Why Your U-Pick Needs a Makeover Now
June 24, 2020 
Staggering picking times can be a good way for smaller–scale berry farmers to control the number of pickers and ensure proper social distancing.
Photo courtesy of Jubilee Orchards
As I was writing this, I found myself trying to predict what the new realities of pick-your-own berry operations will look like this summer. My crystal ball was not as clear as I would have liked. I had to rely on some earlier practices from our Southern berry growers.
The key practices for running a safe and successful pick-your-own berry operation this summer could be requiring customers to wear gloves and masks, asking customers to schedule their picking times to ensure proper social distancing, providing more pre-picked berries for drive-through sales, weighing and checking out more efficiently, and installing sneeze guards at the checkout points. I am sure there are many more, and my suggestions should serve as conversation starters.
Ask or require customers to wear gloves and masks or facial coverings. This is a good way to ensure that customers will not pass COVID-19 from one to another. By now it should be a given that anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate for everybody’s sake. Wearing gloves and cloth facial masks/coverings will provide added protection whether the customers or employees are COVID-19 free or asymptomatic. I was happy to see in April that the governor of New Jersey issued an executive order requiring retail employees and customers to wear cloth face coverings. During this challenging time, we all need to do what we can to help each other out.
Schedule berry-picking time to ensure social distancing. This may not be a brand-new concept. One of our blueberry growers in Ohio has been conducting his pick-your-own business like this for years. He required his customers to call him and leave him a message before they came to pick. He would then call each of them back to schedule a picking time.
This approach could work well for smaller farms. I hope you will have a more efficient scheduling method. When in doubt, ask technology savvy people for help! It’s hard to imagine that I used to be on top of this technology thing. I do not know when I lost that edge. Some of my younger colleagues or my kids would regularly remind me that “there is an app for that!”
Provide more online sales and schedule a pick-up time. I have a feeling that you will need more pre-picked berries for sale online and for pick-up. I read an article online about a blueberry farm in Clermont, FL. Their new business model was “the only thing to pick now is your pick-up time.” They turned to all-online sales and prescheduled pick-up times to create proper “social distancing.” Going to 100% pre-picked berries may not be realistic for everyone. I think a much bigger percentage of pre-picked berries for sale will be more of a norm.
Faster weighing and check out. Many growers have used very efficient methods of weighing and check out. Charging by container size and using cashless transactions are some of the ways to make it happen. This may be the time for us to learn a few things from fast-food restaurants or car rental agencies. Placing barcodes on picking containers for no-touch transactions may help too!
Installing a “sneeze guard” may help too. Some of you may already be doing that. I am sure you can think of a good way to place an effective barrier between your cashiers and your customers.
Second Opinion
Last, but not least, I reached out to my dear friend, Bill Hlubik, for insight. He is a County Agent and a Professor with Rutgers University. Bill has been an outstanding Extension agent and my inspiration. He wrote:
“The COVID-19 pandemic brings many challenges for pick-your-own farmers. Great challenges can also provide opportunities for farmers to meet customer demands. Many of our growers have established safety protocol that provides protection for both consumer and farm workers and their families. This includes the use of face mask and gloves and maintaining social distancing among each group of pick-your-own customers. Hand-wash stations for both consumers and farm workers must be convenient and always stocked with adequate soap and water or sanitizing solutions. Limiting the number of people in the field or waiting to weigh and check out can be done to provide an extra margin of safety for consumers. Proper training of farm workers is imperative in order to maintain a high level of consistency and protection for all.”
Please share your comments or insights below with me or your fellow growers. We are in this together!
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