We will have pick-your-own again this year as there is plenty of room for social distancing around the trees
Construction of a new farm market building is underway to provide more social distancing space for guests and school field trips. “The additional space will allow us to better serve our guests for years to come with pre-picked apples, cider, apple butter and apple sauce made from our apples, local honey and baked goods,” said Lugene Miller. The Covid-19 shutdown this spring slowed the start of construction, but we are hopeful the new building will be ready in September.

Employees will wear masks when greeting customers and gloves will be worn when handling money
Cleaning and disinfection practices will be expanded, including frequent employee hand washing, hand sanitizer for guests, and frequent disinfecting of surfaces, including bins, tables and doorknobs
Non-porous plastic table cover has been installed in the schoolhouse
Contactless card readers have been purchased; use of cash will be discouraged
Tents will be set up to greet customers and provide for outdoor “shopping” & checkout
Guests who choose to enter the schoolhouse will be required to wear masks
- The number of people allowed in the schoolhouse at one time will be limited
Customers will be asked to leave the orchard if they are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 or have come in contact with someone with symptoms
Associates will not work if they have symptoms or were exposed
Signage to encourage six-foot social distancing will be in-place
In accordance with Illinois Farmers’ Market Association guidelines, customers will not handle fruit.

At Liberty Apple Orchard, the health and safety of our guests and associates is our top priority. In response to Covid-19 we have made a number of investments and process changes to protect everyone: