NYS sanitizer, Cornell’s U-pick guide boost farm success

Cornell Chronicle [2020-07-21]:

Shed at you pick farm with two employees, flats and hand sanitizer
Two employees of Hand Melon Farms in Greenwich, New York, provide flats and pints for picking blueberries – and offer NYS sanitizer for safety.

Even in the coronavirus era, New York’s pick-your-own farms are flourishing.

“After months of enduring lockdowns, especially in New York, the pick-your-own berry farms around the state are booming this year,” said Marvin Pritts, professor of horticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Most of the pick-your-own farms are using our Cornell-developed guidelines that are very broad – they’re having an impact.”

The “Best Management Practices for U-Pick Farms During the COVID-19 Pandemic” guidebook offers detail on adjusting farm practices to reduce risk, and provides clarity on getting consumers safely through the farm and keeping farm employees healthy.

“Consumers are cooperating,” said Anu Rangarajan, director of Cornell’s Small Farms Program. “The pick-your-own farm customers are using masks and following rules, washing hands and using hand sanitizer. People are confident about being on these farms.”

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