Resource Hub for Local Engagement
Promoting Community Member and Agricultural Commissioner Engagement
Welcome to the Resource Hub for Local Engagement (Resource Hub), a collection of resources and tools to facilitate understanding and enhance engagement between County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) and community members. CACs are the enforcement partners of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), enforcing pesticide laws and regulations at the local level. Enhanced community engagement will help CACs continue to protect workers, the general public, and the environment from pesticide harms (for example, through pesticide incident investigations). Enhanced engagement with local pesticide regulators will help community members better understand pesticide use requirements and how to report incidents and concerns promptly and effectively.
The Resource Hub serves as a centralized repository of information and resources for use by community members, CAC staff, and the public. These tools are intended to support the ongoing efforts of CAC offices and community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide accurate and transparent information and promote community engagement with county and state regulators. The Resource Hub will be continuously updated as new documents and materials become available.
To provide and develop these materials, the CAC-Community Engagement Framework Group began meeting in July 2022, with support from DPR and facilitation from the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. The intent of this group is to support Agricultural Commissioners and local communities to have conversations, listen, and collaborate with each other. The group includes 12 members from community-based, CAC, and government organizations, bringing different backgrounds and experiences from across California.
Engaging with communities and stakeholders is critical to DPR’s mission and efforts to protect human health and the environment by regulating pesticide sales and use across the state.
Tools for CAC-Community Meetings
- Suggestions for CAC-Community Meeting Organizers and Participants, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about organization and participation recommendations and sample resources, DOC (En Español, DOC) for a variety of meetings, events, and engagement formats.
- Participation Ground Rules, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about recommended ground rules that organizers can share with their participants to help promote productive meetings.
- DPR Coloring Book, PDF Print this bilingual coloring book for pesticide related outreach events.
- Resources to Support CAC-Community Connections, PDF (En Español, PDF) Gather ideas about how to start conversations between CACs and community members and find examples below that highlight positive working relationships.
- Building Relationships and Partnerships (2008-2017), PDF (En Español, PDF): Gustavo Aguirre, Director of Organizing (Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment), and Commissioner Ruben Arroyo
- Supporting Communities with Resources and Connections (2020-2023), PDF (En Español, PDF): Isaí Ambrosio, Director (Davenport Resource Service Center), and Commissioner Juan Hidalgo
- Supporting Community-Grower Partnerships (2016-2023), PDF (En Español, PDF): Judi Lazenby, past President (Pajaro Village Homeowners Association), and Commissioner Juan Hidalgo
- Connecting Community with Government (2016-2023), PDF (En Español, PDF): Commissioner Juan Hidalgo
- Building Local Connections (2011-2024), PDF (En Español, PDF): Assistant Commissioner Christopher Greer
Tools for Reporting Pesticide Problems
If you suspect a pesticide is being used improperly, notify your County Agricultural Commissioner’s office as soon as possible. You can find their phone number in this pdf, (En Español, PDF) or in the county government section of your phone book white pages, or call toll-free 1-87PestLine [(877) 378-5463]. Communicate with your CAC Office, PDF in the language you prefer (In Punjabi, PDF) (En Español, PDF) (In Hmong, PDF) (In Traditional Chinese, PDF) (In Korean, PDF).
- How to report pesticide incidents, illnesses, or concerns, PDF (En Español, PDF) (In Punjabi, PDF) (In Hmong, PDF) (In Traditional Chinese, PDF) (In Korean, PDF) Find out what steps to take to report a pesticide-related incident, illness, or concern.
- Pesticide quick-reference guide, PDF (En Español, PDF) Find out what pesticides are and what steps to take if you were exposed to a pesticide.
- Find your CAC’s contact information and information you can provide when reporting a pesticide incident, PDF (En Español, PDF).
- Community Guide to Recognizing and Reporting Pesticide Problems (En Español) Learn more about how to get help in a pesticide emergency and resolve pesticide use complaints and concerns.
- County voicemail message template for pesticide incident reports, PDF Refer to a template script and audio files that include information about what to do if you have a pesticide-related concern.
- Audio for Voicemail Option 1 (Phone tree for languages available): English, MP3 and Spanish, MP3
- Audio for Voicemail Option 2 (No phone tree available): English/Spanish, MP3
Farmworker Resources
- Farmworker Pesticide Safety Tips, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about personal safety tips for farmworkers, such as taking off work shoes before entering one’s home.
- Pesticide Safety Rules for Farmworkers, PDF (En Español, PDF / ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ [In Punjabi], PDF / Ua Lus Hmoob [In Hmong], PDF) Learn about pesticide safety rules and protections that apply statewide for farmworkers.
- Pesticide quick-reference guide, PDF (En Español, PDF) Find out what pesticides are and what steps to take if you were exposed to a pesticide.
- Find your CAC’s contact information and information you can provide when reporting a pesticide incident, PDF (En Español, PDF).
- Employer Responsibilities for Pesticide Worker Safety, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about the state regulations that employers must follow for the safety of pesticide workers.
- County-specific resource examples:
- Farmworker Resources Cards Refer to examples of business cards with information about local programs and resources for farmworkers in Santa Cruz (English, PDF / Español, PDF) and Monterey Counties (English description, PDF/Español, PDF).
- Farmworker Resource Program Refer to Ventura County’s program focused on connecting with and assisting farmworkers, providing resources in English, Spanish, Mixteco, and Zapoteco.
- Farm Worker Hotline Refer to Monterey County’s dedicated phone number to report farm worker safety concerns.
Tools for Language Access
- Pilot Language Access Hub, PDF (In Punjabi, PDF) (En Español, PDF) (In Hmong, PDF) (In Traditional Chinese, PDF) (In Korean, PDF) Learn about how you can communicate with your County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office in the language you prefer.
- CalEPA Language Access Best Practices, PDF Learn about guidance on providing language access services to members of the public with limited English proficiency.
- DPR Glossaries for Pesticide Terms Learn about DPR’s recommendations for translating pesticide terms:
- DPR List of Acronyms, PDF (En Español, PDF) Find the meaning of DPR’s commonly used acronyms.
- UC/CDPH English-Spanish Dictionary of Health-Related Terms, PDF Learn about recommended English/Spanish terms for health-related topics.
- Search for a court-certified interpreter by county.
- Search for interpreters referred by CRLA who have completed the Engaged Interpreting Training, PDF as well as those that provide interpretation for Latin American Indigenous Languages, PDF.
- US GSA Plain Language Resources Find tips for communicating in plain (easy-to-understand non-technical) language.
Learn about Pesticide Regulation in CA
- DPR Fact Sheet Directory Find out more about different aspects of DPR’s role in pesticide management and its recommendations about pesticide use and safety.
- What is a pesticide?, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about the range of products that are considered to be pesticides in California.
- CA regulation of pesticides, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about how pesticides are regulated in California.
- County regulation of pesticides, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn about how pesticides are regulated at the county level.
- Examples of CAC roles and responsibilities, PDF (En Español, PDF) Learn more about what CAC staff do, including the pest prevention, pest management, pesticide use enforcement, and consumer protections programs.
- Who is your CAC? Find out who your County Agricultural Commissioner is and how to contact them.
Media Resources
- Pesticide registration process (En Español) How do you know that the pesticides used around you are safe and effective?
- How to report a pesticide incident (En Español) See a pesticide incident? Report it!
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DPR Public Service Announcements, PDF (En Español, PDF) Email LanguageAccess@cdpr.ca.gov to request any MP3 file.
- How to report pesticide incidents: Hmong, Punjabi, Spanish
- Pesticide safety tips: Hmong, Mixtec, Punjabi, Purépecha, Spanish, Triqui, Zapotec
- Labor rights: Hmong, Mixtec, Punjabi, Purépecha, Spanish, Triqui, Zapotec
- Pilot Language Access Hub: Mixtec, Spanish, Triqui, Zapotec
Goal #1: Improve Relationships
Creating and improving CAC-community relationships to have conversations and listen to each other, finding ways to improve communication related to the shared value of protecting public health, worker health, and the environment.
Goal #2: Identify Community Collaboration Best Practices
Identifying best practices to engage with, educate, outreach to, and learn from the community, including collaborating with local community-based organizations.
Goal #3: Enhance Awareness of CAC Roles
Communicating to and with communities on CACs’ roles and responsibilities, as well as their authority and programs (e.g., pesticide regulation enforcement, weights, measures).
Goal #4: Ensure Broad Understanding
Continuing to build upon language access (e.g., voicemail messages, website description of pesticide complaint processes, capacity to promptly respond to inquiries available in English, Spanish and other languages predominantly spoken in each county) and making technical information more understandable (e.g., through visuals) so that community members and CACs can effectively communicate on pesticide enforcement, outreach, and education, as well as the range of CAC and DPR activities.
Goal #5: Provide Tools and Trainings
Fostering mutual understanding and establishing expectations between CACs and community members through a compilation of community engagement tools and practices, acquired in part through expanded trainings and an effort to utilize trainings going forward.
This Resource Hub serves as a centralized repository of information and resources for use by community members, CAC staff, and the public. The intent is for these materials to serve as a reference that can be added to current outreach and engagement practices. Some materials are meant to be adaptive and may be continually updated. New documents and materials will also be added to the Resource Hub as they become available.
Currently you can find tools for CAC-Community meetings, tools for reporting pesticide problems, farmworker resources, tools for language access, information about pesticide regulation in California, and media resources. The Resource Hub was last updated in May 2024.