NEWS
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020
Farmers markets face changes in era of social distancing
By KATHY ANEY
STAFF WRITER
Social distancing, meet
farmers markets.
Over the years, farmers
markets evolved into com-
munity gatherings offering
fresh produce, music, inter-
active arts, crafts and cui-
sine. Now, however, farm-
ers markets must operate in
a time of COVID-19.
When Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown issued an execu-
tive order shuttering various
businesses, farmers markets
were absent from the closure
list.
“The good news is that
farmers markets are exempt
from the governor’s shut-
down,” said Kelly Crane,
executive director of the
Oregon
Farmers
Mar-
ket Association. “They are
essential businesses because
they provide food to com-
munities the way grocery
stores do.”
But they will have to
adjust. The idea of social dis-
tancing horning its way into
these bustling community
gatherings is cringewor-
thy to Crane, but it’s less
of a choice than a survival
strategy, and farmers mar-
ket organizers are deter-
mined to make it work, she
said. Besides, it’s a tempo-
rary situation, like a bossy
HH fi le photo
Brenna Weyand hands a carton of mixed berries to Gail Cox at the Maxwell Farmers Market in August 2019.
mother-in-law who arrives
for an extended visit.
Crane said visitors to
their local farmers markets
will notice changes.
“The fi rst thing people
will see when they come to
a farmers market this spring
are tons of safety mea-
sures,” she said. “You’ll see
booths farther apart. There
may be colored tape on the
pavement to show people
what six feet apart looks
like.”
The Maxwell Farmers
Market in Hermiston is on
track to start May 28. Mitch
Myers, owner of the Max-
well Siding Pavilion where
the market is held, said he is
optimistic.
“We anticipate things as
normal,” he said. “We’re
hoping that all of this is
pretty much behind us at that
point. We kind of have to
take this one day at a time.”
Myers is more worried
about the fi nancial hit from
the executive orders to his
two event centers, the Max-
well Siding Event Cen-
ter and the open-air pavil-
ion. Canceled events include
weddings, class reunions,
corporate parties, christen-
ings, funeral services and
wakes.
Myers isn’t the only
uneasy one. Farmers are
worried, too, about their
economic future.
One local grower, John
Finley of Finley Fresh Pro-
duce in Hermiston, said he
depends on farmers markets
for one-third to one-half of
his income.
“I’m hopeful that all this
stuff will work itself out by
the time the markets open,”
Finley said. “There are no
guarantees, but we’re going
forward as though every-
thing is going to be OK.”
The Pendleton Farmers
Market had planned to go
forward, but found out Mon-
day that the city was pull-
ing back on those plans out
of concerns that opening the
market at all could be con-
sidered a gathering of more
than 25 people in defi ance
of current state mandates
against such gatherings.
The state is so far con-
sidering farmers markets in
the same category as gro-
cery stores, where more than
25 people can be present as
long as they are staying six
feet apart.
Crane thinks farmers
markets can be safe places if
precautions are followed.
“Farmers markets are in
the fresh air. They have a
shorter supply chain than
supermarkets where you
have people picking things
up and putting them down,”
she said. “We think farmers
markets done right can be
very safe places to shop.”
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marketplace
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East Oregonian
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211 S.E. Byers Ave.
333 E. Main St.
We accept:
Pendleton, OR 97801 Hermiston, OR 97838
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