CSA season is nearly here! Next week is our first week of pickups – Tuesday, June 16th and Friday, June 18th. Please double check your confirmation email to see what day you selected to pick up your share. If you can’t find your confirmation email, please contact Barbara at admin@stearnsfarmcsa.org.
Pickup times are 10am-7pm. Please give yourself 20-40 minutes to pick up your share during the season (time varies depending on how many PYO items there are to collect). This means that if you arrive later in the day, please show up no later than 6:40pm.
This year will be a unique season at Stearns. It is critical that we, as a local farm and member of the community, continue to do everything we can to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Farms all over the country have adapted to the new situation and are putting in great efforts, making it possible for people to continue to receive food safely. We are all doing the best we can with the resources that are available to us. Therefore, Stearns Farm is introducing the following changes to our pickup process:
Wear a mask:
We are requiring everyone to wear a mask when they come to pick up their share, as well as when they are in the PYO gardens. If you are alone in the PYO fields, please keep your mask close, in case other people arrive while you are picking.
Social Distancing:
Please keep a distance of at least 6 feet from others at all times. Even when you are wearing your mask.
Reusable bags:
According to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), we can now allow reusable bags at the farm as long as you are the only person touching them. However, we will still provide paper and plastic bags if you’d like to use them.
Sign in:
Do not enter the pavilion until a staff member has checked you in. It is important to know who has come to pick up their share, in case we need to pick a few more things in the field at the end of the day or if we need to check in with anyone who hasn’t picked up in a couple of weeks.
Limit of 4 sharers under the pavilion:
A Stearns Farm staff member or work-for-share will always be at the pavilion to check people in and to monitor how many people are under the pavilion. We will direct people to move in one direction to limit the possibility of crossing paths with others. We will also limit the need to weigh items out by either pre-bagging or bunching items together.
You touch it, you take it:
Please be mindful of where you are placing your hands when you are selecting produce. Look first before you reach for a head of lettuce or a bunch of carrots. This will become extremely important once it’s tomato season!
Wash or sanitize your hands when picking in the PYO herb garden, flower garden, blueberries and raspberries:
According to MDAR, we are required to have a hand washing station available to customers who are participating in PYO crops. Since PYO is a part of the shares at Stearns, we will provide a place to wash and dry your hands located at the front of the farm by the PYO flower garden. You may also bring your own hand sanitizer if you wish.
If you become sick:
If you or someone in your household becomes ill and tests positive for COVID-19, please email me at farmer@stearnsfarmcsa.org and we will make sure to figure out a way to get you your share safely.
Please refer to the following documents if you’d like to read more about what the state recommends for PYO farms, farmer’s markets and CSAs:
https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-guidance-for-farmers-markets-farm-stands-and-csas/download
See you all next week!
Until next time,
Ember
