Free Masks & Sanitizer For Farmers

(Ithaca NY, May 8, 2020) The NY State Department of Agriculture & Markets is working with Cornell Cooperative Extension county offices across the state to distribute hand sanitizer and face masks to farms and farmworkers to help ensure their safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. In Tompkins County, a partnership of several local ag groups, community organizations and government agencies is now at working together to distribute these materials to local producers.

On May 9. Tompkins County received 10,000 masks, 600 gallons of sanitizer and 1,000 2-oz bottles of sanitizer from NY Ag and Markets. Materials were delivered to a central location in Ithaca, then divided up and transported to rural pickup locations across the county.  Products including gallon jugs and 2-oz bottles of sanitizer, and 5-packs of cloth masks were available for pickup by agricultural producers across Tompkins County at the following six sites, on the days and times listed below:

• Ithaca & Danby farmers may pick up supplies at theEddydale Farm Market on Wednesday May 13, Thursday May 14, and Friday May 15, during market hours (9 AM – 4 PM). Check with the cashier to obtain sanitizer and masks for yourself and your farm’s employees.
• Enfield, Newfield and Ulysses farmers may pick up supplies at the Enfield Community Building – Code Office on Wednesday May 13 (9-11 AM) and Thursday May 14 (9-11 AM). Please call code officer Alan Teeter in advance at 607-277-0266 to let him know when you will come by, so he can bring sanitizer and masks out for you.
• Lansing farmers may pick up supplies at the Lansing Town Hall on Wednesday May 13 (11 AM – 2 PM), Thursday May 14 (11 AM – 2 PM) and Friday May 15 (10 AM to Noon). Please call the clerk’s office at 607-533-4142 to leave a message in advance to schedule an appointment during the times listed above. Staff will bring the sanitizer and masks you need to a table in the building foyer.
• Farmers in Groton may pick up supplies at Howard Farms on Thursday May 14 and Friday May 15, from 8 AM to 6 PM each day. Park in front. Sanitizer and masks for pick-up will be on the table just inside.
• Farmers in Caroline may pick up supplies at Rosebarb Farm on Thursday May 14 from 10 AM to 3 PM. Park in front of the opened main barn door. Sanitizer and masks for pick-up will be on the table just inside.
• Farmers in Dryden may pick up supplies at the TC3 Farm Big Red Barn on Wednesday May 13 and Thursday May 14 from 11 AM to 2 PM each day. Volunteers will be on site to hand-out sanitizer and masks.

Each farm was allowed to pick up approximately one gallon bottle of sanitizer for every two farm employees, five masks per employee, and one 2-oz bottle of sanitizer per employee. Producers were asked to provide their farm name, and to fill out a state-mandated reporting form indicating the amounts of each item claimed by their farm. They could also scan a QR code with their phone to fill out the reporting form touch-free on their own device, or can choose to fill out a paper copy on-site.

During the pickup period, we distributed 3,070 masks, 292 gallons and 629 2-oz bottles of sanitizer to farms in the county. An additional 4,500 masks were made available to the Cornell Farmworker Program, and another 2,500 mask were sent to the Hudson Valley where there was a critical need for them. Masks and sanitizer continue to be available for farmers and farm workers in Tompkins County through scheduled pickups at the CCE Tompkins office. Email gs695@cornell.edu to schedule an appointment.

A second round of PPE will be made available over the coming month, which we hope will last farmers through the end of August. For the second round we have requested 6,000 masks, 900 gallons and 1,500 2-oz bottles of sanitizer. We will be increasing our recommended sanitizer distribution figures from 0.5 gallons to 1 gallon per farm employee.

Any producer in Tompkins County who has not participated in the distribution in their town should contact Graham Savio, Agriculture Team Leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County at gs695@cornell.edu to ensure that all local farms are included on this and any future distribution lists. You may also call (607) 272-2292 x126 or x159 – staff are working from home but the information will be forwarded to them.

Partners on this effort were: Tompkins County Farm Bureau, Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District, the Tompkins COVID-19 Food Task Force, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, the CCE South Central NY Dairy Team and the Cornell Farmworkers Program.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. For more information, please visit our website at http://ccetompkins.org/ .

Last updated December 1, 2022