{"id":61509,"date":"2023-12-05T16:28:03","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T00:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=61509"},"modified":"2023-12-05T16:28:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T00:28:03","slug":"edd-celebrates-the-contributions-of-california-agricultural-workers-with-44th-annual-farm-workers-appreciation-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=61509","title":{"rendered":"EDD celebrates the contributions of California agricultural workers with 44th Annual Farm Workers Appreciation Breakfast"},"content":{"rendered":"

CALEXICO\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Employment Development Department (EDD) staff and local volunteers served approximately 2,500 Imperial County agricultural workers a pre-dawn breakfast today of tamales, beans, salsa, sweet bread, and coffee in recognition of their essential role in feeding the people of California, the nation, and beyond. For 44 years now, the EDD and local partners have hosted the annual Farm Workers Appreciation Breakfast in Calexico, California, as a way of thanking agricultural workers for their hard work, and the invaluable contributions they make to the state\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia\u2019s farmworkers make unquestionable sacrifices to ensure that we have fresh food on our table,\u201d said EDD Director Nancy Farias. \u201cEDD and its partners are honored to host this event in expression of California\u2019s support and tremendous appreciation for its agricultural workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s event was held in Calexico\u2019s America\u2019s Job Center of California and conducted by the EDD\u2019s Imperial County regional staff along with volunteers from sponsors including the Center for Employment Training, the City of Calexico, the Mexican Consulate in Calexico, and the Farm Worker Services Coalition of Imperial County. The event was also supported by the local agriculture industry, farmers, and contractors as well as by local businesses, agencies, and community-based organizations.<\/p>\n

Imperial County\u2019s Agricultural Workforce<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calexico is located within Imperial County, which has a significantly higher percentage of agricultural workers in comparison to most areas of California. As of October 2023, agriculture industry jobs made up 14.5 percent of all jobs in the\u00a0El Centro Metropolitan Statistical Area<\/a>, which includes Calexico. In comparison, only 2.3 percent of the total jobs within California were part of the agriculture industry as of October 2023.<\/p>\n

The EDD estimates there were approximately 19,571 migrant and seasonal farm workers employed in Imperial County over the year from 2022-23 compared to 813,450 employed statewide during the same timeframe. The\u00a0top farm and agricultural commodities produced in\u00a0Imperial\u00a0County\u00a0include* cattle, alfalfa, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, broccoli, spinach, onions, and carrots. Imperial County accounted for over $2.6 billion in agriculture industry production in 2022.<\/p>\n

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EDD works in cooperation with many California agencies and\u00a0community-based organizations to directly serve the state\u2019s agricultural workers through the Department\u2019s Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) Outreach Program. Over the last year, staff have provided assistance to some 7,500 agriculture industry workers. The EDD deploys multilingual outreach staff directly to areas where farmworkers work, live, and gather to make sure that they receive information about job opportunities, their labor rights, and the many helpful services and resources the EDD offers California agricultural workers including:<\/p>\n