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Todd Greiner Farms Response to COVID-19

Todd Greiner Farms values and relies on our talented and skilled workforce to harvest and pack our crops and therefore we place top priority on the health, safety, and wellbeing of our employees, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.  Since COVID-19 appeared and our state quickly shut-down, we have made it our top priority to research and keep up to date with the information coming from CDC and other experts. Despite these efforts, the community widespread outbreak unfortunately impacted Todd Greiner Farms’ employees.

We spent late March and April preparing for the arrival of our seasonal workers by developing and implementing an extensive COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, including safety training and processes. Information about virus transmission was changing daily as was employer guidance. One of our biggest challenges was sourcing personal protective equipment which was in short supply and earmarked for the medical community.  With persistence and creative solutions, we were able to source adequate supplies of sanitizers, soaps, personal hygiene products, and thermometers. Disposable face masks were prioritized for health care workers and unavailable for purchase, so we secured a seamstress to make sufficient cloth masks to protect our workers. 

 

As farmers, we are accustomed to being thrown curveballs and adjusting as needed.  Curveballs are typically related to things such as the weather, labor shortages and market declines.  A global health pandemic is a new challenge for all of us.  We approached the pandemic with diligence and best efforts to meet its challenges.  We value and depend on our workforce and will continue to put safety first.  We appreciate that those who know our operations and work with us recognized our substantial efforts to protect our workers in this unprecedented global pandemic: 

 

I have personally known Todd and Sarah Greiner for over 10 years, and the Greiner’s number one priority has always been the health and safety of their employees. Since COVID-19, the Greiner’s have implemented numerous procedures to maintain safety standards, including hiring additional health and safety officers, providing proper PPE to all employees, and staggering start and stop times as well as lunches and breaks. Workplace safety at Todd Greiner Farm has always been essential to the success of their farming operation, and I know the Greiner’s will continue their strong commitment to the health and safety of their employees into the future."
Senator Jon Bumstead, Michigan

Greiner’s have always treated their employees with nothing but the utmost respect.  Greiner’s have taken enormous steps to ensure their employees are provided with proper PPE and have enacted additional safety procedures which are conducted on a daily basis. 
Dawn Drake,  Michigan Farm Bureau

Because of COVID-19, they installed a tent at that entrance in order to screen employees as they arrived and entered for work each day.  This struck me as very similar to how many hospitals were using tents to create a new space to control entrance to their facilities under the pandemic. Todd Greiner Farms employees were being screened for their health status, including having their body temperatures taken.  Bi-lingual signs, in both English and Spansih, were on display, explaining how entrance was forbidden until necessary health screening was successfully completed 
Vincent P. Greiner, Greiner Orchards, Ltd.

Time and again, you have demonstrated a strong commitment to actively producing safe food.  You walk the walk with regards to produce safety.
Phil Tocco from MSU Extension

During such an unprecedented time of a global pandemic due to Covid-19, Todd Greiner Farms has used the available knowledge about the virus to try to contain and eliminate the spread of Covid-19.   Todd Greiner Farms, very early-on, implemented a mask requirement to all employees, contractors, and visitors that service and enter the facilities. Hygienic tools are provided to everyone to wash, clean, and sanitize hands, surfaces, and work spaces to further stop any contagion.
Gissel Brito, Human Resource Generalist, Todd Greiner Farms

 

The farm was proactive in its response to the rule and subsequently took measures that exceeded the standards in the following areas: worker health and hygiene and tool, equipment, and building sanitation. Numerous handwashing stations were installed and beginning-of-shift worker health screening for foodborne pathogens had been initiated. Very effective cleaning and sanitizing procedures were implemented for the farm’s produce packing areas.
Jordan DeVries, Newaygo Conservation District

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