Face coverings for Hunterdon County farm workers ensures uninterrupted and safe food sources
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – The Hunterdon County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office is working with the County Board of Agriculture and state offices in making available and distributing face coverings to farms and seasonal farm workers to protect the health of essential and vulnerable populations while harvesting crops, according to Freeholder John Lanza.
Lanza, the Board’s liaison for Agriculture, said, “Protecting farms and farm workers ensures that fresh, local food continues to be available to grocers, farm markets, food banks and restaurants. Putting safety measures in place has contributed towards providing uninterrupted food sources from local farms throughout the pandemic.”
“This is an excellent public health initiative that is very important in Hunterdon County where agriculture is a driving force in our economy. I congratulate the Rutgers Extension team and the County’s Agriculture Board for their efforts to protect farm workers. Face coverings are still available to farmers and farm workers through the Hunterdon County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office, please email: kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us,” Lanza said.
The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office of Hunterdon County, a Division of the County’s Department of Planning and Land Use, serves the residents of the county through the development and dissemination of research-based information.
The Office, co-supported by the Hunterdon County Freeholders and Rutgers University, assists commercial agriculture operations through research and demonstrations related to tree fruit, small fruit and vegetable crop management, implementation of Integrated Pest Management Systems (IPM), and viable use of natural resources.
Farmers and the public can visit the Rutgers website for helpful tips to keep workers safe, as well as information and other agricultural resources.
