Absolutely – if it was grown in California. After all, California farmers, the most progressive in the nation, adopted many of the COVID-19 safety precautions years ago. It didn’t take an emergency for them to institute basic precautions.

According to a recent piece in the Modesto Bee:

California “farmers have been ahead of the game. For decades, they have possessed “safety-first” behaviors and practices now deeply ingrained in their DNA.  During the COVID-19 crisis, our farmers have continued to put food on the table and fill food banks while keeping their workers and communities safe. They have achieved this not by adopting new standards of safety, but by continuing to follow existing requirements for pesticide use and safe food handling.

“Californians may take this for granted. But agriculture’s emphasis on safety has been the result of a lot of work, dedication and collaboration between farmers, their communities and government.

“California farmers have absolutely no interest in short cuts that compromise safety. They and their families work on the farm. They need healthy workers. They live in the community.

“Our farmers operate under the most restrictive safety standards in the country, if not the world. Long before COVID-19 became a household word, farmers and farm businesses were investing in the safety of their employees, communities and environment.

“Scientists with the United State Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) conduct the most rigorous pesticide safety testing of anywhere else in the world – more than 300 safety reviews before a product may even be considered for use.”

It’s time we view California farmers as stewards of their land, workforce and the communities.

Read the full column at The Modesto Bee