On Sunday, March 22, 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D. MPH, announced that Ohio was under a "Stay at Home" order unless engaged in essential work or activity. To the relief of farmers, food producers and farmers market operators, farmers markets have been designated as essential under section 12.b.
With that said, and as long as COVID-19 poses the level of risk we are currently experiencing, farmers markets must operate under modified conditions. The rigorous regulations that normally govern farmers markets exist to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, meaning that you, farmers market vendors, are well versed and prepared to enact additional precautions.
The content in this document has been collected from farmers markets across the state and the country who are adapting operations to comply with public health official’s guidance and requirements. The content has not been approved by any single public health authority, but instead lists methods and tools being used by those actively managing and selling at farmers markets. As the landscape and recommendations change, we will be updated and informed by public health guidance for grocery and farmers markets, as well as other local market managers implementing operational changes.
At this time the Garrettsville Farmers’ Market plans to implement the following customer best practices and safety recommendations as outlined below.
- Customers must stay home and not return until they are free of fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and, at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
- Prioritize only essential food purchasing and discontinue social gatherings.
- Encourage shoppers to send only one member from each household to the market in order to curtail crowds.
- Encourage shoppers to practice the recommended 6’ social distancing from one another while at the market.
- No touching. Shop with your eyes. DO NOT touch any products prior to purchasing! Rather allow the vendor to select and bag products you wish to purchase.
- Clean your hands frequently. Follow CDC recommendations for cleaning your hands.
- Accept only new plastic or paper bags from your farmers and food producers.
- When possible, pre-order directly from farmers and food producers.
- Wear a cloth face covering as recommended by CDC guidelines.
- Customers will not be permitted to handle their grocery goods until purchased. If they touch it, they buy it. Vendors will operate under a “no-touch” policy, handling all grocery items and bagging in single-use paper or plastic bags prior to providing it to the customer.
- Wash produce before consuming it.
- Pets will no longer be permitted at the market. Note: service animals do NOT fall into this category.
- Come prepared. Follow your Farmers Market Facebook page or website for updates about what will be offered during the market so you can make a list and come prepared.
- Enter and exit the market through designated points. Our market is trying to manage traffic in a certain direction to assist with appropriate social distancing and avoid bottlenecks.
- Use sanitizing stations frequently when entering/leaving and traveling through the farmers market.
- Remember good social distancing practices, keeping in mind that the CDC recommends keeping 6 feet between you and the next person.
- Be patient. These are trying times for all of us, and with these added safety measures, your transactions may take longer than usual.