Guidelines for Chicago’s Community Gardeners Amidst COVID-19
We all have been wondering about how to best interact with our community gardens during a stay-at-home order.
We know that when we shelter in place, we are doing what’s best for our communities and fellow Chicagoans. We strongly encourage everyone to stay home to help ‘flatten the curve’ and limit the spread of this virus. Remember that every contact you don’t make with another person could save many lives. We will be sharing some resources soon for activities gardeners can do while at home, awaiting the time when we can once again enjoy our gardens freely.
If you do need to visit your garden, please be vigilant about staying safe and practicing social distancing. Our partner NeighborSpace has developed a useful set of guidelines that we fully support. We strongly encourage gardeners to follow these guidelines for the duration of the governor’s order and possibly beyond. At the bottom of this post is a pdf that you can download, print, and share.
COVID-19 & Community Gardening in Chicago
While getting outside for a touch of nature is important during the COVID-19 crisis, all social contact increases the risk of spreading the disease. The best way to reduce this risk is to STAY HOME.
If you do decide to visit your garden, exercise an abundance of caution. Community gardening is riskier than taking a walk. Do everything you can to keep yourself and your community safe by following these guidelines:
DON’T
When in doubt, stay home. Do not come to the garden if you or someone in your home is sick, if you are a member of a vulnerable population, have health conditions, or are a senior.
Do not hold group volunteer days, no matter how small.
Avoid using community tools and use your own. If tools must be shared, be diligent and disinfect handles before and after use.
Do not share gloves. Adults and kids should wear washable gloves while in garden and wash between visits.
DO
Visit the garden alone or with members of your immediate household.
Practice social distancing and wear a mask: stay at least an arm and a shovel (6 feet) from others. Wear a mask while in the garden, especially if gardening with other people.
If several people are gardening, come back later. Consider limiting the garden to 1-3 people at a time: leadership teams should offer sign-up times for gardening.
Wash hands regularly. Use soap, or hand sanitizer if there is no water available. Bring your own, as the supplies are limited.
Be aware of high-touch surfaces. If you must touch, disinfect gate handles, water spigots, shed doors, etc., both before and after use.
Remove any and all personal items and trash you bring to the garden.
Thoroughly wash all produce you harvest from the garden.
For collective duties, make an online task list. Work done individually or in very small groups can still be shared by the community!
Post signage with these guidelines and rules in public. Remember, our first responsibility is to keep each other safe.
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