COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available to strawberry farmworkers and other essential workers throughout California.

The California Strawberry Commission recently co-sponsored eight vaccine clinics that vaccinated more than 5,000 farmworkers in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Last month, the strawberry commission began working with Dignity Health Dominican Hospital and the local, Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau to co-sponsor the first large-scale vaccination clinic for farmworkers on the Central Coast.

“Our goal was to create vaccine ambassadors across as many farms as possible, so farmworkers could share their experience with co-workers and demystify the vaccination process,” said Rick Tomlinson, president of the California Strawberry Commission.

Due to limited availability of the vaccines, the coalition spread doses across as many local farms as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights how farmworkers are essential to maintaining and safeguarding the food supply chain.

“This is the best chance to protect our bodies, this is the only way we can slow down this problem,” said farmworker Santiago Velasquez, who received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, demonstrating how the coalition’s efforts were succeeding.

It was not until March 1 that vaccinations became available to farmworkers statewide. In some counties, such as Ventura, the County Department of Public Health is organizing both large-scale clinics and mobile pop-up clinics that provide vaccinations at the worksite. Other counties are relying on trade groups and employers to organize vaccine clinics.

“The only effective model is to be nimble,” said Tomlinson, who is the grandson of a bracero and has served as the president of the strawberry commission since 2012. “In some counties, we provided information. In other counties, we worked with health insurance companies to ensure they were approved to administer vaccines to farmworkers at clinics. In two counties, we were able to partner with other agricultural groups and local hospitals to manage all the on-site logistics and registration process. We are willing to do whatever it takes and appreciate the cooperation and flexibility of the counties and our coalition partners.”

Tomlinson concluded, “While vaccine supplies are still limited, we are pleased that counties throughout the state are now vaccinating farmworkers. We never expected to play such a significant role, but we knew we needed to ensure farmworkers had access to vaccines for the benefit of our workers, their families and consumers who depend upon our nutritious Central Coast fruits and vegetables.”

The California Strawberry Commission represents more than 400 strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors, proudly working together to advance strawberry farming for the future of the land and people. Commission programs create opportunities for success through groundbreaking programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, the Commission supports sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms, and communities.