Pandemic Year Number Three! COVID Procedures for 2022

July 2020: 
Leonardo & Andrea....with Masks!

By Richard de Wilde

As we prepare for another CSA delivery season, it’s hard to believe we are in the third year of the pandemic.  We continue to navigate the pandemic, adapting as needed as we try to make the best decisions about COVID precautions for ourselves, our crew and you, our customers.  Personally, I have become comfortable wearing a mask indoors and in stores.  I anticipate having a mask handy the rest of my life!  We prefer to use the washable, reusable cloth masks and while they may not be the top-of-the-line disposable kind currently being recommended, they have worked well for us.  Thankfully they have prevented us from contracting COVID as well as avoiding colds and influenza!  We will forever continue good sanitation practices including frequent hand washing which we did before the pandemic!  

April 2021: 
Planting Strawberry plants...
with masks!

As with the last two years, we are starting another delivery season with a bit of uncertainty as to what the year will hold with respect to the pandemic.  Based on the CDC’s Community Risk Tool, the risk in all of our delivery areas is presently rated at “Low!”  While I hope the risk stays low, a new variant was recently discovered, and some are predicting another spike in COVID cases as it spreads across the country.  I guess only time will tell how this variant plays out.  Here on the farm, we have chosen to continue the COVID precautionary procedures we implemented at the start of the pandemic.  Keeping our workers safe and healthy has always been a priority.  At various times throughout the pandemic, we have also been required to follow guidelines set out in Emergency Orders specific to employers of migrant workers that have been issued by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.  While we were required to follow these procedures by law, it wasn’t really a big deal as we had already implemented 80-90% of the requirements before they issued the order!  Another emergency order went into effect on March 1, 2022, and will expire on July 28, 2022.  So, here at the farm we will continue the majority of our pandemic-related practices including wearing masks in the workplace while indoors, in vehicles, and in outside situations where it is not possible to maintain a 6-foot distance.  We will also continue to clean frequently touched surfaces daily in the workplace as well as in the housing we provide for our workers.  This includes facilities as well as all of our trucks and vehicles!  Additionally, this will be the third year that our H2A crew will quarantine upon arrival from Mexico to make sure everyone is in good health.  

With the start of our CSA deliveries only seven weeks away, we realize we need to make plans for the Pandemic-Related Procedures for CSA pick ups this year.  Before we get into the details, I want to start by extending a “Thank You” to all our members who responded to the “end of the season” survey we sent out last December.  The main focus of the survey was to gather your thoughts about pandemic related procedures as it pertains to our CSA sites.   Since we closed the survey on January 15, 2022, the pandemic has continued to be a dynamic situation with ever-changing CDC guidelines and the evolution of new variants.  We knew this would be the case when we asked the survey questions, nonetheless this information has been helpful in guiding us as we make some important decisions for the 2022 season.   Before we go on, I want to share a summary of the survey results.

• Total Responses:  664 
• 50% of respondents support continuing to implement our 2021 precautionary pick-up procedures.  Additionally, 30% favored continuing these procedures, but with modifications.  
• 74% of respondents support continuing to require masks be worn at the pick-up sites.
• 77% of respondents think we should continue to implement physical distancing at the sites including asking that only one member enter the site at a time.
• 60% of respondents support the continued use of the large plastic bags in the CSA boxes to facilitate a quick pick up at the sites.
• 77% of respondents voted to bring back the Swap box for 2022.  
• 84% of respondents would like to see more Choice items offered at sites in 2022.
• 20% of respondents want to continue bringing their own pens for the checklist.

So, what pandemic-related procedures will we be implementing at our sites this season?  Well, based on our understanding, COVID is presently diminishing, but by no means gone! In fact, it will probably be with us in one form or another forever. So it behooves all of us to continue to minimize the risk of exposure.  We understand that many of you are tired of COVID restrictions, and some are resistant to vaccinations. We realize there is a spectrum of beliefs, and we respect everyone’s personal points of view.  We also ask that each of you come to the table with a willingness to be respectful of each other as a community and offer compassion and understanding to those who may hold a belief different from your own.  We believe CSA pick-up sites are already a low-risk way to source food, but we want to continue to offer an environment where all members can feel comfortable.  We also can’t forget that we do have some individuals in our membership who are high risk based on a variety of health situations.  Respect has always been an important part of building a strong CSA community and therefore we ask that everyone please respect the precautionary measures we are requesting you follow at our CSA pick up-sites.  In my mind, it’s not too different from taking your shoes off when you visit a friend’s house, and they ask you to leave your shoes at the door.  We also now know that the risk of contracting COVID on a touch surface is not as great as was thought originally.  Rather, there is a greater chance of spreading and contracting COVID by airborne transmission.  With all this in mind, here are our thoughts for Pandemic-Related Procedures for CSA Pick Up in 2022.  

2020 & 2021:  
Plastic Liner Bag in the CSA Box

The Plastic Liner Bag in the Vegetable CSA Box:  While the use of the plastic bag in the CSA box has helped us facilitate a quick, in-and-out CSA pick up over the past two years, we have decided to discontinue using them for 2022.  We plan to return to our pre-pandemic method of packing the CSA vegetables directly into the CSA box.  Even without the use of the bag, we feel a quick CSA pick up is possible if each person makes a concerted effort to enter, transfer the contents of their box and exit the site.  We do ask that you do not take the entire box home with you!  We would like for each member to bring your own reusable bag, box or a cooler and transfer the contents of your box to that container to transport them home.  One of the benefits of using the plastic bag was that more of the boxes stayed at the CSA sites and were returned to the farm the following week in good condition so they could be reused.  We want to continue to minimize our waste by being able to reuse the waxed produce boxes, however we can only do that if they are clean and appropriate to hold food (i.e., no pet hair, footprints, etc.).  Additionally, we are committed to decreasing the use of plastics where we can this year and this seems like a good place to start.  

If you have a stack of the CSA box liner bags from the past two years and are looking for a way to reuse/recycle them, we do have an option we can share with you.  First, please do not return them to your CSA sites this spring as we are not able to accept them for reuse on the farm.  Rather, we suggest you donate them to Community Hunger Solutions (CHS).  This is an organization we work with locally.   (CHS) which helps us distribute excess or number 2 produce from our farm to food pantries in our area.   They have a need for those CSA bags and would love to reuse them.  If you are willing to contribute to the cost of shipping, you may send your bags directly to CHS for reuse.  Here’s how it works.  

1. Only send them clean, dry bags that are still in good condition (no rips, tears, mold, etc.) and have not been used for non-food items.
2. Fold them up neatly so they are flat and put them in a shipping box. 
3. Send them directly to CHS at the following address:

Community Hunger Solutions (CHS)

c/o Vernon Economic Development Association

1201 N Main St, #5

Viroqua, WI  54665

Masks:  We are continuing to ask that all members please wear a face mask when you go to the site to pick up your box.  It is a small, simple act that helps minimize the risk of exposure to anyone in a shared space.  The peace of mind this provides other members is a small price to pay for wearing a mask for the 5-10 minutes (or less) it will be on while you pick up your CSA box!

Swap & Choice Boxes:  We had over 75% of respondents vote to bring back both the Swap Box this year and to offer more Choice items on the side (E.g., basil, eggplant, etc.).  This is a pretty high percentage, so we have chosen to take your advice and offer a swap box as well as more choice items this year.  For those of you who may not be familiar with these terms, here’s the deal.  The Swap box is a box at the site that members can use to share any produce items from their box that they may not care for or have a use for in a given week.   If another member wants the item and has a use for it, they can take the item out of the Swap box.   Choice items are those that may be packed on the side in a given week.  If it’s an item you like, you’re welcome to take a portion home with you.  

Whether you use the Swap box or take a Choice item is up to you. If you pass on both, you will still receive more in value than you pay for over the course of the season. 

Physical Distancing: We will also continue to implement physical distancing at the sites.  This means we ask that you give any other member picking up at the same time their own personal space.  This may mean you need to move off to the side to unpack your box or wait a moment for another member to finish and exit the site.  Please be patient and courteous.

Farm Events & Camping!

2018 Strawberry Day Field Tour

While we’re not quite ready to return to our usual pre-pandemic style of hosting farm events, we do feel we can offer a safe, low-risk, fun opportunity to visit the farm this year.  We’ll have more details coming later, but we are planning on offering U-Pick Strawberry Day on Saturday, June 18 and a Pick Your Own Pumpkin Day on Sunday, September 25.  We will not be hosting a potluck and likely will not be doing wagon tours to the fields, but we will have space for you to enjoy your own picnic and will provide the option of a self-guided walking field tour.  We will also continue to offer the opportunity to camp in our valley any time of the year!  We have two lovely meadow campground areas and simply ask that you RSVP in advance.

So, that’s it in a nutshell!  We will remind you of the pandemic related procedures which will be clearly outlined in the Welcome Packet you receive in late April prior to the start of deliveries.  We consider these to be small requests and hope everyone will follow them respectfully.   If you have feedback to share with us, we welcome you to do so.  If you have other thoughts or perspectives you would like to share, we welcome your feedback and we’re happy to engage in conversation.  Now, with that behind us lets move forward and have an awesome 2022 CSA Season!