Housing for the Harvest Program
To learn more about a partnership between the State of California and the County of San Luis Obispo that helps provide hotel rooms and services for COVID-19 impacted farmer workers and food processing workers, visit our Housing for Harvest page.
CDFA Guidances
Agriculture and Livestock Guidance
Agriculture and Livestock Checklist
Farmers' Markets Protocols
There are multiple ways to accomplish physical distancing at Farmers' Markets:
- Space booths accordingly to increase social distancing among patrons in line and walking about the market.
- Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate in activities together, stand in line together, etc.
- Limit the number of customers at any given time as necessary to reduce outdoor/indoor crowding and lines to meet social distancing guidance.
- Eliminate events/marketing that target individuals that CDPH has identified as higher risk of serious illness for COVID19.
- Encourage activities such as pre-bagging to expedite purchasing.
- Suspend sampling activities.
- Increase frequency of cleaning of tables, payment devices, and other surfaces.
- Eliminate non-essential/non-related services, such as entertainment
We urge Farmers' Markets to establish protocols to ensure physical distancing within their markets.
Information Regarding Farm Operations
Agriculture has been identified as an essential business and this designation includes the cultivation, transportation and processing of agricultural commodities. We want to maintain the ability for agriculturalists to provide products to the community but we must maintain a level of safety to the public and those working in the industry such as farmworkers.
CalOSHA |
CalOSHA has provided a COVID-19 guidance document for the agricultural industry, available in both English and Spanish. |
AgSafe |
AgSafe, an organization that strives to provide practical health and safety information to the agricultural community, has developed an Agricultural Workers Safe Work Practices handout available in both English and Spanish.
Employers are encouraged to review the handout, provide workers copies, and use this in conjunction with other COVID-19 training resources available on the AgSafe websit |
California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Guidance Regarding Potential PPE Shortages Due to the COVID-19 Crisis |
The agricultural industry may soon be faced with the hardship of acquiring PPE such as chemical resistant gloves, single-use coveralls, protective eyewear, or N-95 respirators when supplies are exhausted. Due to the demands from the COVID-19 crisis, much of the PPE currently available is being prioritized to the healthcare industry. These are the same types of PPE that the agricultural industry relies on to comply with pesticide product labeling and pesticide regulatory requirements in order to protect pesticide applicators, handlers, and early-entry workers.
DPR’s current guideline regarding this hardship states:
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Guidance on Cloth Face Coverings |
The County of San Luis Obispo and CDC have released guidance on how to effectively use cloth face coverings, available in English and Spanish, which should be shared with all employees. Remember, face coverings are not to be used in place of N-95 masks or respirators, where required by law, label, or regulation for pesticide applications, pesticide mix and load, or early entry activities |
It has come to the attention of the County that some farm operations are not ensuring physical distancing, a mechanism paramount in slowing the spread of COVID19 within the community. The information has been specific to farmworkers tending crops. We urge you to promote and ensure physical distancing within your workforce. Establishing protocols to maintain a minimum physical distance of 6 feet between individuals working in the fields whenever possible will contribute to our goal of slowing the spread of COVID19 and protecting our community. The link below will take you to resources, in both English and Spanish, developed by the California Strawberry Commission to help you educate and protect your workforce.
California Strawberry Commission Website
Again, we urge you to establish protocols to ensure physical distancing within your operations and to educate your workforce to promote their safety and the safety of others.
We need your help to protect the community and our food supply.
Contact Us
For COVID-19 Questions or Comments:
By Phone:
Contact our Phone Center at 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280
By Email:
- For General COVID-19 vaccine or pandemic questions, email jic-pio@co.slo.ca.us
- To confirm a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, email publichealth.covidvaccine@co.slo.ca.us
- For Reopening questions related to COVID-19, email eoc-liaison@co.slo.ca.us
- For COVID-19 testing questions, email HA.covidresponse@co.slo.ca.us
- For volunteer opportunities, email slomrc@gmail.com
- For COVID compliance reports, fill out the online compliance form
- For news media questions, email eoc-pic@co.slo.ca.us
- For general Public Health questions, fill out the online contact form
The Office of Emergency Services
1055 Monterey Street D430
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
County OES Business Line: 805-781-5011
County OES Business Email: oes@co.slo.ca.us