Home Brentwood Harvest Time Brentwood Announces May Opening for U-Pick Season

Harvest Time Brentwood Announces May Opening for U-Pick Season

by ECT

On Tuesday, Harvest Time in Brentwood announced they will be opening the U-Pick season in May which will be limited to strawberries and cherries followed by other fruit later this season.

The biggest change this year is the practice of social distancing will need to occur on the farms per the health officials from the Contra Costa Department of Agriculture.

Please take note of the following rules.

  1. All guests over the age of 12 must wear a mask at all times inside the orchard and waiting in line to pay. Guests under the age of 2 should not wear masks.
  2. Do not bring bags, backpacks, or ice-chests inside the orchard. They will not be allowed.
  3. Practice physical social distancing of at least 6-feet. You should maintain the 6-foot distance between you and other guests to the farm who are outside of your family unit. The 6-foot distance should be practiced inside the orchard and while waiting in lines.
  4. If you touch the fruit, you pick the fruit. Do not just grab – be mindful of your preferred pieces of fruit and gently pull it. You are required to pay for all the produce you pick.
  5. If you are bringing your children, please keep them with you at all times. These are working farms. Additionally, social distancing requires our children to practice a 6-foot distance from others.
  6. While waiting in line, follow the designated markings points. Wait until the guest in front of you has collected their produce before you place yours down to pay.
  7. Please contact your favorite farm for their preferred payment method. If cash, please try to bring exact change.

According to Harvest Time, here is their guidelines & precautions:

Extra Precautions You Can Expect From Harvest Time U-Pick Farms 

As guests to the farms are asked to practice additional precautions during this U-Pick season, our farmers are also taking extra precautions to keep you and your family safe.

  1.  There will be a maximum number of guests allowed into the orchards. This will accommodate more natural social distancing practices. Plan your day accordingly to ensure you arrive at the farm at least impacted hours.
  2. Farms will post instructions at the entrance of the orchard. These instructions will direct you to maintain 6-foot distances at all times from other guests, as well as other farm-specific rules.
  3. Employees at the front end of the farm will direct guests to scale and pay areas to help maintain social distancing guidelines. Many farms will have designated cones or marking on the floor to indicate 6-foot increments.
  4. Surfaces will be disinfected and sanitized regularly. These surfaces include tables, pay area, reusable bins and buckets, shared tools, railings, etc.
  5. Checkout stations will meet distancing guidelines.
  6. When possible, farms will provide handwashing stations and/or offer hand sanitizer to customers. Many farms will ask that you wash your hands before entering and upon leaving the farms.
  7. Employees of the farm will be encouraged to follow respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

 

GUIDELINES FOR U-PICK GUESTS DURING THE COVID-19

The following are best practices to help U-Pick farms maintain the health and safety of employees and guests while on the farm during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Pay with Credit/Debit or other electronic payment method if possible
  • All guests must wear face-covering per County Health Directive. No entry without it (must supply your own)
  • Recommend guests wear gloves to protect you and others
  • If you show signs of illness please stay home or do not enter the farm.
  • Increase the frequency of handwashing and sanitizing, especially after touching public surfaces.
  • Wash or disinfect all products purchased before consumption
  • Don’t touch or pick fruit/products unless you intend to purchase it
  • Maintain at least 6 feet social distancing between other farm visitors and staff at all times
  • The farm is limited to a small number of guests at a time, so be prepared to wait.
  • Personal bags, containers, or ice chests are prohibited
  • Group gatherings on the farm are prohibited
  • No picnics or food consumption is allowed
  • Be prepared to wait until the customer in front of you has completed purchase before approaching the scale or pay area
  • Wash hands before and after interacting with anyone
  • Stay informed and responsible by checking updates purchase it on the CDC website as well as the Contra Costa Health website.

There has been no known transmission of COVID-19 through fresh produce. It is a respiratory virus that spreads through person-to-person contact. It is crucial that all guests take a proactive approach to avoid the spread of the virus.

For more COVID-19 information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCov/

GUIDELINES FOR U-PICK FARMS DURING THE COVID-19

The following are best practices to help U-Pick farms maintain the health and safety of employees and guests while on the farm during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Require employees to wear gloves when handling money and, if possible, use cards to limit the handling of cash.
  • Require all employees and guests wear face-covering per County Health Directive (eff. 4/22/20)
  • Ensure that all workers who show signs of illness stay home.
  • Review all health and safety rules with employees.
  • Increase the frequency of handwashing and sanitizing, especially after handling cash.
  • Disinfect all surfaces on a regular basis.
  • Provide increased handwashing stations and/or sanitizer to all guests and employees.
  • Require all guests sanitize or wash hands before entering the field
  • Enforce social distancing between farm visitors and also staff near the entrance, checkout, and exit
  • Enforce social distancing between farm visitors and also staff near the entrance, checkout and exit.
  • Consider using online ticketing to schedule u-pick times
  • Establish and maintain a maximum number of customers in picking area to maximize social distancing and avoid overcrowding
  • Place markers where guests line up to indicate 6ft spacing
  • Buckets can be replaced with single-use bags
  • Ask customers to wait until the customer in front of them has finished completed their purchase before approaching the scale or pay area.
  • Modify procedures to make interactions as “Contact-Free” as possible
  • Communicate all rules with visitors through increased signage in prominent locations on the farm.
  • Communicate with visitors that if they feel ill, they should not come to the farm.
  • Postpone all large gatherings to avoid crowds.
  • Post additional signage reminding customers to wash all produce well before consuming.
  • Communicate your enhanced practices to customers by posting on social media, newsletters, or website.
  • Stay informed and responsive by checking updates on the CDC website as well as the Contra Costa Health website. https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/

There has been no known transmission of COVID-19 through fresh produce. It is a respiratory virus that spreads through person-to-person contact. It is crucial that all farms take a proactive approach to avoid the spread of the virus.

For more COVID-19 information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/

To ensure that the farm you desire is open for U-Pick guests, make sure you visit their “Find A Farm Page.” This page will outline which farms are open, what seasonal produce they have available, and the hours of operation.

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5 comments

George Apr 29, 2020 - 5:50 am

Whoa! Are we kidding? People come from all over to this U-Pick thing. Far more than 5 miles, for sure. There is no way to maintain social distancing. This is a very bad idea!

Dale Apr 29, 2020 - 6:14 am
LoveableCurmudgeon Apr 30, 2020 - 6:49 am

Sure it is. While all those families are climbing up and down ladders their youngsters are wandering around the place…or do you plan on tethering the kiddies to the trees

Simonpure May 1, 2020 - 11:39 pm

Pls George Jr. It’s not like they are going to let us run around like uncontrolled rats. Use a bit of common sense and relax.

Dale Apr 29, 2020 - 6:19 am

Comments are closed.