This Clovis farmers market is reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s why
The Clovis Saturday morning farmers market will reopen this weekend.
The year-round market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Fifth Street and Pollasky Avenue, shut down temporarily last month. But with farmers wondering what to do with crops in their fields, organizers and vendors decided to reopen.
The market will feature fruit and vegetables from Ferrar Farms and others, along with Ninik Natural Foods, Jams by Milissa, Busy Bees Honey Farm, and cheese from Tres Bien Creamery.
The news has inspired some pushback from the public. “Bad idea. We’re supposed to be on lock down!!” said one person on Instagram.
But the farmers market is taking precautions, said Carole Lester, executive director of the Business Organization of Old Town Clovis (BOOT) which organizes the Clovis farmers markets.
Farmers markets are on the list of essential businesses that may remain open in Clovis, which is in accordance with California state guidelines.
Precautions being taken
The market – which is much smaller than the city’s seasonal Friday night farmers market – will have seven or eight vendors.
There will be no DJ and no place to sit down. There will be a hand sanitizing and wash station, noted Lester. Vendors will wear masks and gloves.
Customers are asked to stay 6 feet apart from each other and bring only one person per family. They’re also asked to not to bring their own bags, but let vendors handle and bag the produce for them, she said.
Customers are also encouraged to wear masks and gloves. The full list of precautions is on the organization’s blog.
Don’t come if you’re sick, Lester added. She said she realizes some people won’t be comfortable going to a farmers market.
“We understand your fear … you don’t have to come out,” she said. “It’s open air. In my opinion and in the opinions of people who run farmer markets, it’s probably a safer way to buy fruits and vegetables.”
Fewer hands have touched the vegetables during the harvesting and distribution process, and since the market is outside, customers won’t be in a confined space with someone who could be sick, she said.
“We’re following all the guidelines for California Public Health, Fresno County Public Health,” she said. “It was deemed that (farmers markets) were an essential business from the very beginning.”
The market originally closed back in March when the state issued its shelter in place order. Vendors were concerned about coronavirus, she said.
“They had talked and they were a little bit concerned about staying open, so we postponed it for a while,” she said.
But now some farmers have what may be bumper crops of blueberries, blackberries and cherries coming and nowhere to sell them, in addition to their regular fruits and vegetables, she said.
“They’re really anxious to have a place to sell,” she said.
Other markets
The larger Friday night farmers market in Clovis is still scheduled to open May 8. But it will feature only fruit and vegetable vendors and sellers of to-go food. It will also be more spread out.
The farmers market at Manchester Center in Fresno shut down earlier this year. It tried reopening, but two few customers and vendors showed up to make it worthwhile, an organizer said.
The River Park Farmer’s Market extended it hours temporarily, and is now open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays.
The Vineyard Farmers Market, at Blackstone and Shaw avenues, is open from 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 2:44 PM.
