New Information
- California Small Business Relief Grant Program – California is offering grants of $5,000-25,000 per business for small businesses including farms and ranches. Funding is being disbursed through private partners. More information here and application form here.
- Small Business and Employer Assistance – web listing of California state and federal resources
- Housing for Agricultural Workers is a new State of California program that will offer temporary hotel housing to agricultural workers who need to isolate due to COVID-19. It is currently being offered in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Madera, Riverside, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo counties.
- Guidance Documents: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Updated guidance from California Dept. of Public Health
- Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- COVID-19 Resources – Western Growers
- Protecting Workers from COVID-19 On the Job – California Dept. of Public Health
- NAVEGANDO la ayuda COVID-19 PARA AGRICULTORES – Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Farm Aid, the Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Rural Advancement Foundation-International, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
CSAs/Online Marketing
- California COVID-19 Matchmaking Spreadsheet – a place to list what you have to share or sell and what you need, hosted by Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)
- Lista de productores y compradores – para ayudar a llenar los vacíos en el mercado causado por la cuarentena
- CSA COVID-19 Response/Resources – Crowdsourced information hosted by the CSA Innovation Network and Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF). Viewers can add resources; includes annotated list of online sales platforms
- CSA and Online Sales Resources for Farmers – by CAFF/Farmers’ Guild
- Questions for Considering Online Sales – Oregon Tilth created a list of questions to ask when you are considering online sales for your farm; we also collected responses to the questions from our four webinar presenters.
- Direct Sales Software Comparison – a comparison of fourteen different farm-focused software programs collected by the National Young Farmers Coalition
Farmers’ Markets
- Daily COVID-19 updates and announcements – by the Farmers Market Coalition. Updated regularly.
- Guidance for Farmer Direct Sales and Pick-Your-Own Operation During COVID-19 – by CDFA
- COVID-19 Farmers Market Response and Best Practices – by the Farmers Market Coalition. This document includes best practices collected from farmers’ markets across the state and the country.
- Webinar: Practices at Farmers' Markets in Response to COVID-19 – by the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets. Access a PDF of the webinar presentation here. Access the recording of the webinar presentation here. (The presentation starts 7 minutes and 30 seconds into the recording)
- Webinar: CA Market Match Practices & COVID-19 + Curbside/Drive-Thru Models. – by the Ecology Center and the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets. Access a PDF of the webinar presentation here. Access the recording of the webinar presentation here.
Financial Assistance
- Coronavirus Relief Options – by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Includes information on Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) (click here to apply), SBA Express Bridge Loans, and SBA Debt Relief.
- Farmer Feedback Form – Farmers can confidentially share their experience with accessing federal aid, especially CFAP, with Farm Aid / NSAC
- Navigating COVID-19 Relief for Farmers – Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Farm Aid, the Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Rural Advancement Foundation-International, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Incluye recursos en español.
- California Farmlink – California Farmlink is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) whose purpose as a CDFI is to provide access to business capital for underserved communities. Visit this site for information on SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Impact Disaster Loans (EIDL), flexible loan repayment plans, and emergency loans. Information also available en español and in Hmong.
- Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Resources for Employers and Workers – by State of California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. Translate button on page will translate information into dozens of languages.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Orientación y recursos de préstamos para pequeñas empresas – by the U.S. Small Business Administration
- Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) – California unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and caregiving leave information related to COVID-19 by the California Employment Development Department.
- Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) – (en Español) Información incluida recursos para empleadores, trabajadores y recursos adicionales, California Employment Development Department.
- USDA Farm Service Agency loan programs
- USDA Rural Development Opportunities for Immediate Relief in the areas of housing, utilities, and deferrals on certain loan repayments
Health and Safety
- Workplace
- Cal/OSHA Checklist and Guidance
- COVID-19 Worker Protection Video – Infection Prevention for Agricultural Workers – videos por/by Cal/OSHA
- COVID-19 Recursos para la Agricultura – by the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at UC Davis
- COVID-19 Resources for Agriculture – by the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at UC Davis
- Agriculture Workers & Employers: COVID-19 Interim Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Dept. of Labor – This guidance provides a template of action to protect agriculture workers from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (en Español)
- Companies Providing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 – alternative supplier list compiled by CDFA working with the Cal-OES
- Finding a Testing Site
- Baseline COVID-19 testing program (Drive-through testing) – developed in collaboration with California Dept. of Public Health
- CDC Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers – by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Food Safety
- Farms
- Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- COVID-19 Resources – by Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety at Oregon State University. Incluye recursos en español.
- COVID-19 Food Safety Resources: Consumers, Food Service, Growers, Industry, Retail – by UC Cooperative Extension
- Handlers/Processors
- COVID-19 Food Safety Resources: Consumers, Food Service, Growers, Industry, Retail – by UC Cooperative Extension
- The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Food Industry Resources – by the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University
- Farms
- Water
- Fact sheet on California safe drinking water standards – by the California State Water Board
- Sobre Los Sistemas de Agua Potable de California y COVID-19 – by the California State Water Board
Community/Industry-Specific
- Organic Certifiers
- COVID-19 Support Resources – by Oregon Tilth
- Fresh Produce Industry
- Coronavirus: Fresh Produce Industry Resource Page – by the United Fresh Produce Association
- Strawberry Industry
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Coronavirus News and Resources – by the California Strawberry Commission
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Coronavirus noticias y recursos – by the California Strawberry Commission
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- Family Farms
- COVID-19 Resources – by CAFF/Farmers’ Guild
- Supporting farmers and food systems during COVID-19 – by Ecological Farming Association
- COVID-19 resources – by ATTRA. Incluye recursos en español.
- Farm Aid – Resources For Farmers Affected by COVID-19
- Farming During COVID: A Webinar Series on Adapting to Crisis – Archived series of four webinars on the following topics: Creative Marketing Solutions; On-Farm Food Safety; Relief for California Farmers; Farm Labor
- COVID-19 Resources – by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- Local Food Markets
- COVID-19 Economic Impact on Local Food Markets – by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- Other Community Groups
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COVID-19 CWC Community Resources Fact Sheet – by the Community Water Center
CWC Hoja de Recursos COVID-19 – by the Community Water Center
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Government Guidance
- California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Food and Agriculture. Page can be viewed in over 100 languages including Spanish and Hmong.
- COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Agriculture and Livestock
- COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Food Packing and Processing
- California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Recursos en Español
Actualizaciones del Departamento de Certificación
El personal de CCOF está trabajando desde sus casas y la oficina está cerrada al público. Por favor tenga en cuenta que nuestros tiempos de respuesta a sus solicitudes pueden ser más lentos de lo habitual, especialmente con los cierres de escuelas y guarderías que impactan a nuestro equipo.
A nuestros miembros certificados, por favor tengan en cuenta lo siguiente:
- Si usted o su operación se ven afectados por el COVID-19 y necesitan soporte adicional, como extensiones de fechas de vencimiento, estamos aquí para ayudar. Contáctenos al (831) 423-2263 o inbox@ccof.org.
- No podemos aceptar solicitudes urgentes de 2 días. Podemos aceptar solicitudes urgentes de 5 días. Todas las solicitudes urgentes de 2 días se revisarán en 5 días hábiles.
- Los documentos de exportación pueden retrasarse uno o dos días. Por favor envíelos tan pronto como sea posible.
- Puede tomar tiempo adicional para revisar el informe de su inspección anual. Si necesita certificados nuevos en este periodo, por favor envíe un correo electrónico a inbox@ccof.org.
- Las citas para inspecciones orgánicas pueden verse afectadas para proteger tanto su saludo como la salud del inspector. Los miembros certificados con inspecciones próximas serán notificados por correo electrónico y por teléfono en caso de que haya cambios en sus citas de inspección. Le pedimos que cancele su inspección si usted presenta síntomas similares a los de la gripe, y estaremos complacidos en ayudarlo a reprogramar su inspección si tiene alguna preocupación relacionada con el COVID-19. Envíe un correo electrónico a inspectionoperations@ccof.org para obtener asistencia.
Estaremos publicando continuas actualizaciones para nuestros miembros certificados en Noticias de Certificación.