Santa Maria, CA – Marking last Friday as the official mid-season in Santa Maria for strawberries, Bobby and RC Jones kicked off their plans for the end of season party sharing details with their entire staff in the district. They are determined to host their annual end of season party in Santa Maria, CA this year to raffle off 2 new cars in addition to many other prizes while implementing some creativity to support social distancing and safety for their employees at the same time.
Labor is always a challenge for strawberry farmers since harvesting strawberries is a labor-intensive job that requires skill. “There is a strong demand for the best employees and we deeply appreciate the caliber of employees we have on staff. Many have been with our family for more than 40 years and we value their commitment to us. We respect and care for them like family, and so many others that return year after year” says RC Jones, managing partner. RC & Bobby work hard to build loyalty and both enjoy showing their appreciation for the excellent work force they have on their team.
Typically, a large mid-season BBQ is held to thank the employees for work to date and the owners encourage them to stick with the company till the end of the season. The mid-season BBQ held on Friday last week was drastically changed from an in-person celebration with all employees together, to instead owners contracting the local catering trucks to visit their ranches delivering free lunch to every employee.
The free lunches for employees in Santa Maria came with an announcement for the End of Season party that will include raffles with many prizes and the potential for two lucky employees to win new cars.
Each of the employees employed by Bobalu Berry Farms on July 1, 2020 until the Company ends its strawberry harvest in Santa Maria this season have a chance at driving away in a new vehicle. The guidelines are already posted on every ranch that list qualifications for employees that qualify to participate. All Eligible Employees will have their names placed in a container from which two names will be drawn.
Instead of a large party with all employees enjoying a BBQ, live music, local radio station presence and speeches by the owners, the ‘virtual’ event will still have a sense of celebration with prizes, local radio station support, music and announcements for each employee to tune-in and hear the results from their location.
