COVID-19 Hits Home at New York Vegetable Greenhouse

By Brian D. Sparks|May 11, 2020

The reality of the COVID-19 pandemic recently came crashing down on Green Empire Farms, a 32-acre facility in Madison County in upstate New York that produces strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. The farm has become a hotspot for coronavirus, as more than 150 of the company’s employees recently tested positive for the virus.

Local news reports on Syracuse.com and CNYCentral.com highlight the severity of the problem, as well as how local Department of Health officials and Mastronardi Produce of Kingsville, ON, Canada, which owns Green Empire Farms, have responded. The reports also outline the social distancing practices implemented in the greenhouse and at the employees’ housing arrangements at local hotels (much of Green Empire’s workforce consists of contracted labor).

The team at Green Empire Farms has been working closely and in full cooperation with the Madison County Public Health Department, which continues to commend the company for the work they’re doing to protect the employees. Though protective protocols were in place at the greenhouse, there may have been other reasons the virus was able to spread so quickly among workers, according to Madison County Public Health Director Eric Faisst. He says the greenhouse was working with the health department early on, as early as March, to ensure proper protocols and safety measures were in place.

So what can the greenhouse vegetable industry learn from this? It starts with having a plan in place. Check out these recent articles from the Garden Media Group and Pen and Petal on the importance of a crisis management plan.

United Fresh Produce Association also has guidance on its COVID-19 Labor and Worker Health and Safety Resources page, including best practices for employees, as well as guidance on recommended protocols from the food industry.