COVID 19 Updates & Resources for Farmers
In an effort to compile all resources in one place, CCE Clinton has been working with/tracking news releases and websites offered by our partners to bring the farmers/food producers of the North Country accurate, timely, and practical information.
Update: April 24th
Due to the amount of information and the ongoing nature of COVID-19, an archived page has been set-up to house older materials. Only items that are no longer timely or valid have been moved to this page. You may find archived resources at the following link: http://cceclinton.org/resources/march-agriculture-resources
COVID AlertNY
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COVID Alert NY is New York State’s official Exposure Notification App. This is a free smartphone app for anyone 18+ that lives and/or works in New York available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store starting October 1 st. The COVID Alert NY app notifies users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon receiving an exposure notification, the app will encourage users to contact their physician or the State Health Department hotline (1-833-227-5045) to get more information about quarantining and testing
For more information: http://cceclinton.org/resources/covid-alertny
Resource List Put Out by NYEDEN
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/family-pets-health/influenza-pandemics/covid-19/
Employee Placement Help
May 20th:
New York Farm Bureau is launching a new system to connect farms in need of labor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/05/19/new-york-farm-bureau-creates-farm-relief-worker-database/
Financial Resources
May 4th:
EIDL Application Re-Opening
The EIDL Advance/Loan portal will be re-opening shortly. The re-opening of the portal is for agricultural businesses that were previously ineligible for the program. New non-agricultural business applications will not be accepted.
The portal will be opened for a limited period, and it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible. The link to the portal will be:
If you have already applied under the streamlined application (March 30th to program closure), there is no need to re-apply.
Agricultural Businesses Defined:
Agricultural businesses includes those businesses engaged in the production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)).
SBA is encouraging all eligible agricultural businesses with 500 or fewer employees wishing to apply to begin preparing their business financial information needed for their application.
April 27th: Statewide Family Economics and Resource Management (FERM) Program Work Team
COVID-19 Financial Wellness Resources
April 24th:
Cares Act to help with Child Care Expenses for Farm Employees and Food Processors
NYS has decided they will be utilizing $30M of federal CARES act assistance to help with child care expenses for essential workers. Farm employees and food processors are considered essential workers.
(Updated 4/24/20)
As of 3/20/2020 licensed child care businesses in New York State are considered essential services and allowed to operate. NYS announced on 4/24/2020 that child care scholarships will be available for child care expenses for essential workers; which includes food processing and farm employees. Scholarships are being paid for from $30M in federal CARES Act funding received by NYS, and are open to families who are at 300% or less of the federal poverty level – or $78,600 or less for a family of four. More information can be found here: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/news/article.php?idx=2119. The parent application is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvxhLCNWoq4koXGsY2QbInTgj8MTB3911ZO9Kw2rgz5ciLrQ/viewform. The scholarships will be available for the duration of the NY Pause order. The Office of Children and Family Services provides guidance to New York State licensed child care centers during the COVID-19 crisis here. While child care centers are being given flexibility to add spots for child care for essential workers, facilities are also being mindful of social distancing guidance. The Office of Children and Family Services maintains a listing of licensed day care providers to search for child care options although not all of the providers may be open during this current time. In certain regions, local YMCA’s have been expanding child care options for local essential workers and may be an option to explore. The ABCD program, which serves as a primary resource for the children of farm employee and food system employees, is currently closed and will re-evaluate its status regularly so please call local Centers for availability.
April 10th:
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has compiled resources to help/protect yourself from the financial impact of COVID-19.
April 6th:
Paycheck Protection Program: Agriculture & Food Producers Now Eligible
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/04/06/paycheck-protection-program-producers-can-apply-now/
April 2nd:
Borrowing to cover losses:
http://cceclinton.org/resources/borrowing-to-cover-operating-losses
CDC Guidance
June 5th:
New CDC Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/06/04/new-cdc-guidance-for-agriculture-workers-and-employers/
April 10th:
Guidance for Workers Exposed to COVID-19
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/04/09/new-cdc-guidance-for-workers-exposed-to-covid-19/
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
May 5th: Cloth Face Coverings vs. Respirators:
March 30th: Biosecurity for People: 7 Steps to Protect Farmers from COVID-19
Novel Coronavirus Home Page:
Novel Coronavirus Prevention & Control for Farms:
http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/2020/03/12/novel-coronavirus-prevention-control-for-farms/
Cornell CALS
June 25th:
The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets has provided a grant to assist NYS producers in obtaining food safety training required for compliance with the Food Safety & Modernization Act. Cornell CALS and the Produce Safety Alliance are now offering this training on-line to producers during this time of COVID-19 for a discounted price of $60. For more information and to enroll please visit the page below.
May 27th:
We have created short videos in Spanish and English that outline information about the virus that causes COVID-19, and strategies employees can adopt to protect themselves and others. These videos include subtitles and cover the following topics:
- Why COVID-19 is not a foodborne virus
- What to do if symptoms appear
- Mitigations strategies employees can adopt:
- Social distancing at work and at home
- Hand washing
- Avoid touching the face
- Wearing face coverings
- Where employees can go to find answers
We encourage the industry to utilize these videos by displaying them on their closed circuit video systems in the workplace, or through other outlets.
You can find the YouTube links here:
ENGLISH:
SPANISH:
April 29th:
Best Management Practices for U-Pick Farms
https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/di...
April 20th:
Using Online Marketing to Build Resilience:
https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2020/04/using-onlin...
Building Farm Resilience in this Crisis:
https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2020/03/building-farm-resilience-in-this-crisis/
Cornell Pesticide Management Education
May 11th:
Pesticide Use Guidance During COVID-19
Department of Agriculture and Markets
Ongoing: COVID-19 Updates (What you need to Know):
https://agriculture.ny.gov/coronavirus
ENYCHP
June 9th:
New York State requires businesses to have a specific business safety plan in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all farms, both food and non-food producing. In addition, a well-written and executed business safety plan will help reduce business liability risk during and after the pandemic. A Cornell Task Force recently developed materials to directly support farms in the plan writing process.
Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development are offering a “NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support” webinar series with specialized webinars for Dairy/Livestock/Crop Farms, Fruit/Vegetable Farms, Retail Farms, Equine Farms and Greenhouse/Landscaping/Ornamental Farms.
The webinars, led by Extension specialists, will:
Walk farmers through the need for and process to complete a safety plan as is required by all businesses for compliance with NY Forward
Demonstrate project tools developed by Extension to write and complete a plan
Share curated resources for specific industries
WEBINAR Recordings:
Recording links for past webinars (listed below) will be posted on the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development NY Forward Business Safety Plans page.
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Dairy/Livestock/Crop) Farms :
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Fruit/Vegetable) Farms :
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Retail) Farms : 7:00 – 8:00 PM
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Greenhouse/Landscaping/Ornamental) Farms :
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Equine) Farms :
Updates:
http://cceclinton.org/agriculture/enychp-covid-19-update-changes
Food Industry Resources
Food Industry Virtual Office Hours
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (EDT)
The New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence and the IFS@CU are hosting a Q & A and facilitated discussion to address questions from the food industry on COVID-19. Speak directly to subject matter experts in sanitation, epidemiology, microbiology, virology, food safety culture, and the food safety of dairy foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and processed foods and beverages.
Do you have a question for the panel but do not want to ask it live? You can submit questions in advance:
1) When you register,
2) Anonymously on the IFS@CU website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/content/submit-question-virtual-office-hours), or
3) Via email (mail to: foodsafety@cornell.edu).
Visit the IFS@CU's website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/virtual-office-hours) to learn more about upcoming sessions.
Intended audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
Cost: Free
Registration required: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrcOioqT4pGtFxC1y6AI6ncJR9dJEL_OjY
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.
Subject matter experts on the panel
Cornell University:
Dr. Sam Alcaine,
Assistant
Professor
Dr. Betsy Bihn, Senior Extension Associate
Dr. Aljosa Trmcic, Extension Associate
Dr. Martin Wiedmann, Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety
Ecolab, Inc.:
Dr. Ruth Petran, Senior Corporate Scientist in Food Safety & Public Health
Virtual office hours are supported in part by USDA NIFA AFRI Grant NO:2020-68006-32875/ Accession no. 1024254 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these office hours are those of the participant(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
June 23rd:
Training Videos on COVID-19 for Food Processing Employees:
In collaboration with CCE Harvest NY, the Dairy Foods Extension Program and the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce the release of free, 10-minute training videos for food processing employees. This training is available in both English and Spanish and covers background information about the virus causing COVID-19 as well as prevention and control strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus. Participants who watch the video and complete a knowledge-check will receive an email of completion that can be utilized as a training record. English and Spanish versions are available.
You can access this training by visiting the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University’s website or by following the links below.
English: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3CoTQuOrxpQX7w1
Spanish: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WMNc97mj5o6rNH
Training Videos on COVID-19 for Food Processing Employees
In collaboration with CCE Harvest NY, the Dairy Foods Extension Program and the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University, we are pleased to announce the release of free, 10-minute training videos for food processing employees. This training is available in both English and Spanish and covers background information about the virus causing COVID-19 as well as prevention and control strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus. Participants who watch the video and complete a knowledge-check will receive an email of completion that can be utilized as a training record. English and Spanish versions are available.
You can access this training by visiting the IFS@CU website or by following the links below.
English: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3CoTQuOrxpQX7w1
Spanish: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WMNc97mj5o6rNH
For any additional questions on the training, reach out to Louise Felker ( lmf226@cornell.edu).
COVID-19 What We've Learned -- Best Practices for the Food Industry
Joined by colleagues from universities and organizations across the U.S., the IFS@CU has hosted 25 sessions of Virtual Office Hours to address food industry questions on COVID-19 since the end of March. This webinar will provide an overview of what we have learned, reviewing the best practices for the food industry.
You can access the webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmjn9gj9dP0
Need assistance finding resources on the IFS@CU website?
Reach out to us directly at foodsafety@cornell.edu.
May 27th:
Complete Listing From Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University
https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources/
April 13th:
Updated Interim Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Food Manufacturing Facilities or Food Retail Stores for COVID-19.
April 3rd:
How to Apply for SNAP:
https://hungersolutionsny.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Statewide-SNAP-COVID19-flyer-3_25_2020.pdf
Hunger Solutions New York is working to provide updates that can help schools, community organizations, and families mitigate the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the food security of low-income people.
https://hungersolutionsny.org/covid-19/
April 3rd:
Cornell CALS has created a Food Industry Resource. Please see the link below
https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources/
April 2nd:
North Carolina State Extension has developed a Food Safety Resource. Please see the link below.
https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/covid-19-resources/
April 1st:
Adirondack Harvest has created a list of local food producers who continue to serve the community during COVID-19. The pick-up/delivery list is searchable and you certainly could share it, hint-hint!
https://adirondackharvest.com/special-covid-19-services/
Learning opportunities: Free
PennState Extension is offering 56 online classes for free. If you have been interested in learning about everything from beekeeping to growing raspberries and blackberries, pruning ornamental trees and shrubs to new lawn establishment and much more, then now's the time. Find all classes listed at the link below.
https://extension.psu.edu/shopby/online-courses
Marketing/Business Resources
New York Farm Net
March 31st: Managing Financial Stress on the Farm in Uncertain Times
New York Forward Business Safety Plan
New York State requires businesses to have a specific business safety plan in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all farms, both food and non-food producing. In addition, a well-written and executed business safety plan will help reduce business liability risk during and after the pandemic. A Cornell Task Force recently developed materials to directly support farms in the plan writing process.
http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/ny-forward-business-safety-plan/
North Country Regional Ag Team
July 13th:
Greenhouse, ornamental, and landscape industry! Check out this webinar on Safety Plan considerations. watch the link here:
July 6th:
EQUINE BUSINESSES- with show season coming, be prepared and make sure you are complying with the new rules. Watch the webinar at the link below.
July 2nd:
Do you have questions about calf disbudding and pain management? Watch this quick podcast interview with Dr. Sarah Adcock about best management practices and how to meet the FARM Program Version 4.0 requirements for disbudding calves.
June 29th:
NYS Safety Plans for the Retail Agriculture Industry: Recording
June 24th:
June 23rd:
Weekly Update:
Crops:
- Commence the rain dancing. ‘Abnormally dry’ classification by the Drought Monitor folks continues all across the North Country. Map is found here. They’re considering labelling portions of this area as a D1 drought because of continued dryness. Dry soils are now causing corn seedlings to roll and for some herbicide applications to fail.
Dairy:
- Finalizing details for DAP calf management discussion group
- Continuing to interview industry professionals for YouTube content
- Working on a plan to distribute NY Business Safety Reopening Plan templates to Amish communities across the North Country
- Developing a virtual discussion group program to target high school students and focus on communication in the dairy industry (“Digital Dairy Prospects”) to be run this Fall in multiple counties
Farm Business Management:
- REMINDER: NY Farm Bureau (I confirmed this with the President) is offering ALL OF ITS COVID-19 related information to ALL FARMERS on their website. They want everyone to be aware and involved. Feel free to direct farmers there - they can all access it here is the link: https://www.nyfb.org/news/covid-19-news
Risk Mgmt/EMPLOYEE SAFETY:
- WEBINAR RECORDINGS: INDUSTRY SPECIFIC Coverage on Completing the mandatory safety plans: CLICK HERE TO FOR RECORDINGS
- The Farm Business Management Team has developed Examples and Considerations for completing the NYS Safety Plan
- If you or your farmers have questions or would like help with how to become compliant with these required measures and guidelines, PLEASE direct them to KELSEY O'SHEA via email at kio3@cornell.edu or phone at 315-955-2795.
- NEW STATE GUIDANCE FOR FARMS TO PREVENT/RESPOND to COVID-19
Business Mgmt and Funding:
- PPP UPDATE PRESS RELEASE application deadline is STILL JUNE 30 th, 2020-Changes include:
- NEW EZ Forgiveness Application HERE - You can use this application for loan forgiveness if:
- Are self-employed and have no employees; OR
- Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of their employees; OR
- Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19 and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%
- Increased time to use PPP monies
- Reduced percentage required to be used on payroll
- Increase in loan maturity and extended deferral period
- CFAP SIGN UP Available until 28 August follow this link for the APPLICATION INFORMATION
Stress Management:
- NY FarmNet is Open- 1-800-547-3276 and www.nyfarmnet.org
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) , www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- Crisis Text Line Text “GOT 5” to 741-741 , www.crisistextline.org
June 19th:
Recording of the webinar for Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops on NY Safety Plans:
https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Clip+of+NY+For...
June 3rd:
June edition of the North Country Ag Advisor
June 2nd:
1st Cutting Alfalfa-Grass Quality Report
June 1st:
https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/ny-forward-business-safety-plan/
May 28th:
LERT: NEW STATE GUIDANCE FOR FARMS TO PREVENT/RESPOND to COVID-19 Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/…/important-state-guid…/
https://agriculture.ny.gov/…/agm-doh_covid19_cleaningfarm.p…
May 14th:
Ongoing: North Country Regional Ag Team has a YouTube Channel and will be uploading timely materials in the days and weeks ahead. To check out previous videos and or to subscribe to be alerted when new videos are posted, please visit:
Ongoing: North Country Regional Ag Team Blog:
https://blogs.cornell.edu/northcountryregionalagteam/
Ongoing: North Country Regional Ag Team FB Page:
https://www.facebook.com/NorthCountryRegionalAgTeam/
Pro-Dairy
Cornell's Pro-Dairy Program has started a limited podcast series discussing how farmers are adapting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://soundcloud.com/user-846439092/cornell-prod...
Resources for Dairy Farmers
Ongoing:
COVID-19 Resources for Dairy Farmers:
http://cceclinton.org/resources/covid-19-resources-for-dairy-farmers
Resources for Farmworkers
April 9th:
Reliable Resources for Spanish- & English-Speaking Farmworkers about COVID-19 https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/04/08/reliable-resources-for-spanish-english-speaking-farmworkers-about-covid-19/
USDA
April 13th:
USDA Addresses Milk Dumping
Ongoing:
Coronavirus Homepage:
https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus
Webinars Recordings:
April 17:
Discussion on what the beef markets are looking right now and how they've been affected by the pandemic. Information is not just for beef producers, but for dairy producers to keep in mind, because of the impact on cull cow prices and marketing. Please find the video at the link below.
https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/t/1_la1lmpe2
The COVID-19 and Your Produce Farm webinar, provides steps that produce farm managers and individuals working with fruit and vegetable farms should consider to protect their workforce, their business, and their markets.
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/04/09/covid-19-and-your-produce-farm-webinar-recording/
Last updated October 6, 2020