Updated Protocols

Written By: Mia Vaughnes, GNG Co-Founder

In preparation for our upcoming harvest deliveries, we would like to apprise you of our updated health & safety practices in the Good Neighborhood. 

During this period of COVID-19 shelter in place, Good Neighbor Gardens is more committed than ever to be your fresh harvest, food security provider.  There is truly no better way to maximize your immunity through food than eating hyper-local, nutrient-dense, same-day harvest.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), there is currently no evidence to support the transmission of  COVID-19 associated with food or food packaging. The CDC is also reporting that, in general, because of poor survivability of the coronavirus on surfaces, there is likely a very low risk of spread from food products or packages that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures.  

For your protection and convenience, all deliveries will now be direct to your door.  

What’s more, we have developed new harvesting and delivery protocols to ensure minimum contact to comply with the CDC and USDA guidelines with special attention to social distancing:

1- Each garden is maintained and harvested by the same appointed farmhand for consistency weekly.  We typically spend an hour in each garden for maintenance, and an hour once every two weeks to harvest.  That’s minimal contact. Our farmhands now carry soap, a flask of water and a wash bucket with them to wash their hands before entering the garden, and they wear gloves to open all garden gates.  We clean/sanitize our tools and crates before each use.

2- Only healthy farmhands are allowed to harvest the gardens.  Furthermore, our Gracious Neighbor garden hosts (homeowners) are all committed to practicing social distancing when we are in their yards.

3-  The farmhand will now bundle all harvest themselves and deliver it to our packaging “barn” for assembly.  

4- A maximum of 2 people will be in the barn at any one time to assemble harvest boxes.  They will operate stations that are at minimum 6 feet apart.

5- Assembly tables are disinfected and/or covered in a clean tablecloth.  

6- During the pandemic, we will package the harvest in single-use cardboard boxes with a compostable plastic liner to preserve freshness.

7- Assemblers will be required to wear gloves and/or wash their hands every 30 minutes and will have access to facilities to do so.  Masks are not required or recommended by either agency for use by people who are healthy.

As always, Good Neighbor Gardens is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our gracious community and to reinforce the health benefits of local fruits and vegetables.  We ask that you collaborate with us by washing your harvest before eating it just like any other produce you purchase at the store or farmers market. If we work together as a community, we will continue to thrive as one, just like the garden.

Blessings to you and your family,

Mia Vaughnes, Co-Founder/Developer

Good Neighbor Gardens