Indulging in freshly picked produce from the farm stand is a summer rite of passage. But as with many seasonal traditions during the pandemic, new rules have taken root to keep this summer ritual safe.
Hand sanitizer, masks, and social distancing are now standard at local farms, and some farmers are reaching beyond the basics and doing what they do best: putting their personal spin on both service and safety.
In addition to Plexiglas barriers and hand-washing stations, Goebbertâs Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard in Pingree Grove now offers curbside service and delivery to Huntley residents.
âWe are delivering fresh vegetables to Del Webb daily,â said Jacob Goebbert. âWe want to provide the people at the highest risk an opportunity to get the produce they love. We can come with a pickup truck and bring extra for neighbors.â
Tomâs Farm Market in Huntley offers special hours for seniors and the immunocompromised from 8:30 to 9 a.m., as well as curbside pickup and stringent safeguards across the farm.
Contact Info for Online Ordering:
– goebbertspumpkinpatch.com
– tomsfarmmarket.com
– huntley.il.us
Liz Halat described the farmâs rigorous process, which includes sanitizing the counters and charge card machines after each customer and prepackaging popular bakery items as an extra precaution.
âIt does take a little longer,â said Halat. âWe are hoping people are patient and they have been really, really good about it.â
Keeping distance is key at the Huntley Farmers Market, too, where booths are widely spaced and vendors must put an armâs length between customers and products.
Village of Huntley Special Events Manager, Barb Read, described the new reality.
âVendors have to have an empty table in front of their booths and move their product back so that it canât just be grabbed.â
Masks are required at the market as well.
âSew Hopâd Brewery was nice enough to donate thousands of cloth masks,â said Read. âMost people take one. Everybodyâs watching out for their neighbors.â
Many vendors, like Wayneâs Local Honey, offer curbside pickup and delivery.
âIf someone calls up and says, âHey, can you drop off one pound of honey because I canât come to the market?â Wayne will be at their house the next day,â said Read. âThatâs what you get when you have local farmers. Thatâs everything to them.â
Fall festivals are facing changes, too.
Goebbertâs is installing partitions between the cars on its popular train ride.
âWeâre going to mandate a squirt of hand sanitizer before entering,â said Goebbert, who encourages weekday visits to avoid the crowds.
At Tomâs, the new Sunflower Maze and the Sip Nâ Sunflower adult-only event will require tickets to limit large gatherings.
Keeping families safe and customers happy is the common theme.
âFarmers take pride in providing a great product, especially local farmers,â said Goebbert. âItâs something that theyâve grown and worked with and nurtured. Itâs a point of pride for a farmer to be able to sell his product to the public.â