Greenhouse Lunches: Fall Week #4 – Wed, 11/18/20
Covid forces creativity, no doubt.
As the weather cools, we have been trying to figure out how to eat lunch and preserve our safety.
Our general lunch space is in the garage of the farmhouse. We have two rows of tables and ample room to spread out and pull our masks off to eat. We just open up the garage door and there’s plenty of air flow.
However, eating in the garage is much less pleasant during the cold times. In normal years we would simply have the smaller crew come inside and eat in the heated farm office. We’ve eaten inside a few times this fall, well because in the end cold fingers and toes need a chance to warm back up. But this eating situation has made all of us feel nervous. Masks are off and there’s no true air circulation. Meanwhile, the office is connected to the farmhouse which has long-term renters. We close down the heat vent and the air return during lunch and air out the space afterwards…. but still, we have to keep their risk exposures down too.
So the big question is, where to eat that gives everyone a needed moment to relax, warm up and keeps everyone safe?
Our packshed could be a logical answer, as it remains a balmy 50 degrees, but food safety rules prevent us from eating in there.
On a sunny 40 degree day last week, I heard our greenhouse fan click on – which it’s automatically set to do once the temperature goes above seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit inside the greenhouse. Pretty sure my brain clicked at the same time – a warm place to eat lunch!
Yesterday was day 1 trying to use our greenhouse space as a lunch room. We are able to vent it easily. We moved a couple tables in as well as a couple of microwaves… and voila!
And then the clouds came out, blocking the sun and making the greenhouse space only slightly warmer than the air outside, where it was sleeting. We ate in our winter coats and I had a blanket (I get cold crazy easily). Even so, getting out of the office and shed and into a fully lighted space was still nice.
Today, however, the sun is out! Lunch will be balmy.
And so it continues… the constant variety of adaptations large and small that we make to try and keep ourselves safe throughout this time.
May you stay healthy in both body and mind through these continued challenging times.
Sincerely,
Farmer Cassie
