Burlington--A free agritourism Zoom café is planned for May 4 to help pick-your-own (PYO) berry operations navigate the do's and don'ts for the upcoming season.

The interactive discussion will feature a panel of Northeast growers and agricultural service providers who will address COVID-19 concerns and safety protocols for visitors on farms for the upcoming season. The session, sponsored by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, will run from 4-5 p.m.

Registration is required at https://go.uvm.edu/pick-your-own.

Presenters include Lisa Chase, University of Vermont Extension; Deb Colitas, Valley Fruits and Veggies, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Claudia Schmidt, Pennsylvania State University Extension. This Zoom café also will provide a forum for growers to discuss the changes they made last year and how they plan to manage PYO visitors this season.

This session is the first in a series that will cover important topics for farms open to visitors through the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. It is funded through a Northeast Extension Risk Management Education grant for agritourism safety. Upcoming topics include liability insurance, food safety, farm-based education, customer retention and crisis communications.

If questions, contact Lisa Chase at lisa.chase@uvm.edu or (802) 257-7967, ext. 311.  To request a disability-related accommodation to participate, please contact Christi Sherlock at 802-476-2003 or christi.sherlock@uvm.edu.