With two decades in the same location under its belt, Concord Farmer’s Market has everything down pat in normal times. But these, of course, are not normal times.
“This week is kind of a trial week. … I’m sure we’ll have to make a few changes after that first day,” said Wayne Hall, head of the state Farmers’ Market Association and owner of Rockey Ole Farm in Concord, a longtime participant in the city’s market.
The Concord Farmers Market has taken up Capital Street next to the State House on Saturdays for two decades. Its 2020 season was supposed to start last Saturday but working out details for operating safely means its “soft launch” has been delayed to this Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
“We’ve been working with the (city) health office, the commissioner of agriculture. . . . Our number one concern is the health and welfare of our patrons,” said Hall.
Farmers markets are counted as essential business under Gov. Chris Sununu’s emergency order and are trying to figure out how best to operate. Markets in Penacook, Contoocook and Warner are all scheduled to start in June, when vegetables and leafy greens become abundant.
If farms’ recent experience is any guide, they will have no shortage of customers.
“A couple of vendors are having trouble organizing product because they’ve been swamped. It’s all been bought,” said Hall, echoing comments from farms that have seen new customers flocking to them partly to avoid crowded supermarkets and partly to get local food.
“Farms, with the pandemic, are on an upswing – my hope is that when this is over, people continue going to them,” said Hall. “People want to know where their products are coming from, the nice thing is there’s nobody else handling your product, and I think that’s an up-and-coming thing for years.”
Market regulars will see change of the sort have become commonplace at stores, with social distancing, mask-wearing encouraged and lots of hand-washing.
“We’ve sent out templates for 6-foot separation signs. We want vendors to discourage people from touching items . . . basically prevent it. You can show them everything, they pick ‘this one, this one, this one.’”
Even so, a few vendors won’t be there out of concern for crowds, he said.
“Some of the vendors are a little nervous and will be not attending until things get a little better. We lost maybe five or six. Well – not lost, just postponed.”
(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313 or dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)
