Healthy Harvest Home

Program Requirements

Healthy Harvest Home is a new program that will offer temporary hotel housing to agricultural & food production workers who need to isolate due to testing positive or are a person under investigation (PUI) exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. For the purposes of this program, agricultural workers are defined as employees in occupations or industries (Canning, Freezing and Preserving Industry; Industries Handling Products after Harvest; Industries Preparing Agricultural Products for Market, on the Farm; and Agricultural Occupations) or similar industries and occupations.

Who qualifies?

Program Eligibility (participants must meet all criteria): 

  • Work in California food processing or agriculture 
  • Meet FEMA non-congregate sheltering criteria for COVID-19: 
  • Have tested positive; or 
  • Been exposed as documented by a state or local public health official, or medical health professional) 
  • Be unable to self-isolate or quarantine at home 

How does the program work?

The Merced County Healthy Harvest Home Program will secure a room at a local hotel for those individuals who have been referred by Public Health. Case Managers will serve as the primary point of contact for those that will be self-isolating. The program will provide temporary housing (up to 14-days) for recovery isolation or quarantine from the date the individual tested positive for COVID-19. 

Healthy Harvest Home Staff will:

  • Verify participant eligibility
  • Coordinate with the hotel to book room(s)
  • Provide services at the hotel site including meals and wellness checks
  • Ensure services are provided in the participant’s language

With acceptance into Healthy Harvest Housing the participant voluntarily agrees to placement in the Healthy Harvest Home temporary shelter.  The participant must: 

  • Self-quarantine for 14 days
  • No guests under the visitor policy
  • Stay in room as much as possible
  • Avoid gathers of any size, and
  • Maintain social distancing of six feet.