Before we dive in with an update, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our community of customers and family of employees. The positive support and kind patience we are seeing online and in correspondence has been tremendous.
Here are a few answers to questions we are seeing online:
Are you still able to deliver?
- Yes, at this point we do not see a need to change our delivery schedule.
- For areas advised to shelter-in-place, we are planning for deliveries as usual per the guidance set for grocery and essential supply services. Should an issue arise, customers will be notified by email.
- If you are expecting a business delivery, and your office is closed or unable to receive a delivery during your usual delivery window, please use your account online to skip deliveries as needed.
- Our teams are working closely with our farm, partner farms, vendors and producers to keep fresh, organic produce and essential grocery items stocked.
- Please note that during this time, substitutions of comparable products may be made, as there could be a need to source perishable products from different producers. As always, if there is an issue with an item in your delivery, please email us at contactus@farmfreshtoyou.com and we’ll be happy to make it right.
- Please continue reading below regarding measures we are taking to ensure the safety of our family of employees and customers.
- For a limited time, please contact us via email at contactus@farmfreshtoyou.com for non-urgent matters. By reducing the number of phone calls, more of our employees can work from home, allowing us to increase our social distancing.
- We will continue to update our blog and social media as new information becomes available.
Update: Monday, March 9th, 10am,br
Our highest priority is, and always has been, to utilize industry-leading food safety practices for the well-being of our customers, our family of employees and the loved ones we care for each day.
With the growing concern over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to update you on our existing and ongoing food-safety protocols.
Food Safety
In conjunction with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we follow strict, third-party inspected and verified, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
Given the importance of these practices at this time, we are increasing the frequency at which we train, inspect and verify that these standards are being met and exceeded.
- Special use of hand washing and facility foot baths is always required prior to entering the food and packing facilities at the beginning of shifts and after any breaks.
- Additionally, employees are required to wear uniform food-safety smocks (professionally laundered after each shift) and hair nets. Face masks are available.
- Employees wear gloves while handling produce and farm boxes.
- As always, once folded shut after last item is packed, farm boxes are not reopened.
- Increased verification of food safety practices within our facilities and by our family of growers.
- Delivery boxes are not reused. Drivers will continue to pick up flattened farm boxes from customers who wish to leave them out for recycling.
- We provide sick leave benefits and monitor to ensure employees who are ill do not come to work.
- We ask our members to always wash their produce before eating as part of everyday good practices.
Facility and Delivery Vehicle Sanitation
Our systematic and proper sanitation and cleaning procedures, Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOP), is rigorously outlined and routinely followed in our company Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. HACCP is a food safety monitoring system that is used to identify and control biological, chemical, and physical hazards within the storage, transportation, use, preparation, and sale of perishable goods. It also determines critical control points (CCP) in the process of food production.
Third-Party Certifications
As part of our regular farm and facility food-safety systems, we are routinely audited and inspected by multiple third-party groups to verify that our systems meet PrimusGFS standards.
Thank You!
Thank you for trusting our family farm with your food deliveries. We are proud of our food safety program and of the commitment of our employees to these policies.
The food you share at your table is the same food we share with our families. We get deliveries just like you do, and we relate to the reassurance of knowing where our food comes from and how it is handled.
We wish everyone good health and wellness. Eat nutritious fruits and vegetables, take care to be well-rested and to protect those around you.
