Things will look a little differently this Saturday when the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market opens for the season.
New procedures in places this year include limited shoppers, specific entry and exit points, preferred use of cards instead of cash, and the recommendation of shopping by looking rather than touching.
Jim Gilles, farmers’ market board president, said vendors will also be spaced out instead of setting up under the pavilion, though everything will still take at their current site on the corner of Parrish and Triplett streets.
“We encourage people to be patient with us as we work through this new scenario of the market,” Gilles said.
Gilles said everyone also must travel in one direction to help ensure distancing guidelines are followed.
“The big thing is we will have an entrance and an exit,” he said. “We will get everyone to enter into the market and travel one way through the market and then exit — that’s what we’re going to try to do in order to control the crowd.”
Gilles said the board recommends only one person per family get out to shop if at all possible, and to try not to handle products before buying them.
“Shop with your eyes more than your hands,” he said. “I know a lot of people want to pick up items and look at them and feel it and smell it, but try and limit that as much as possible.”
Though it is up to each vendor on how to accept payment, Gilles said they are encouraging everyone to use cards.
“A lot of our vendors accept credit cards,” he said. “The market also has a credit card machine where people can swipe their card to get tokens, and all of the vendors accept those tokens.”
Other safety measures include having hand sanitizer available and having spots marked on the pavement to remind people to stay 6 feet apart.
Gilles said they expect about 15 vendors to be at the market on Saturday. Others may participate later this year.
“All of the fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy are all considered essential products,” Gilles said. “They will all be at the market. Vendors selling masks will be able to do so. Jewelry and wood products will not be there at this time. They may come back later in the season.”
Gilles said he knows it may be difficult and will require patience, but he hopes people will still come to the market.
“We encourage everyone to still come and shop the market, but it will be a little bit different than it has in the past.”
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