According to a news release, the Sedalia Chamber of Commerce, the Farmers’ Market will open as a drive-thru market in response to pandemic.
Recognizing that farmers markets are both an essential food source for customers, and an essential income source for local farmers and vendors, the Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market will open Friday, May 1^st as a drive-thru market in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this new format designed for maximum safety, customers can still expect to find locally grown vegetables, fruits, eggs, meats, homemade baked goods, a variety of prepared and ethnic foods, handmade soaps, and other products.
“In normal times, we want our customers to linger as long as they like at the farmers market. However this season, we’ve been diligently working with the Pettis County Health Department and Missouri State Fair staff to devise a plan that will deliver sensible safety for customers, vendors, and volunteers alike, which means minimizing contact as much as possible” said Franziska Malsy-Murphy, board president, “We love our customers so much and in this pandemic we just want them to be able to get in and out quickly. We’ve adopted a drive-thru format and pared down our usual product offerings to achieve that goal.”
The market will open for its twelfth season at the Missouri State Fairgrounds disabled parking lots inside the Historic Old Main Gate just off of 16^th Street across from Pummill’s Sporting Goods on Friday, May 1^st from 3-6 p.m. Customers are asked to stay in their vehicles at all times, drive slowly and follow the directional signage. “We also ask for a lot of patience, kindness, and good humor as we adapt to this new format,” said Brenda Raetz, Market Manager.
Customers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of pre-order/pre-pay opportunities with vendors that offer such. The market will offer a separate pick-up area for pre-paid orders so those customers can skip the car line and be on their way in minutes. For information on how to pre-order/pre-pay and pick up, visit www.sedaliaareafarmersmarket.com or the market’s Facebook page.
To maximize safety, all vendors and volunteers will wear masks and gloves. Customers are requested to do the same if at all possible. Each vendor will have a separate staff member handling payments. Customers must remain in their vehicles and vendors will bring purchases to the customer’s vehicle and deposit them in either the back seat or trunk.
Customers are asked to bring cash or card for payment with each vendor. The market will still operate the card machine for SNAP/EBT transactions only. “We want our SNAP customers to know that the $25 daily matching grant ended last fall, unfortunately, but we do still accept SNAP cards,” noted Raetz.
Additional safety adaptations mean that vendors are not accepting used containers such as jars, egg cartons, produce containers, etc. Only disposable bags will be used. No coupons will be accepted.
“We are looking forward to another wonderful year even if it will look and feel very different than we’re all used to,” said Malsy-Murphy. “We are still so excited for our twelfth year of locally grown and made goodness that provides extraordinary value to our customers and livelihood for our vendors.”
On opening day, customers can expect to see cool weather crops like lettuce, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, spinach, herbs, green onions, carrots, leeks, broccoli, asparagus, radishes, tomatoes, coffee, handmade soaps, baked goods, free-range eggs, pork, beef and chicken, fresh salsa, There will also be frozen and/or half baked, wood-fired oven pizzas and other prepared dishes, ready to take home and warm up as well as fresh-made ethnic food such as El Salvadoran tamales and pupusas.
The Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market is the sole producer-only market in Pettis County, meaning that all vendors must grow or make what they sell at the market. This standard translates into quality and unparalleled product freshness for customers, and also provides the opportunity to form meaningful relationships between vendor and consumer. Market board members verify producer’s integrity by visiting their farms and homes, learning the story of their products, and sharing those stories through photos and words. All vendors reside in Pettis and its contiguous counties, with limited exceptions.
As always, proud and loyal customers may become a “Friend of the Market” to help offset market operating costs. For a $20.00 investment, the market friend will receive a reusable market bag and have their name listed on the Market’s website. Please contact us to find out how to become A “Virtual Friend of the Market”. This year this will be so helpful as our fundraising activities will be minimal.
The market accepts cash, debit/credit and SNAP/EBT.
The Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market is a non-profit, producers-only market founded in 2009. The market is open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Fridays through May 15^th. Then on Tuesdays and Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m. from May 19th through October at the Missouri State Fair Old Main Gate (Disabled Parking Lot) off 16^th Street across from Pummill’s Sporting Goods. For more information call 660-281-7244, visit the website at www.sedaliaareafarmersmarket.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.