Updated December 14, 2020

​New requirements and recommendations announced in the December 10 Community Letter from MSU President Stanley: 

Influenza (flu) vaccination requirement
  • As communicated by the University Physican, students living on campus or coming to campus or any university-controlled property (including SOF) during the spring semester will be required to have received an influenza vaccine. Those students will be asked to verify they have received the vaccine before coming to campus in January; more information on that process will be coming soon. It is highly recommended for all other students, faculty and staff coming to campus or to any MSU property​.
  • Many pharmacies and local health care providers offer flu vaccines. Students also can receive a flu vaccine at MSU’s Olin Health Center.

Reducing spread of COVID-19 after returning to East Lansing
  • Students who are returning to East Lansing from outside communities — whether in-state, national or international — must quarantine upon their arrival to help reduce the spread of the virus. During this time, students are to remain in their local residences, leaving only for life-sustaining activities, such as seeking medical care, purchasing food or groceries or exercising outdoors. This effort will be most effective if students adhere to this quarantine for at least 10 and up to 14 days and continue monitoring for symptoms for the remainder of the semester.  At the SOF, we ask students to take the quarantine into account when planning their return to work on the farm.
  • All students, faculty and staff members must continue to follow public health guidance, including wearing a face covering, practicing physical distancing and quarantining if identified as having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or having been called by contact tracers.

Mandatory COVID-19 testing
  • Undergraduate students living on campus or coming to campus (including the SOF) any time this spring will be required to participate in MSU’s COVID-19 Early Detection Program. This requirement is one of the ways we can protect our students and the broader community while we await the mass distribution of a vaccine.
  • SOF staff will voluntarily participate in this testing as well.


Michigan State University Student Organic Farm COVID-19 Updates

Staff, Crew & Visitor Precautions: 
  • Staff, crew & visitors will follow the MSU community compact
  • Employees and visitors wear face coverings in public indoor spaces, hoophouses, vehicles or outdoor spaces where they are unable to social distance. Face coverings can be removed to take a drink outdoors or if you are alone in a field. (MSU's policy on face coverings can be found here)
  • Staff, crew and visitors openly communicate about potential exposures for those on the farm from outside of work; if deemed necessary due to exposure or sickness, team members will stay home until they have received a negative coronavirus test result or have stayed home and are symptom-free for two weeks.  
  • Staff and crew complete the online Michigan State University Health Screening Document immediately before each farm visit. Visitors not associated with MSU will complete verbal or paper versions of the same document. This screening monitors for COVID-19 symptoms, contact with individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, and recent international travel. 
  • Staff, crew and visitors complete the HTRC QR Code Form when arriving and leaving the farm
  • All farm staff must STAY HOME if they or a member of their household:  
    • Is sick (I.e. cough, fever, sore throat, congestion, headache, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, etc.) 
    • Have come into contact with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19
    • Has traveled by airplane or are living with someone who has traveled by airplane in the last 14 days​
  • Staff, crew and visitors are strongly encouraged to test monthly:
  • Only production work and CSA distribution (beginning May 14) takes place on-farm.  Office work and meetings will be done by farm staff from home. 
  • Hand washing facilities / stations are available in Yakeley House, the Work House, Wash Pack Station, the winery, and bathrooms. Staff and crew must wash hands frequently, including after using the bathroom, eating, switching tasks, changing locations on the farm and before harvesting.
  • Hand washing is required before and regularly throughout harvest shifts, even if workers are wearing gloves. Gloves and hand sanitizer are available, but hand washing with soap and water regularly will still be required regardless of their use.
  • Physical Distancing:  
    • Whenever possible, SOF production staff will work at least 6’ apart from one another and remain at least 6’ away from any other staff or faculty present at the Horticulture Teaching and Research Center 
    • SOF staff will communicate with Horticulture Farm and Department Staff as needed by phone and email rather than in-person.  
    • As much as possible, employees will segregate tasks (each person in a different hoophouse or field, etc)
    • As much as possible, employees will not ride inside the same vehicle.
  • ​SOF Staff is working closely with the Horticulture Teaching and Research Center and Department of Horticulture Management to integrate policies and procedures made by each unit.  

Produce Handling and Markets:
  • Follow SOF Food Safety Plan and additional COVID-19 precautions for food handling and markets. 
  • Customers CANNOT visit the farm beyond the front gate except for the no-contact drive-through CSA distribution on Thursdays.  
  • Washed hands are required for harvest. No reused bags or wax boxes are to be used for food for any reason.  
  • Because COVID-19 is known to survive for up to 3 days on surfaces, and survives longer in moisture, SOF will take extra precaution to clean, sanitize and air dry all food-contact surfaces (we already do this, but will take extra precautions to ventilate wash pack area in order for thorough drying to take place).  
  • Markets: 

​Educational Programs: 
  • All Tours and Group Visits to the farm are Canceled until further notice. 
  • HRT 251, Organic Farming Principles & Practices, is being taught remotely via Zoom. 
  • 2020 Organic Farmer Training Program (OFTP) was canceled and replaced with the 100% online Farm Business Plan Accelerator
  • 2021 OFTP is seeking approval for limited hands-on activities
  • All Farmer Field School events have been canceled until further notice

In order to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, and in compliance with Federal CDC advisories, Michigan State University policy, State of Michigan directives, and Ingham County Health Department requirements, the MSU Student Organic Farm (SOF) Staff have made accommodations for its production and educational endeavors starting March 13, 2020.  ​This is an evolving situation, and we will continue to review and update this web page as conditions change and/or Michigan State University Policy and Federal and State CDC advisories are updated.  

In accordance with Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-21 (section 8c), SOF Production Staff is designated as critical infrastructure workers due to their life sustaining activities in the sector of Food and Agriculture.  Further, the SOF Staff’s specific activities relate to “farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically” in the Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers during COVID-19 Response issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on March 19th. 

SOF staff are authorized and required to maintain a regular in person presence at the Michigan State University facility located at 3291 College Rd, Holt, MI 48842.