Spring on the farm is a time to wake up the field from its long winter rest. Usually by now, the farm has welcomed back our volunteers to share in the labor of bringing the field into production. However, due to COVID-19, the farm — as well as the rest of the world — looks much different. COVID-19 has required us to rethink how we produce food and achieve our mission. We are still figuring it out, day by day, and adapting to the situation. As farmers, we are constantly challenged by the unpredictability of nature. We must make due with what is presented to us and be resilient enough to know we will find a way. Nothing could be more relevant now.

As Common Roots’ new farm manager, I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to produce good food safely and share it with our community. Our COVID-19 procedures include mandatory masks while working, social distancing, frequent hand washing (a l-o-t of hand washing), and regular sanitation of high traffic places. We are, of course, following all food safety protocols. We have suspended our usual volunteer days and have only a limited farm staff in the fields for now. We hope to begin bringing back volunteers in small numbers when public health officials deem it safe.

Despite COVID-19, the farm is well underway for a very successful season. We are pleased to announce that we have sold out of our CSA shares, doubling our CSA customers from last year! The farm also is finding additional ways to share our harvest with our community and we hope you will stop by for our Saturday drive through farm stand later this season. Please watch our website, Facebook, and Instagram for more details soon.

As we all experience every day, COVID-19 has changed so many aspects of our lives, our businesses, and even our aspirations. To stay safe, the farm has had to make significant changes in how we go about achieving our mission of being a production farm growing healthy food and beautiful flowers while building relationships among farmers of all abilities.

The work of growing food for our local community has taken on new meaning and importance to us, but we are also feeling the loss of regular contact with our dedicated volunteers and seasonal staff. Their presence on the farm — and the enjoyment of working side by side — has had to pause for now. Even though as a beginning farm we have only a few established routines, our Tea Lady, Fran, and her able helpers always ensured we took a break together every volunteer Tuesday to enjoy a spot of tea and one another's company. I know I really miss those gatherings.

This spring, as we prepared for a plant sale and farm tours we had scheduled for early May, we pivoted from a public event and instead shared our vegetable plant starts with our community. If we can’t all be together farming at Common Roots, at least a part of Common Roots could go home with our volunteers! Thanks to a very generous donation of germination mix from Berger (Sun Land Garden Products Inc.) in Watsonville, we were able to donate over 200 vegetable starts, including to our neighbors served by Second Harvest Food Bank’s delivery site at the Elizabeth Oaks Apartments. Some of our starts were also purchased by supporters in Palo Alto, where neighbors got together to make a group purchase and help support our work.

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