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SJ Today Seeks Greenlight for Farmers Market Return on June 6th

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If all goes according to plan, the St. Joseph Farmer’s Market in Lake Bluff Park in downtown St. Joseph would resume on Saturday, June 6th…but there would be some decided changes in multiple ways, including suspension of any and all product sampling on site.

St Joseph Today has asked the St. Joseph City Commission for approval to begin the Farmer’s Market on the first Saturday in June with plans to conduct the market every Saturday thereafter through October 10th.

Due to the pandemic, St. Joseph Today would place all booths on the west side of the sidewalk, off the sidewalk and spaced to allow for queuing, and would follow the guidelines established by the Michigan Farmers Market association and all other applicable regulations as they may exist at the time of each week’s event.

City Recreation Manager Carrie Ogonowski says that due to the likelihood of evolving regulations, St. Joseph Today is asking for permission to adapt in response to such changes and the circumstances it discovers as it begins to operate, saying, “This would be a new experience.”

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St. Joseph Today submitted a conventional special event application to the city which was delayed due to the pandemic, and they have submitted an additional letter that describes their plan more broadly. The application includes an initial version of rules for the Farmer’s Market, including the following:

  • Suspend all product sampling.
  • Please do not attend the market if you have a compromised immune system and/or are not feeling well.
  • Sanitize all market equipment and containers. Look to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance.
  • Have a handwashing station (preferred) or hand sanitizer at your booth and use it often.
  • Pre-package all items before coming to the market as applicable.
  • Clearly and legibly post product lists with prices so that customers can distance themselves from you and your booth and still see what you have to offer.
  • Set up your booth in a way that minimizes/eliminates a customer’s ability to touch products. For example, set up a table in front of you with a product list and a table behind you with the product. Customers can tell you what product(s) they want and you can get it for them.
  • Put less product out for display and restock more often.
  • Only use market table covers that can be sanitized throughout the market day, such as plastic or vinyl.
  • Minimize cash transactions and round prices to the nearest dollar to reduce the need to exchange coins.
  • During the market, routinely clean and disinfect “high touch” items such as tables, cash boxes, and touch screens on point-of-sale devices.

The Michigan Farmers Market Association has also put out an in depth set of guidelines for operating markets such as the St. Joe Today Farmers Market, which Executive Director Amy Zapal says will be followed locally. Here is a link to those guidelines:

MIFarmersMktAssocGuidelines

The St. Joe City Commission will take up the issue at their virtual meeting tonight in St. Joseph.

UPDATE: The Commission approved the plan by St. Joe Today, and the Farmers Market will begin on June 6th from 9am until 2pm.