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Farmers markets adapt amid COVID-19

Many farmers markets open in April and there are changes that will need to be made because of COVID-19.

University of Missouri Extension specialist Patrick Byers says he’s been working with market vendors to prepare, “Things such as drive-by markets. Online platforms where the vendors can pre-sell and have boxes of produce ready for pickup at the market. And, also, ways to reduce the issue of groups of people in the market.”

One-way markers and those with designated waiting spots are a couple of options.

Byers says vendors can have one person working with customers and another taking money, “They’ll need to frequently wash their hands and the person who’s taking money can be doing that because they’re going to be handling money. They can also use hand sanitizer more frequently than the person who’s working with produce and working with customers.”

Byers says the year-round farmers markets have already put these safety practices into place. He encourages people to keep supporting their farmers markets but do so safely.