Summer farmers markets, where locals enjoy a sense of community and visitors learn about local produce and products, are the latest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harold Lamos, who runs the New Hampton farmers market outside the town’s historic meeting house, said multiple factors led him to cancel it this year.
The market draws heavily from traffic along Route 104, which sees people traveling to the Lakes Region from all over the Northeast. The prospect of having visitors meeting with local vendors, many of whom are elderly and some with health problems, troubled Lamos.
It’s a place where people congregate, listen to live music, talk to farmers, visit with neighbors, taste samples — all activities that would be hindered given the social distancing and other requirements needed to stay safe from the disease.
“Some of what made the environment quaint and attractive would be more difficult now,” Lamos said. “There would be no musicians, no crafts, no samples, all the produce would have to be pre-bagged — no squeezing the tomatoes.”
The UNH Cooperative Extensions recommends vendors and customers wear masks. Vendors should clean hands after each customer interaction, or there could be two employees, one to handle produce and one to handle money.
Multiple hand-washing stations would be required. Vendor tents would have to be spaced out.
The Gilford Farmers Market has also been canceled this season, said its president, Karin Landry.
“Most of the volunteers are in vulnerable populations,” she said. “We talked to the market team and decided it would be better to stay healthy and be able to participate in future years.
“Also, the heat and having to wear a mask would be difficult. Even without a mask, some days in the summer can get really hot.
“We just decided that we will focus on next year and come back strong and hopefully this will be over by then.”
These articles are shared by The Granite State News Collaborative.