COVID-19 Bulletin: Vineyard & Winery Operating Guidelines

Dear Friends,

Please consult the OWB’s COVID-19 toolkit, which has been updated again to fold in new material including the final versions of vineyard and winery operating guidelines written and edited by industry members with input from ODA, Oregon OSHA and the state’s Health Authority. This information is the result of sustained effort and extensive collaborative outreach by Leigh Bartholomew, Anthony King and Mike McNally among others from around the state who participated actively.

The guidelines, along with Emergency Response advice, have been crafted as references for business owners to keep our workforce safe over the next few months and to prepare in advance for the ways in which the virus will affect normal business operations.

Included in the emergency response summary is information from the OWB’s communications manager, Sally Murdoch, and Kayt Mathers of PlayNice PR. They have authored a communications plan with suggestions on internal and external messaging if COVID-19 presents itself in vineyards or wineries over the coming few months.

Winery associations in Southern Oregon are coordinating local efforts to prepare contingency production plans in case a winery suddenly finds itself short-handed or otherwise temporarily unable to continue crushing grapes due to COVID-19. If you are located in the Rogue or Umpqua valleys and need assistance getting connected with regional winery associations to offer your help or if you want further information, let us know.

And if you have been keeping track of the state’s temporary COVID-19 standard and what it means for your business operations during the pandemic, be aware that it is still evolving with industry comments from various agriculture sectors and others offering their perspectives. We’ll keep you updated as the rule moves toward implementation on Sept. 21.