COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Most farmers know how to fix just about anything. It’s a daily requirement of the job. So when it comes to adhering to state and CDC interim guidance on COVID-19 prevention in agriculture, we believe many farms have likely come up with smart, practical solutions for getting their job done safely in the midst of an impractical situation.
The “Smart Solutions” contest is giving a $200 credit card gift card to the farm owner or employee who shares the best tip on how they’ve adapted, changed or innovated to make their work, workers or workplace safer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The contest is sponsored by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) and the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC).
To enter, go to: https://www.nycamh.org/news.php?id=853
Submissions are due by July 15.
Here are some examples of farm-related “smart solutions” to managing the challenges of COVID-19 at work:
- Free Bird Farm in Palatine Bridge, NY, color-coded shovels, harvesting knives, and cultivation hand tools with duct tape, to avoid workers sharing tools.
- Truck driver Ian Lake of New Hampshire sewed buttons onto the sides of his cap to hook face cover straps over so they no longer pull on his ears.
- Candella’s Farm of Marcy, NY, tie-dyed cotton face coverings to keep their staff safe during strawberry you-pick season when interacting with the public. The farm tie-dyed dozens of white cotton face coverings, which New York State distributed free to farms, making the masks less apt to show dirt and more fun for staff to wear.
NYCAMH and NEC have also released a series of practical tips for farm operations related to COVID-19 safety and prevention in the “additional resources” section of their COVID-19 web pages (www.nycamh.org/covid-19/ and www.necenter.org/covid-19/). The terms of the “Smart Solutions” contest are as follows:
Submissions will be accepted through July 15, 2020. One winner will be selected for the $200 gift
card.
- To be eligible, you must be 18 years of age or older and own or work for a commercial farm located in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland or West Virginia.
- You may submit more than one idea.
- By submitting an idea, you give permission to the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC) and the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) to share your creative idea and photo via websites, newsletters, social media, or other communications channels. We will not share your contact information without your expressed consent.
Find news updates, videos, and a variety of COVID-19 resources for agricultural employers and employees at www.necenter.org/covid-19 . If you would like more information about the contest, NYCAMH’s and NEC’s free virtual employee trainings, PPE sales or other services, please call 800-343-7527 or email info@nycamh.com.
–Maryellen Driscoll
NYCAMH/NEC Communications Coordinator
For more articles concerning COVID-19, click here.