COVID Practices

 
 

During the global pandemic of COVID, Farm School NYC is committed to the following best practices for maintaining the health and safety of our communities.

When gathering in-person, all attendees (students, facilitators, guest speakers, staff, any and all invited guests) must:

  • Show a negative COVID test within 2 days upon arrival

    • Rapid or at-home tests are acceptable

  • Wear a face covering over their nose and mouth

All attendees are expected to:

  • Move with consent and maintain distance from others, honoring the range of comfort levels of those in attendance

  • Wear N95, KN95, or KF94 masks for maximum protection

    • FSNYC has a limited supply to share

  • Regularly wash hands and use hand sanitizer

  • Only use the designated space(s) for our group

  • Utilize designated “mask-free” areas for extended breaks, groundings, and nourishment

If a participant (student, facilitator, guest speaker, staff, any and all invited guests) feels ill for any reason, they are expected to stay home. 

We may visit a host site open to the public and cannot guarantee everyone on site will follow Farm School’s practice. Honoring what feels best for you, please prioritize your safety by social distancing, wearing your mask, and/or stepping away if you’d like to. 

Accessing COVID Tests

Farm School will have a limited number of rapid tests on site. If you’d like support obtaining a test, please find a location below or reach out to Farm School staff to request one.

Testing and class participation are most effective when participants arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of class. Before joining the group and participating in class, students testing with Farm School are expected to check in with staff to receive a test and sit at a safe distance for 15 minutes while waiting for results. 

Testing and mask access:

Free at-home COVID tests from the federal government (back open, Fall 2024)

NYC Health & Hospitals

NYC.gov

Capsule (free tests with health insurance)

iHealth (Antigen Rapid Test)

At-Home COVID-19 Tests Available at All Open NYPL Locations

Free. low-cost masks

Testing Positive

In the event a participant tests positive for COVID within 7 days of attending an in-person gathering, they are asked to notify Farm School staff immediately. Farm School staff will notify everyone in attendance that an anonymous attendee has tested positive, and they may have experienced potential risk of exposure.

Additionally, if someone tests positive, they are expected to refrain from attending in-person Farm School programs until they’ve received, and shared proof of, a negative COVID test.

Sharing Negative COVID Results

Participants can email or share their negative COVID test results with Farm School staff on site. Emails can be sent to programs@farmschoolnyc.org with a photo or PDF of the negative test results and the following subject line: COVID Results_Your Name Here_Date

Self-Assessment Checklist 

Before participating in Farm School programming, we recommend a series of reflection questions to ground us in personal and community care:

  • How am I feeling? How’s my health been? Do I have symptoms of a common cold?

  • Have I been in contact with someone who’s recently come down with COVID, the flu, or other contagious ailments?

  • What can I do to prevent the spread of COVID, the flu, or other contagious ailments?

Closing

This practice covers the minimum actions we are taking as a community. In addition, each group should discuss COVID practices further as part of our community agreements. Understanding that disability justice is environmental justice, we intend to check in with our community regularly so our COVID, and overall community care, practice stays aligned with changing circumstances.

Additional Resources

What’s Up With COVID and How to Protect Yourself, Hazel Newlevant

We Keep Each Other Safe, Forward Together

We need to talk about COVID-19, The John Snow Project