Perhaps because I am living in Ithaca and listening to Cornell and other local colleges plan for fall reopening and listening to the news of other colleges closing after only a short time because the COVID numbers pick up, I am considering the effects of increasing virus levels on your businesses.  Unlike horticultural businesses that had to close in the spring, you have time (a little anyway) to plan.

So, while endeavoring not to sound like your mother scolding you or a harbinger of doom and gloom, I have 2 questions.

1. If I came to your farm tomorrow and asked to see your safety plan (because anyone can ask for it), would you be able to show it to me?
2. If the infection numbers rise in the fall and we go backwards through the Phases, including closing businesses, how would you sell trees?  What else would this affect in your business?

I don’t have answers for the second question but it is worth a discussion.  Can you switch to pre-cut and a farm stand sort of operation?  Can you have a ‘curb-side’ pickup system?

I am on a team working on agritourism guidelines based on NYS guidelines but also hopefully providing suggestions that will work for you.  I know many of you have agritourism activities

https://forward.ny.gov/phase-four-industries – scroll to Low-risk Outdoor Arts and Entertainment to find the guidelines that need to be affirmed and the safety plan.

I’ll be sending out the best management practices we come up with when they are ready.

All this makes scouting and shearing seem like a lot more fun, right?

Have a great week!