June 2020 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Prioritize your people
As horticultural crop producers approach their
busiest time of year, it has become obvious that
the COVID-19 outbreak may impact their ability to
source inputs, engage workers and operate their
businesses in a normal fashion.
" The financial success of horticultural crop
producers is dependent upon their ability to
recruit, train and retain a healthy and robust
workforce, " said Tom Ford, Penn State University
Extension educator specializing in the production
of tree fruits, small fruits and vegetables. " The
adage, 'profitability starts with people,' might be
perceived as slightly dated, but no businesses succeed
without good people working for them. "
The coronavirus pandemic has threatened the
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livelihood of agricultural operators. It has introduced a myriad of concerns and
unknowns as the world confronts the realities of this deadly and costly threat.
Ford urges farm operators to review " Interim Guidance for Business and
Employers, " found on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website, which provides
business owners and operators with science-based information that can be used to
guide their businesses during this outbreak. The guidance, Ford suggested, will help
operators to keep their business running through this difficult period.
Ford also recommends the following actions:
* Emphasize frequent hand-washing. It's the first line of defense against
COVID-19. " As an industry, we have rarely emphasized personal hygiene when
training our employees, except during harvest, " he said.
* Place hand sanitizer dispensers throughout operations. Make sure that
antibacterial soap and single-use towels are stocked in every bathroom. " At the
very least, keep a supply of hand sanitizer on each delivery vehicle and tractor, "
Ford said.
* Make sure common spaces in the workplace, such as restrooms and break
rooms, and often-touched surfaces such doorknobs and tables, are cleaned and
sanitized regularly. " A few dollars spent on cleaning your facility each day may
prevent your entire workforce from contracting COVID-19, " Ford said.
* Because worker interaction with customers will occur at farmers' markets and
roadside stands, horticultural crop producers should encourage their workers to
maintain a buffer or space between the customer and themselves.
Ford encouraged operators to emphasize that employees must stay home if they
are feeling ill. This is vital, Ford noted.
" Because many farm workers live paycheck to paycheck, they are very reluctant
to call off work, " he said. " To protect their entire work crew, producers should
encourage all workers, irrespective of job title or work deadlines, to call off if they are
dealing with any illness. "
While it may put constraints on a business temporarily, operations will not be able
to continue if a producer's entire workforce has to self-quarantine from COVID-19 for
14 days. If possible, Ford said, a horticulture business should offer some form of sick
leave to workers to discourage their attendance when they feel ill.
To mitigate risk and to protect the health of employees, producers should consider
reducing the size of crews who work in close proximity and strive to keep the
same crew members working together each day. Consideration should be given to
staggering the arrival and departure times of crews to minimize physical contact
between individual crew members.
If possible, Ford said, producers should offer at-risk workers alternative assignments
that would minimize their exposure to the coronavirus from other crew members.
Producers might consider utilizing higher-risk employees to sanitize and clean packing
lines, sanitize picking containers or manage weeds.
* Because worker interaction with customers will occur at farmers' markets
and roadside stands, producers should encourage their workers to maintain a
buffer or space between the customer and themselves, in accordance with CDC
recommendations, Ford said.
* Finally, producers should consider developing an emergency plan for their
business operations in case key managers become ill with COVID-19. " They
should ask themselves, 'Who will assume payroll responsibilities if my payroll
clerk becomes ill, or who will manage workflow, oversee the pest management
program, or oversee day-to-day operations if key individuals become
incapacitated in any way?' "
Producers should prepare a plan before a crisis develops, Ford said, and then hope
that they never need to enact the emergency plan that they developed.
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Specialty
crop industry touts COVID-19
employee safety protocols
Specialty crop producers sent a letter
to congressional leadership in May
highlighting the extraordinary measures
agricultural employers are taking to
protect their workforce during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
USDA official to lead University of Florida
Institute of Food and Ag Sciences
The University of Florida has named
J. Scott Angle, director of the USDA's
National Institute of Food and
Agriculture, to lead the university's
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
into the next decade.
WSU enlists citizens in hunt for giant,
bee-killing hornet
More than 2 inches long, the world's
largest hornet carries a painful,
sometimes lethal sting and an appetite
for honeybees. It is also the newest
insect invader of Washington state.
Trimble's HarvestMark business acquired
by iFoodDecisionSciences
Trimble announced in May that
iFoodDecisionSciences Inc. has acquired
Trimble's HarvestMark business, a
provider of food traceability and quality
inspection solutions.
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June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2020