Wednesday, September 23, 2020

COVID-19 and Fall Agritourism Operations


Fall is normally an exciting time filled with pumpkin festivals, pick-your-own pumpkin patches, apple picking, corn mazes, Halloween events, and more. As we are all aware, COVID-19 has drastically changed the way we do things. Many large events like fairs and festivals were canceled. If you operate a small agritourism operation, you may be wondering how to keep your operation running during this unprecedented time.  

Many families are looking for outdoor events and activities to entertain themselves and get out of the house. A day spent at a smaller agritourism operation this fall might be just what these families are looking for. As the farm owner, it is up to you to determine if your operation can continue safely while following state guidelines and keeping patrons safe. The following are some suggestions and resources on COVID-19 prevention best practices that you can use to reduce risk and ensure your fall agritourism activities can proceed.

Staying Up-to-Date on State Guidelines

In Virginia, we are currently in Phase III of the Virginia COVID-19 guidelines. These guidelines can be found at  https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/Forward-Virginia-Phase-Three-Guidelines---8-21-2020.pdf. These guidelines contain physical distancing best practices, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting best practices, and more, for different types of business operations. Your agritourism operation might fit into different categories, so carefully read and follow the guidelines that best suit the activities in your operation.

Communication of Operation Practices

While it is imperative that you develop COVID-19 guidelines for your operation, they must be clearly and effectively communicated to your customers if risk is going to be reduced. Before customers arrive on the farm you should share the steps you will take to protect their health. The use of websites, social media, newspaper ads, tv or radio ads, and signage are all effective ways you can share your policies with the public.

Request that customers not come to the farm if they are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 or other contagious illnesses. Ask customers showing symptoms to leave. Communicate verbally and by signage that customers should wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth.

Reducing Congregating


One of the best things you can do to reduce risk of spreading COVID-19 is to establish policies and practices that maintain appropriate distance between persons not living in the same household. Families can be kept together, but you should provide clear signage and communication of how to best distance people away from one another. Be clear when folks arrive that families must keep a minimum of six feet from other families. In areas like pumpkin patches, this should be easy to do, but you might need to reduce the allowed occupancy in the patch at one time (depending on the size) to have enough room for folks to spread out. Design a flow plan for customers to enter and exit the venue. Additional practices might include separating tables or benches, marking places to stand in line, or reducing crowding around entrance areas, checkout lines, or areas around bathroom facilities. Consider if you should cancel or restrict certain parts of your operation or event that might make social distancing difficult (concerts, picnicking, etc.). Can you offer appointments or scheduling for families in order to better manage the number of people on your operation at a time and allow for sanitation between groups (hay rides or corn mazes for example)? Should you restrict access to certain parts of the farm?

Sanitation Stations


Promote frequent and thorough hand washing. Provide customers a place to wash hands with soap and water, if possible. Portable handwashing stations can either be purchased or made with minimal costs (see DIY Handwashing Station link below). If soap and running water are not available, provide hand sanitizers. Proper hand washing signage should be posted at wash stations, and other resources are available online or by contacting Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Signage

Signs should be posted at the entrance to your operation that clearly detail your COVID-19 procedures and management plan. Statements should be posted that detail social distancing requirements, sanitation requirements, screening procedures, flow plans, location of sanitation stations, and other applicable information.

The website https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus/ has information about the Phase Three guidelines, as well as printable posters on requiring face coverings.

The website https://iowavalleyrcd.org/markets/covid19fmsigns/ contains lots of great colorful and downloadable posters that can be used on agritourism operations, social media, as well as at farmers markets or fruit/vegetable stands.

Customer Flow

Depending on what type of operation you have, it might be helpful to develop a flow plan. This is where you design a foot-traffic pattern for walking the field or other space in your venue to help distance people away from each other.

Employee Training

Employees should be screened and monitored just as visitors are. They also must be trained on your personal and farm safety protocols put in place to minimize risks of COVID-19 transmission. Document the training, including when it took place and what employees were trained on. Have employees sign verifying completion of the training. Instruct employees that are not to work if they are sick with COVID-19 or displaying symptoms. Employees should wear face coverings, and are required to wear them if they are working in dining services.

Recordkeeping

Just as with food safety, it is always a good idea to document your procedures being taken to minimize risks. Document training and cleaning and sanitation practices. Keeping adequate records will help ensure others that you are adequately doing your part to reduce risks to all those involved in your operation.  

For assistance designing your COVID-19 management plan for your agritourism operation, contact Virginia Cooperative Extension or view any of the resources below.

Additional Resources and References:

 

 

 

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