Monterey County Ag Sector announces 25 percent of farmworkers have been vaccinated

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County Ag sector announced they have vaccinated 25 percent of farmworkers in the three weeks.

The executive director of the Farm Bureau estimates this is approximately 10,000 to 12,000 workers.

This effort was not easy to achieve and required a collaborative effort from a local, state, and federal level.

"From where we were a month ago, where we were begging for supplies to get started in this process. I think it's ramped up pretty quick and we have had widespread acceptance amongst the farmworkers for these vaccination clinics," says Norm Groot, Executive Director of the Farm Bureau.

Groot says the safety of the workers was one of the biggest concerns. He says that the county has been short of labor for many years and could not afford to lose any more.

Javier Zamora, the owner of JSM Organics, says because of the nature of their work, he's glad that farmworkers are finally receiving the vaccine.

"What we do is really, really challenging. The way we work, we work really closely and if someone is carrying the virus, it's probably going to hit everyone," says Zamora.

Jose Villanueva, a farmworker, says that it's difficult to keep six feet apart at all times with his line of work and says he feels safer knowing that he's more protected from the virus.

"Now, we're not so worried about keeping a safe distance. We still wear our masks but now we feel more secure," says Villanueva.

The Farm Bureau says they will continue vaccinating farmworkers, as more will arrive in the central coast.