June 9, 2020

USDA – Farm Service Agency – Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)

USDA is providing critical support to our nation’s farmers and ranchers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities with financial assistance that gives them the ability to absorb sales declines and increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The attached fact sheet provides an overview of the program.

For more information about the CFAP program, visit farmers.gov/cfap or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit offices.usda.gov.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
June 2, 2020

Are Disinfectant Wipes Working for You?

Disinfectant wipes can seem like an easy Disinfecting wipesoption to disinfect surfaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. Label instructions for disinfectant wipes include a “allow to remain wet” statement for efficacy. In many cases, the surface needs to stay wet for at least 4 minutes in order to be effective. Check your product label to verify the time for your specific wipes.

How wet your wipe is to start, how large of a surface you use the wipe on, the surface type and environmental conditions will all impact how long the surface stays wet. In a simple test to evaluate the ability to maintain the required wet time, three disinfectant wipe products were tested on fours surfaces. In an indoor setting at 70 degrees and 60% relative humidity without much air movement these wipes were used on a finished wood surface, a solid countertop, a plastic folding table, and a plastic table cloth. In all cases one wipe on a 4 [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
June 1, 2020

Signage for Farm Worker COVID-19 Education Available

 NJ Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher has requested the following message be shared with the farm community.

To assist farm operators in the provision of COVID-19 education, the NJ Department of Health has created a set of prevention messages that can be used as signage to be hung in common areas on farms. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , ,
May 30, 2020

On-Farm Direct Marketing Webinar Series Now Online

The four-part On-Farm Direct Marketing webinar series recordings are now available online and linked below.
Social Distancing and Safe Food Handling Guidance for Farm Markets, Wes Kline
Sales and Distribution Strategies, Bill Bamka and Steve Komar
U-Pick Guidance for Compliance with Executive Orders, Meredith Melendez
Farmer Panel Discussion, Featuring Tracy Duffield, Jessica Neiderer, and David Specca

For more production agriculture resources on COVID-19, including printable signage for customers and farmworkers visit the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety COVID-19 webpage.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
May 28, 2020

Webinar Scheduled – Liability for Transmission of COVID-19 to Customers of Farm & Food Businesses

The Northeast Center for Advancement of Food Safety at the University of Vermont announced an upcoming webinar hosted by Farm Commons that might be of interest.

Liability for Transmission of COVID-19 to Customers of Farm & Food Businesses
Friday, May 29th at 4pm Eastern

If your actions lead to a customer contracting COVID-19, are you legally liable? Join us for a webinar discussing whether, when, and how, this legal risk could befall a farm or food business, including farmers markets and food hubs. Essential steps to minimize the legal risk to the business will also be covered. Insurance always plays a role when it comes to injury, so the role of insurance and important questions to ask one’s insurance provider will be discussed. The legal landscape develops by the day with state and federal government changes also on the agenda. This clear, focused webinar will emphasize what you can do to protect your business.

Register at this link.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
May 27, 2020

Cloth Face Covering Requirements for Customers and Employees

Covid guidelines for small buisnessesAs farms start-up their pick-your-own seasons we are becoming more aware of negative customer feedback on social media sites.  Comments have mostly been specific to the requirement of customers wearing face coverings while outside at a farm retail business.  Your farm is deemed an “essential retail business” allowing you to be open, but requiring you to follow state guidelines.  Customers are required to wear cloth face coverings at all times while at any essential retail business, including farm markets, farm stands, and pick-your-own locations.  Those with health conditions where a face covering would cause a negative impact on their health and children under the age of two are exempted from this requirement.   This season will be unlike any other you have had at the farm, and your customers experience will be different than what they are used to.  This season your farm has the opportunity to provide a safe place to obtain local, healthy food, and hopefully they will make a few good memories while practicing social distancing and using face coverings appropriately.

We have gathered resources to help convey the Governors Executive Orders, and their impacts to your farm operation, below.  The second link is the newly released NJDH printable poster outlining the requirements of all businesses allowed to operate during this time, including the mandate all operating businesses require customers and employees to wear face coverings.

NJ Executive Order 122 – Full length (see page 6, letter K for specifics)
“Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit that individuals health or where the individual is under two years of age.”

NJDH Guidance for Retail Businesses – Requirements for all Businesses Continuing to Operate (printable poster)
“Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings, and require workers to wear gloves.”

NJDH/NJDA/DOL Guidance for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, Their Employers, and Housing Providers
“Workers must wear face coverings at all times, including during transportation, while working, and while in the presence of others.”

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , ,