www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Farmworkers are especially vulnerable to climate change. They work in the fields through different weather conditions, from extreme heat to cold, and are potentially exposed to air pollution and pesticides. Their livelihood is linked to natural disasters, floods, fires and droughts, which all affect the length of harvest season, impacting workers financially and emotionally. This led UC Santa Cruz researchers and local organizations, including Center for Community Advocacy and Salud Para La Gente, to work together for two years on CampoSano, a research project investigating the impact of climate change on the well-being of farmworkers. Step one included focus groups where farmworkers shared concerns. “They took into consideration farmworkers’ opinions,” Norma Aheado, lead community health organizer with CCA, says in Spanish. Those concerns included extreme heat they experienced working in South Monterey County that reached triple digits; flooding in Pajaro and Castroville; and skipping breaks to work longer and make ends meet. Based on this feedback, the team created a framework to train farmworkers, community members and students on climate change and its link with farmworkers’ struggles. On Feb. 27, about 50 trained community members, called promotores, from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties graduated from the program. Beatriz Garza, a CCA promotora and recent graduate of CampoSano, says promotores are the bridge between researchers and farmworkers because they share information in a more accessible way. “We made the information ours,” Garza says, highlighting that all promotores are closely involved in the farmworking community or are farmworkers themselves. Promotores trained in Campo-Sano will continue spreading awareness on how climate change impacts farmworkers’ livelihood, physical and mental health at places including fields and churches. The team created a bilingual app (in English and Spanish, available at farmworkerhealth-app.ucsc.edu) with environmental data like air quality and local temperature, as well as resources nearby (such as clinics, food banks, childcare, etc.) and a tipline where farmworkers statewide can report anonymously if they have what they need at work including clean water, protective equipment and more. Matthew Sparke, leader of CampoSano and a professor at UCSC, says they added the tipline so everyone, including farmworkers and state agencies, like CalOSHA and Department of Pesticide Regulation, can view it. “The app is only going to really start working well when lots of farmworkers use it,” Sparke says; he is nervous that the current anti-immigrant climate could prevent farmworkers from using it. Campo-Sano was one of the 38 projects across the state that received funding from California Climate Action seed grants in 2023. CCA and UCSC are seeking funding to expand the initiative statewide, starting with the San Joaquin Valley. Work Study Local promotores trained on climate change impacts are now teaching fellow farmworkers. By Celia Jiménez A training for promotores in the CampoSano program, focused on educating farmworkers in the region about the impacts of climate change and how to advocate for themselves. NEWS “We made the information ours.” COURTESY OF CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES ALL YEAR LONG! THE CITY OF MONTEREY FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.GOV/REC (831) 646-3866 SCAN ME! play! MONTEREY PRESCHOOL ADULT & SENIOR PROGRAMS ADULT SPORTS LEAGUES GYMNASTICS YOUTH DANCE CLASSES SCHOOL BREAK & SUMMER CAMPS YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUES & CAMPS AND MUCH MORE!
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