By Brianna Yee
This year, the Cochrane Farmers’ Market has had to make many adjustments due to the impact of COVID-19. With the cooperation of our vendors as well as our loyal customers, we are able to have things up and running with all of the new regulations.
Although these precautions may change our shopping experiences, we are very grateful for the opportunity to provide an outlet for customers to support our vendors. By wearing masks and reducing the number of shoppers per household, customers are doing their part in keeping safety a top priority.
The market has also designated from 9-10 a.m. as a time for seniors or those who have a more compromised immune system, which allows them to have a safer shopping experience. Actions such as these limit the potential exposure to COVID-19 to others in our community. The participating vendors will also not be sampling products during this time, and no food or drinks can be consumed within the Market. This helps encourage shoppers from staying longer than necessary. And by using the main entrances and exits, shoppers can get counted so we can keep the number of people gathered under the mandated limits.
The good news is we’ve added a new section outside the main Market zone where people can enjoy the offerings from our Food Trucks! Patrons can purchase food for take-away without having to enter the Market, or they can eat their food and simply use the handwashing stations before entering the main Market area.
By taking part in these new shopping protocols, we can continue to provide a place to support local businesses and discover new products from people in our communities.
Thank you to all our customers and we can’t wait to see you at the Market By the Bow!