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Hello, new followers! My story about the protests happening at fruit packing houses in the Yakima Valley drew you here. Thank you for taking the time to read. Here are a few more stories that might interest you. [short thread]
Just a brief bio on me: I'm a longtime business reporter at @Yakima_Herald. I've covered a variety of topics over the years, including economic development, employment trends, health care and agriculture.
For the last eight weeks, my @Yakima_Herald colleague @LexTalamo and I have been tracking how agricultural entities have responded to COVID-19, the impact the virus has had on local farmworkers and the concerns raised along the way. Here are a few of the stories we've written.
We checked in with growers and farmworker advocates and how things were going with initial COVID-19 response efforts in this March 29 story. Something to note here is Washington Fruit and Produce decided early on to offer hazard pay. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/agriculture-still-running-with-adjustments-in-the-yakima-valley/article_bfa4de1c-d006-5fcc-8f87-d7cc27c8c044.html
Tensions between farmworker advocates and industry groups over responding COVID-19 came early, as @LexTalamo and I highlighed in this April 10 story. Industry officials say they been implementing plans, but advocates have argued that it's not enough. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/agriculture-an-essential-central-washington-industry-with-new-rules-continuing-concerns/article_556ff0e7-528c-5302-8b7f-d74a936acd58.html
April 18: The state Department and Labor and Industries released guidelines for the agriculture industry, Two unions file suit against L&I and the state Department of Health, calling for stricter rules and stronger enforcement. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/state-issues-coronavirus-guidelines-for-agriculture-unions-file-lawsuit-saying-its-not-enough/article_ce0c9730-dba3-5a62-8823-13b43ad395b5.html
In mid-April Yakima Health District reveals information about confirmed cases in the agricultural and food production industries. The first report showed 70 confirmed cases. The number has grown since then. More in this story by @donaldwmeyers. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/yakima-health-district-reports-70-covid-cases-in-agriculture-industry/article_50795f93-98fb-5c0f-a8c5-a46219c89b13.html
. @janelleretka reports on April 24 that Yakima County has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the state. A key reason for this is the high % of people still working, including agricultural workers. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/yakima-county-has-highest-rate-of-covid-19-cases-in-washington-double-the-state-rate/article_4daeb5ae-4646-5d2f-a5fb-78eed14fa050.html
Earlier this month, I checked in on the Yakima Valley tree fruit industries. Shipments have been a roller coaster and there is uncertainty (though some optimism) over how cherries will fare this year. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/tree-fruit-industry-managing-changes-amid-coronavirus-but-uncertainty-remains/article_192f9c66-34b8-570a-a4bf-868fc399cfbd.html
By early this month, Yakima County receives the distinction of having the highest rate of infections on the West Coast. Agricultural and food production cases climb to more than 240 by early May. More in this @Yakima_Herald story from @donaldwmeyers. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/update/yakima-countys-coronavirus-rate-highest-on-west-coast/article_203862c6-d516-5ae7-b9f4-87a278221d14.html
Fast forward to Thursday, and we see the first of what would become several farmworker protests. https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/coronavirus/allan-bros-workers-walk-off-the-job-citing-safety-concerns/article_53078612-ab4a-5b72-b37e-269744fb5ef1.html
And then you have the story published yesterday. https://twitter.com/maiphoang/status/1260395780159860737?s=20
This thread wasn't short after all. In any case, thank you for reading. It is affirming to see our work get wider attention, but ultimately it's about informing our community.
If you want to see continued local coverage, please support your local newspaper or publication. Here's a link to subscribe to our paper. https://www.yakimaherald.com/users/admin/service/purchase/?serviceid=3587&referer_url=https://www.yakimaherald.com/users/admin/service/purchase/?serviceid=3299
