minimal plant canopy and ground cover, these arid and semi-arid areas are prone to erosion from wind and water following wildfires, or from overgrazing and off-road vehicles.

    Typical consequences of erosion include reduced soil quality for plant growth; build-up of eroded sediment in riverbeds, harbors, and behind dams that must be removed to maintain safe passage and prevent dam over-topping; and transportation of salts and nutrients that reduce water quality, such as algae blooms that harm aquatic life. To get a picture of what extreme wind and water erosion can lead to, one has only to look at historical records of the Great Dust Bowl of the 1930s and national monuments, such as the Grand Canyon and the Badlands.

    “The subtle aspect to soil erosion is that it removes water-holding capacity that plants need to grow and restricts the types of plants that can grow on the site,” Weltz said. “Further, most plant nutrients are stored in the surface soil. Once lost, it may take centuries to recover. In certain situations, once soil erosion has occurred to sufficient depth the productivity of the site is forever lost.”

    Fortunately, there are things that can be done to mitigate or prevent erosion, and that’s where the ARS Strategic Plan for Soil Erosion comes in. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • Central Valley Dairies to Receive Mailed Salt Control Program Notices​

    During the week of January 4, 2021, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) will send letters to dairies and other bovine operations, and many other water quality permit holders. The letters will be titled as Notices to Comply.

    These letters notify permit holders that they must comply with a new regulation known as the Salt Control Program. Parts of the new regulation went into effect in January of 2020 and the remaining portion went into effect in November of 2020. Its primary aim is to reduce the impacts of salt accumulation in Central Valley groundwater.

    “The good news for Central Valley dairies is that they are already in compliance with the Salt Control Program, if they are members of the Central Valley Dairy Representative Monitoring Program (CVDRMP),” said CVDRMP Chairman Justin Gioletti, a Turlock area dairy farmer.

    “The Regional Water Board is required to notify water quality permit holders about this regulation, which is why Central Valley dairies and other cattle operations will receive the letter in early January,” said J.P. Cativiela, CVDRMP Administrator.  “However, if those operations are already CVDRMP members, the notice is essentially a formality. Recipients who read the letter carefully will learn that if they are CVDRMP members, they do not need to respond to the notice. These CVDRMP members are already in compliance.”

    As a monitoring coalition representing about 1,250 dairies and bovine operations, CVDRMP negotiated – prior to the official notice – an agreement that enrolls all its members in an alternative compliance option, known as “Pathway B.”

    For dairies, cost for enrolling in the Salt Control Program will be $72 for 2021, to be collected as part of their annual CVDRMP fees. However, the Salt Control Program alone will not result in a fee increase for CVDRMP member dairies, because the dairy farmer-led CVDRMP Board of Directors reduced costs in other parts of the monitoring program to compensate.

    “Through efficiencies, we have been able to reduce our monitoring costs enough to compensate for the additional costs of the Salt Control Program,” said Rodney Kamper, CVDRMP Treasurer and a Riverdale dairy farmer. “That means for our dairy members, the total annual cost for both groundwater monitoring and Salt Control Program compliance will be $972, the same amount we have charged for just groundwater monitoring since the start of the program in 2011.”

    However, there will be a cost increase for bovine operations who are CVDRMP members and regulated under the Regional Water Board’s “Bovine Order.” For those, cost of the Salt Control Program will be added to their 2021 fee invoices and will range from $160 to $320 per year depending on herd size. Enrollment will be automatic for all members.

    Kamper cautioned that this does not include the new costs associated with another new regulation recently adopted by the Regional Water Board, known as the Nitrate Control Program. Costs of the Nitrate Control Program are still being determined and will initially involve many CVDRMP members in so called “Priority 1” areas such as the Turlock, Modesto, Chowchilla, Kings, Kaweah, and Tule groundwater basins.

    “The Salt Control Program should not be confused with the more expensive Nitrate Control Program. More information will be coming to CVDRMP members in January and February about new fee schedules related to the Nitrate Control Program,” Kamper said. “For now, we want to assure our members that they do not need to worry about, or respond to, the Salt Control Program letters they receive in January.”

    CVDRMP members (or non-member dairies and bovine operations who want more information about how to comply) are welcome to contact CVDRMP at 916-594-9450 or CVDRMP@gmail.com with any questions they may have or to check the status of their facility’s membership in the program.
    About the Central Valley Dairy Representative Monitoring Program​
    The Central Valley Dairy Representative Monitoring Program is a not-for-profit group of more than 1,000 Central Valley dairies, organized and overseen by directors elected from its membership. The group’s purpose is to reduce regulatory costs for members by administering a representative program for dairies. Membership in this voluntary program fully substitutes for individual monitoring requirements currently in regulation .

  • National Dairy Council Shares Dairy’s Role in New Dietary Guidelines

    The newly released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reaffirms the importance of consuming dairy daily as part of healthy dietary patterns for positive health outcomes.

    Daily inclusion of low-fat and fat-free dairy foods is recommended in all three DGA healthy dietary patterns: 3 servings in Healthy U.S. and Healthy Vegetarian, and 2 to 2.5 servings in Healthy Mediterranean. Following these healthy dietary patterns is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

    “Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt offer essential nutrients that help nourish people throughout life,” said National Dairy Council President Jean Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, FAND. “At a time when affordable nutrition has never been more important to our nation, dairy foods, including lactose-free varieties, are a highly nutritious and accessible option that can help fill important nutrient gaps and support overall well-being. We’re pleased to see dairy consumption recommended for its contributions to healthy dietary patterns based on the scientific evidence.”

    National Dairy Council President Jean Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, FAND

    The DGA are updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who base their recommendations on a sound body of peer-reviewed science.

    NDC participated in the public process around the DGA, submitting written comments and oral testimony to USDA and HHS that summarized scientific evidence on the role of dairy foods in healthy dietary patterns. Dairy farmers and importers fund hundreds of research studies on topics such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, whole milk dairy foods, inflammation, protein, digestive health, sustainable food systems, child nutrition and more as part of their commitment to supporting good nutrition for Americans.

    The Guidelines are an essential resource in developing federal food and nutrition programs, such as the school meals programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

    For the first time, the DGA recommendations for the birth-to-23-month time period are included and yogurt and cheese were recognized as complementary feeding options for infants starting as early as 6 months. Dairy foods (whole milk, reduced-fat cheese and reduced-fat plain yogurt) were included in recommendations for toddlers 12-23 months.

    Consistent evidence demonstrates that a healthy dietary pattern, which includes low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, is associated with beneficial outcomes for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, bone health, and certain types of cancer (breast and colorectal).

    Other key aspects of the DGA for dairy include:

    • The nutrients of concern for Americans continue to be calcium, vitamin D, potassium and fiber; dairy foods are important sources of calcium, vitamin D and potassium in the U.S. diet and can help close these nutrient gaps.
    • Linking dairy foods to bone health in both adolescents and adults, showing dairy’s important nutritional support for accrual of bone mass and promotion of bone health outcomes, including prevention of the onset of osteoporosis.
    • The saturated fat recommendation remains at no more than 10% of total calories.

    While these Guidelines don’t include recommendations for sustainable food systems, the U.S. dairy community has commitments in place to advance environmental sustainability. Earlier this year, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced the 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals which include achieving carbon neutrality or better, optimizing water usage and improving water quality.

    “All foods come with an environmental footprint and all sectors of food production can work to do better, including dairy,” said Krysta Harden, executive vice president of Global Environmental Strategy for Dairy Management Inc. “Today, U.S. dairy contributes about 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and collectively, from farm to retail, we are committed to being an environmental solution and leaving a positive footprint for future generations.”

    To learn more about the U.S. dairy industry visit www.usdairy.com, www.nmpf.org or www.idfa.org.

  • NAPA Valley Grapegrowers & NAPA Valley Farmworker Foundation Reach Millions Through Covid-19 Response

    In the face of this year’s challenges, Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) have maintained a steady focus and commitment to supporting the community through challenging times.

    In 2020, the organizations provided vital information and resources to grape growers, vineyard managers, vineyard workers, and their families. Together, NVG and FWF:

    • Formed a COVID-19 Taskforce to implement a multi-media, cross-county PSA campaign, including daily PSAs aired on Univision and Azteca, a 4-month digital billboard campaign, and a podcast, “Cuidándonos de COVID-19 con Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation”, to educate the community on COVID-19 health & safety

    • Distributed 2,500 COVID-19 Health & Safety Kits to grower and vineyard teams; the kits included a personal thermometer, thermal water bottle, cotton bandana, 9 ounce bottle of hand sanitizer, protective eyewear and anti-fog spray, drawstring bag, and an educational handout on safety protocols in the workplace

    • Contributed funds toward staffing and supplies for the St. Helena Hospital Foundation’s COVID-19 Mobile Testing Van, which visited vineyard sites and provided accessibility to tests for up to 200 farmworkers daily

    • Provided four months of free childcare for children of farmworkers through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley; the program covered all fees and provided the children with meals and remote learning support

    • Distributed 15,000 reusable cloth masks and 25,000 N95 masks to Napa Valley’s vineyard workforce

    • Provided a bilingual library of resources, educational materials, and timely webinars to inform the community about the spread of COVID-19

      Through our work, millions of farm-working families have had access to bilingual COVID- 19 safety information.

      Even as exciting news of vaccines reaches us, we know that there is still more work to be done to carry our community to the other side of the pandemic. Under Napa County’s new stay at home order, agriculture remains an essential business, allowing for vineyard operations to continue. As the situation evolves, so do the resources that NVG and the FWF provide. This includes newly released updates to NVG & FWF’s COVID-19 Safety Protocols that, throughout the pandemic, have provided the farming community with the most comprehensive industry standards for prioritizing the health and safety of vineyard teams. Winter work will pick up again in January, so NVG and the FWF are focused on providing Napa County grape growers and vineyard managers with “Back to Work” safety protocols, tools to reinforce safety best practices to reduce virus transmission, a “Safe Holiday” PSA about avoiding non-essential travel and gatherings, paycheck stuffers promoting health and safety, as well as timely webinars on updates to state and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health mandates, and more.

    NVG and the FWF are looking ahead to the new year with plans to do even more, extend our educational reach, and continue to serve as go-to resources for the Napa Valley grape grower and farmworker communities.

    For more information about NVG and FWF’s 2020 COVID-19 response, view the 2020 Annual Report or visit www.napagrowers.org

  • Storing and Preserving Fresh Nuts

    One of the many wonderful things about California’s climate is that in many regions of the state you’ll find orchards of walnut, almond, pecan, pistachio or chestnut trees. You may be growing or planning to grow one or more of these trees in your yard so you can enjoy consuming the nuts. But do you know how to safely store, and preserve these fresh nuts?

    There are just a few simple steps to follow. First, be sure to promptly remove the hull (the fibrous outer covering) that may still be remaining on some of the nuts. (If you have hulled walnuts before you will know they’ll stain your hands brown, so you should wear gloves to hull walnuts.)

    During this time of COVID-19, you may be tempted to wash your fresh nuts, but don’t. Washing the nuts in their shell could increase their moisture and provide the environment for mold or bacteria to grow. Although not required to safely store the nuts, to decrease the likelihood of walnuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios developing mold, you may want to dry them. For walnuts and almonds, spread them out preferably single layer on a flat screen or tray that allows good air circulation. To prevent birds and other critters from making off with them while they are drying, cover them with another screen or plastic netting. Stir and move the nuts around daily.

    It will take several days for them to dry. To determine when they are sufficiently dry, remove the shell from several nuts. Break apart the almond kernels, or walnut meat. If they are rubbery, they’re not dried sufficiently. If they are crisp or brittle when broken, then they are dried adequately.

    For pecans, they should be dried slowly in air temperatures 75–85 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent the shells from cracking. A fan blowing on the nuts will speed up the drying process, which can take up to 10 days. The pecans are dry when they’re brittle and the membrane between the kernel halves separate easily from the kernels.

    Pistachios can be dried in the sun on a plastic tarp, or they can be dried in the oven at 140–160 degrees Fahrenheit for 10–14 hours. They are dried when the kernels are crisp, but not brittle.

    Before consuming or storing at room temperature, fresh home-grown walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios or chestnuts, or those bought at farm stands, pasteurize them to kill any insects or insect eggs. To pasteurize, simply place them in the freezer for 48 hours. (Make sure your freezer is set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.)

    To store your walnuts, almond, pecans or pistachios, place them in clean moisture free, odor tight packaging, such as glass or plastic jars or other containers. The nuts can be stored shelled or unshelled. They can be stored up to a year in your refrigerator set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Almonds can be stored in your freezer (set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) for a year or more, walnuts and pecans for two years plus, and pistachios for three years. 

    Chestnuts are different from the other nuts because they’re more like potatoes than tree nuts. They usually develop mold within two weeks if stored at room temperature. Unshelled chestnuts can only be stored for two to three months in the refrigerator, but shelled chestnuts can be stored for a year in the refrigerator. Both shelled and unshelled chestnuts can be stored in the freezer for one year or more.  Enjoy your stored nuts throughout the year! — By Kathy Low, UC Master Food Preserver of Solano & Yolo Counties

    For more information about the UC Master Food Preserver Program, including the Food Preservation Video Library, visit mfp.ucanr.edu.

  • Bee Habitat Installation on California Vineyards

    Despite the setbacks and challenges brought to every industry by the pandemic this year, our staff has been working closely with four different vineyards in three major winegrape regions of California providing both technical and financial support to help these vineyards achieve Bee Better Certification. This work is a continuation of our efforts to expand Bee Better Certified (BBC) within the wine industry (click here to read more about the project’s launch).

    After months of planning and preparation, we broke ground (literally) on these projects this fall. Throughout the month of October, Bee Better and Xerces Society staff, farm labor crews, and volunteers planted the equivalent of almost a mile of high quality pollinator habitat at the four participating farms. This floral-rich habitat includes a diversity of native plants that will provide pollen and nectar throughout the season and includes host plants for declining species such as the monarch butterfly.

    Locally sourced native plants are sorted and ready to be installed on planting day. (Photo: Jessa Kay Cruz).

    Once the fall rains begin, participating vineyards will also be planting nearly 20 acres of insectary and pollinator cover crops across their vineyards. Blooming cover crops that achieve at least 50% bloom before they are terminated qualify as Temporary Habitat under the Bee Better Certified Production Standards.  Bee Better growers protect both permanent and temporary habitat from pesticides to reduce the impact on visiting pollinators and other wildlife.  For example, blooming cover crops must be past bloom or mowed at least 24 hours before crops are sprayed.

    In addition to creating habitat, certification requires growers to adopt rigorous pesticide risk mitigation practices including discontinuing the use of high risk pesticides, reducing drift, adopting non-chemical pest management practices and including a robust scouting and monitoring protocol as part of their pest management strategy. This ensures that the habitat planted will be protected from pesticide contamination and makes the vineyards overall a more friendly place for pollinators.

    Once all planting is complete, each vineyard will have at least 5% of their total acreage in pollinator habitat.  Each farm, vineyard, and orchard that commits to maintaining 5% of their total acreage in pollinator habitat brings us one step closer to creating an agricultural landscape that is better for bees and other wildlife. — By Jessa Kay Cruz, Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, California and the Intermountain West (Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation)

  • Santa’s Reindeer Cleared for Entry into California by State Veterinarian

    California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones has granted a 24-hour permit clearing all brand inspection and health requirements for nine reindeer scheduled to visit California on the evening of December 24 and in the early morning hours of December 25.

    The permit application was filed via email and followed by a Zoom meeting with Animal Health Branch staff and a rotund, jolly man with a red suit, white beard, and a pocketful of candy canes. The signature on the application reads, “K. Kringle.”

    State law mandates that all animals entering California be individually identified. The nine reindeer named on the permit are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen and Rudolph.

    The permit was granted with two conditions: the nine reindeer may not co-mingle with other reindeer in the State of California, and the visiting reindeer may not be used for breeding purposes while in the state. They are, however, invited to partake of the Golden State’s famous and varied agricultural bounty if they need to refuel.

    “We are pleased to issue this permit to Mr. Kringle,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We wish him safe travels and plenty of California milk and cookies as he and his reindeer make deliveries to the good children of our state.”

    Families concerned about COVID-19 risks for Santa Claus should know that the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, traveled to the North Pole to personally vaccinate Santa.

  • Almond Ganoderma Butt Rot Spore Survey

    Ganoderma butt rot has been an increasing problem in the almond industry. The disease has been responsible for trees falling over all throughout the Central Valley. Ganoderma butt rot is caused by wood decay fungi that can spread via spores in the air. In order to better focus our management efforts, researchers must conduct a spore survey that will help us determine the times and locations that are at greatest risk of infection and spread by spores.

    The survey will include collecting air samples at almond orchards once a month for 2 years, so it will require long-term cooperation, but will be non-invasive and will not interfere with management practices. Any almond growers interested in volunteering their orchards (any age orchard works) for the research conducted by UC Davis plant pathologists, please contact Daisy Hernandez.

    Thank you all for your time and help.

    Contact:
    Daisy Hernandez, PhD, Student
    David Rizzo Lab,
    UC Davis
    Email: dahe@ucdavis.edu

  • UFCW, Meat Institute Call on All 50 States to Prioritize Vaccination of Frontline Meat & Poultry Workers

    Today, the nation’s largest union for meatpacking workers and the association representing meat producers joined forces to urge all 50 U.S. governors to urgently prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for frontline meat and poultry workers across the United States, in accordance with official Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.

    In a new joint letter to governors, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) emphasized that quickly vaccinating the sector’s diverse workforce of some 500,000 employees across the country will maximize health benefits, especially in rural communities that often have limited health services, while keeping Americans’ refrigerators full and our farm economy working. Click here to read the full letter to governors.

    COVID-19 vaccinations can, in many cases, be administered through meat and poultry facilities’ existing health programs and staff. UFCW and the Meat Institute committed to assist employees with information and access to off-site vaccination, if needed, and to support vaccine information and education efforts.

    Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts: “Health authorities around the world, employers, unions, and civil rights groups all agree – high priority access to vaccines is critical for the long-term safety of essential frontline meat and poultry workers who have kept Americans’ refrigerators full and our farm economy working throughout this crisis.” 

    UFCW International Vice President Mark Lauritsen: “America’s meatpacking workers are bravely serving on the frontlines so that millions of families can put food on the table during this crisis. To keep our nation’s food supply secure as the pandemic worsens, we need strong action now from our elected leaders to protect these essential workers in meatpacking plants. As the largest union for America’s meatpacking workers, UFCW is joining industry leaders today in a unified call for governors in all 50 states to immediately prioritize meatpacking workers for access to the COVID vaccine. American lives are at stake and these courageous men and women on the frontlines cannot wait any longer.”

    Prioritizing vaccines for frontline meat and poultry workers will build on more than $1.5 billion in comprehensive COVID-19 prevention measures the industry has implemented since the spring. 

    Average case rates amongst meat and poultry workers in November were more than 8 times lower than in the general U.S. population. Further details about COVID-19 health and safety measures and COVID-19 relief contributions are available here.  

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    UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States. UFCW International represents 1.3 million professionals and their families in healthcare, grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries. Our members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at  ufcw.org. 

    The North American Meat Institute is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry.  The Meat Institute’s members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufacture the equipment and ingredients needed to produce the safest and highest quality meat and poultry products. Learn more about at meatinstitute.org