Apr 14, 2020
Northwest Michigan growers adjust to coronavirus limitations

Spring has arrived and soon fruit trees will need to be planted, orchards will need to be managed, earlier crops like asparagus and strawberries will need to be harvested.

In light of the current situation with the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes the infectious disease COVID-19, precautions will need to be taken to ensure the safety of growers, farm workers, and agribusiness professionals that support our farming communities.

Fortunately, these safeguards are well underway on farms and at organizations that support agriculture, which is classified as an essential, life-sustaining sector.

Emily Pochubay

Michigan Farm Bureau recently hosted a call to provide northwest Michigan growers with labor updates and tips for keeping farm workers healthy.

Workers affiliated with some labor contracting organizations are screened for symptoms of illness prior to traveling to their final destinations.

After workers arrive, employers need to facilitate a safe environment by helping workers regularly monitor their health and having a contingency plan if someone gets sick.

Sanitizers and sanitizing supplies at workers’ homes and at any gathering places on the farm should be kept well-stocked.

Crews that live together should also travel, receive training, and work together to minimize exposure between people.

Growers are working hard to complete farm duties while ensuring physical distancing guidelines. Growers also are encouraged to provide recommendations for safe recreation and entertainment to help workers enrich their experience while not working.

Agribusinesses are doing their part to promote employee and customer safety.

Offices have modified operations for employees that come into work, and most office workers are working remotely whenever possible. Many offices are not allowing customers inside and have asked them to call in orders for pick up or delivery.

Agribusinesses are working to balance safety and the timings when it is appropriate for scouts and crop consultants to enter orchards, fields, and vineyards to monitor crops.

They are also working diligently on strategies to meet with growers to discuss crop management that is both safe and effective for both parties.

Michigan State University agriculture employees and the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center have been faced with challenges on how to support the region’s growers and keep our clientele and workers safe. Most MSU employees are working remotely, and all in-person meetings and non-essential research are on pause.

These new rules have resulted in a need for MSU employees to be creative about how to offer educational programs and to assist growers with on-farm problems.

In lieu of our usual in-person pre-season grower meetings, MSU Extension fruit educators have created a 10-day lunchtime program: Spring 2020 MSU Tree Fruit Webinar Series.

Participants can pre-register online (https://events.anr.msu.edu/Spring2020TreeFruitWebinarSeries/) to attend webinars covering orchard pest, disease, and weed management, horticulture, and pollination topics for commercial growers.

In other good news, the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center (NWMHRC) staff can continue our spotted wing drosophila work as it was considered essential research for the 2020 field season; the staff will complete these experiments using special precautions and considerations for how to safely conduct this work.

It is important to keep in mind that while agriculture is considered a life-sustaining and essential sector of the U.S. economy, growers, farm workers, and agribusiness professionals must take extra steps and precautions to minimize the risk of illness.

It is inspiring to observe how Michigan agriculture has adapted to this rapidly changing situation. The essential work of agriculture affiliates ensures food security, farm safety, and provides education, research, and critical services to keep our farmers farming.

I hope our northern Michigan community will continue to invest in Michigan products by supporting local farmers and thanking them (from a safe distance or via social media) for all that they do.

Emily Pochubay, Tree Fruit Integrated Pest Management Educator, Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center. Reprinted from the Traverse City-Record Eagle.


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