UPDATED: Important Service Changes

Published August 4, 2021

The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 disease, known as the coronavirus, a pandemic. Due to this, GreenThumb is making important service changes, to ensure the health and safety of our partners and the public. You can learn more, including how to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, on the CDC or NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene webpage.

Please visit this page to stay informed of changes. If garden groups have specific questions, they should feel free to contact their designated Outreach Coordinator. It is imperative that we all work together and adhere to these requirements in order to help protect public health and safety.

For important NYC Parks Department information, please visit NYC Parks' Service Announcements page.

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Updated on August 4, 2021

Please carefully review the following sections:

1. Public Access Policy for GreenThumb Community Gardens on NYC Parks Property

2. Garden Group Access Policy for GreenThumb Community Gardens on NYC Parks Property

3. COVID-19 Protocols for GreenThumb Community Gardens on NYC Parks Property

4. Food Distribution Policy for GreenThumb Community Gardens on NYC Parks Property

5. Resources and Programming Updates from GreenThumb
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1. PUBLIC ACCESS POLICY FOR GREENTHUMB COMMUNITY GARDENS ON NYC PARKS PROPERTY

Please note that policies are subject to change based on City, state, and federal regulations related to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Community gardens operating on NYC Parks property may remain open or closed to the general public at the discretion of each garden group.

Permitted Activities within Community Gardens: Gardeners may continue all necessary maintenance and gardening activities and they may host in-person meetings of the garden group at the garden even if the garden is closed to the general public. Gardens may host public events only with prior written approval from NYC Parks GreenThumb (more details below). While gardens are not required to host public open hours, GreenThumb is encouraging licensed groups to provide some public access if at all possible. All gatherings must allow for all attendees to maintain six feet of social distance at all times.

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2. GARDEN GROUP ACCESS POLICY FOR GREENTHUMB COMMUNITY GARDENS ON NYC PARKS PROPERTY

Please note that policies are subject to change based on City, state, and federal regulations related to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Gardens operating on NYC Parks property may remain open or closed to garden members at the discretion of each licensed garden group. While gardens are not required to host public open hours, GreenThumb is encouraging licensed groups to provide some public access if at all possible.

Permitted Activities within Community Gardens: Garden groups may continue to accept new members. Gardeners may continue all necessary maintenance and gardening activities and they may host in-person meetings of the garden group at the garden even if the garden is closed to the general public. Gardens may host public events only with prior written approval from NYC Parks GreenThumb (more details below). GreenThumb allows garden groups to set their own COVID-19 guidelines for visitors, garden members, public events, and volunteer projects, including any requirements regarding proof of vaccination or negative PCR tests (these decisions should be made in accordance with the garden group's bylaws). Maximum occupancy of 50 people in community gardens is no longer in effect.

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3. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS FOR GREENTHUMB COMMUNITY GARDENS ON NYC PARKS PROPERTY

Please note that protocols are subject to change based on City, state, and federal regulations related to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

All garden groups on Parks property MUST observe the following:

• Face Coverings: Face coverings are no longer required, but garden groups have the option to require face coverings inside the garden.
• Social Distancing: Everyone (gardeners and the public) inside of community gardens must always practice social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet apart.
• Disinfect Commonly Used Surfaces: Guidelines can be found on the CDC website and Safety and Hygiene Practices are posted on our website.
• Collaborative decision-making: All decisions regarding opening to members or the public should be made in accordance with the garden group's bylaws. Decisions must be clearly communicated to all garden members. These Factors For Garden Groups to Consider When Reopening to the Public can help guide your group's decision.
• Signage: Garden groups must hang clear signage near the garden entrance communicating its public access policy. You can make your own, or download signage available in multiple languages from our Gardener Resources page.
• Open gardens no longer must be attended: Garden groups are no longer required to have a garden member present whenever the garden is open to the public.
• Responding to incidents: Gardeners are not responsible for enforcing NYC Parks rules. Politely remind garden members and public visitors on social distancing and face covering protocols if you are comfortable doing so (if applicable to your garden). Individuals who refuse to observe social distancing or wear face coverings should be reported to 311. For more serious issues, you should contact GreenThumb, call NYC Parks Central Communications at (646) 613-1200, or 911 depending on the severity of the issue.
• Indoor spaces: No more than one person may be in a confined indoor space at the same time, such as greenhouses, sheds, and casitas.
• Public Events: Gardens may host public events only with prior written approval from NYC Parks GreenThumb. Garden groups MUST submit a request to host an event using the Event Request Form. Maximum occupancy of 50 people in community gardens is no longer in effect. Garden groups are free to administer health screenings at gardens on Parks property and to deny entry to anyone who either refuses to participate or indicates they are a risk.
• Outdoor Learning: Please note that all requests for schools in New York City to use NYC Parks properties, including community gardens, as outdoor classrooms must first be submitted by school principals through the Outdoor Learning Initiative. Garden groups will also be asked to complete a corresponding Event Request so that we can ensure that the garden group is supportive and to track these partnerships internally.

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4. FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR GREENTHUMB COMMUNITY GARDENS ON NYC PARKS PROPERTY

The following practices MUST be followed by gardens on NYC Parks property involved in food distribution to ensure compliance with NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) food safety regulations.

• NYC Parks Requirements: For gardens on NYC Parks property, only food produced on-site can be sold, and only to support the continued operation of the garden, with the exception that gardens can also serve as pick-up locations for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Food Box programs.
• Food Handling: Only garden group members and those assisting with food distribution may handle products. Customers must not touch any produce or products before purchase or distribution. Consider pre-packaging produce into bags where possible.
• Gloves: All gardeners/vendors and those assisting with processing transactions must wear protective gloves. When possible, to prevent cross contamination, those handling transactions should be separate from those handling any produce or food products.
• Sanitizing: All gardeners, and those assisting with food distribution operations, should sanitize their stands regularly, primarily wiping down tables, terminals, cash boxes, etc. For more information, read COVID-19: General Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection for Non-Health Care Settings.
• Tent Spacing: Any tents should be spaced at least 10-feet apart to reduce congestion, ideally further.
• Table Covers: Vinyl or plastic table covers should be used for easy sanitizing.
• Stay Home if Sick: All gardens and those assisting with food distribution must stay home if they are sick.

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5. RESOURCES AND PROGRAMMING UPDATES FROM GREENTHUMB

GreenThumb Programming & Workshops
GreenThumb workshops continue to be offered virtually at this time. To watch past webinars, please visit the GreenThumb Webinars page and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to like and subscribe! For updates on upcoming workshops and events, please visit the Garden Events page.

GreenThumb COVID-19 Resources
GreenThumb has developed a number of resources to provide guidance to garden groups in response to the unique challenges of COVID-19. These include safety and hygiene recommendations, social distancing plans, guides for using virtual communication techniques, adapted composting plans, and more. Additionally, downloadable signs are available in multiple languages that your garden can print and hang on the fence to let neighbors know of access changes at your garden. Please review all these COVID-19 Resources and other important resources on our Gardener Resources page.

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Service Announcements

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