GRuB is proactively putting our core values into practice to face the challenges of COVID-19.  Let’s spell out all the details you need to know.

First and foremost, what GRuB has to offer--healthy food, healthy people, and healthy communities--is exactly in alignment with what the world needs right now, especially for those who are most vulnerable.  

We all need access to healthy, affordable food to boost our immune systems.  GRuB’s backyard gardens, free seeds, and good information about wild foods and medicines provide people with resources to grow and access good food at home, especially valuable if they need to quarantine for some period of time.  

We all need tools for resilience and self-care in light of today’s instability and stress.  When our GroundED program starts in a few weeks, many of those youth will have a first job experience, advance their academic goals, provide food for their families, get physical exercise— all foundational to having the confidence and skills to navigate turbulent times.  

And, we all need a loving community.  When veterans join a council at the Victory Farm or volunteers come to plant seedlings, they encounter people who care about them and a place where we can do something hopeful and helpful for the broader community.  

At this point, we’re continuing to plan for our spring programming including farming, field trips, and workshops.  

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Here’s what you can expect:  

●    We’re monitoring the advice and news from health experts daily.

●    We will act in alignment with recommendations from the Thurston County Department of Health.  

●    We are thinking creatively and proactively about which programs we can offer safely and how to adapt to best share resources with people.

●    We’re encouraging people to avoid direct contact with others, so many of our staff are working from home.  We may not be able to answer the phone immediately, and will do our best to have someone return your call within 1-2 work days.  Email is the best way to reach us.

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If you or a member of your household are currently sick (fever, cough, or other respiratory issues), please stay home until you are fever free for 72 hours without medication. If anyone arrives at a GRuB program symptomatic, we will ask them to return home immediately.    

●    When at GRuB, we ask that you wash your hands frequently.

●    We’re adapting our curriculum to minimize physical contact and maximize time outdoors.

●    We’re regularly sanitizing all of our shared tools and equipment, plus commonly touched spaces (door handles,bathrooms, tables, and counters).  

Depending on emerging public health recommendations, we are poised to:

●    Adapt programming to limit group size and contact.  

●    Adapt programming to increase time outdoors.  

●    Provide remote access to programs and services through video conferencing or other creative channels.  

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For our current programs:

●    We are prioritizing building Victory Gardens and providing remote or small team support to gardeners. We will replace our in-person gardener orientations with phone and video calls, and will begin to reach out to gardeners by the end of this week.    

●    Our community seed shed is bursting with seeds and available any time to support backyard gardeners.  

●    We’re expanding space for medicinal plants on our farm this summer and gearing up to grow a farm full of healthy vegetables with our crew of youth and volunteers.

●    We’re sharing extra information on our website about medicinal and immune boosting plants, including plants adapted to this climate and this season.

●    As of now, we will still hold outdoor programming and volunteer groups with the expectation that people maintain recommended distances and follow all sanitation practices. We’re talking directly with our indoor volunteers to determine the safest ways for them to continue supporting our work.  

●    If our partners cancel their programs, we will explore options to reschedule, provide remote support, or adapt.  

●    For other events and gatherings,we will adapt in line with emergent wisdom. Even if you cannot attend one of our programs or events in person, we hope that you’ll still continue to support GRuB with a financial gift so that we can continue to provide powerful programs.

We’ll continue to update our website as circumstances change.  

Yours in health, adaptability, resilience, and calm—

Deb Crockett

Executive Director

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