STOCKTON, Calif. — It's fall harvest season in San Joaquin County.
A back bone of the county's economy, agriculture production last year netted over $2.6 billion.
With the coronavirus pandemic, the stakes are high as harvest season gets into full swing for the fall.
"We're harvesting wine grapes. We're harvesting a whole host of crops- walnuts, right now. Finishing up almonds [and] some others. It's a busy time of year," said Bruce Blodgett, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation.
To make sure the county's agricultural workforce remains intact, a new program is allowing farm workers who get COVID-19 or have been around someone with the disease to stay at a hotel for up to two weeks for free.
It's called "Housing for Harvest."
It's promoted by the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation, Community Foundation of San Joaquin County and run by Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton.
"We have a lot of crops coming off, a lot of people working in the county and when you have a program like this, it gives somebody an opportunity if they do get COVID to have a place to safely stay," Blodgett said.
The free hotel stay includes free meals, transportation, wellness checks, laundry service, COVID-19 testing and financial help if the person qualifies.
The program is also open to food processing workers.
Blodgett said there have been no major coronavirus outbreaks among farm workers in San Joaquin County.
"To be honest, it makes some sense. Most of our people are working outdoors," Blodgett said. "The social distancing when you are working is pretty much automatic. The problems that we've seen have been more towards at the end of the day where they socially gather is a bigger issue."
As part of the qualifications, no one will be asked about their immigration status.
For more information, contact the Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton in Spanish or English at 209-469-1120.
