NOTE: This story was updated at 1 p.m. March 27 with new information from the provincial COVID-19 briefing and again on Tuesday, March 31 with more details from the market organizers.
The New West Farmers Market is back in business.
The market will be up and running again weekly in Tipperary Park on its regular summer schedule: Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m., staring April 2.
Market manager Lily Nichol reports the organization’s efforts to find a way to operate safely within provincial COVID-19 health guidelines were successful.
The market – like other farmers markets around B.C. – had found itself up against the ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, and the organization initially announced that its season would be suspended until at least the end of May.
But a joint effort by the market and the City of New Westminster, working with Fraser Health officials, found a way to make it happen.
“The city has been amazingly helpful,” Nichol said in a message, crediting the efforts of special events coordinator Michelle Dean.
Nichol said the market will follow the model that the Vancouver Farmers Market is now using, where there will be multiple stalls for people to shop, but only limited numbers of people will be let in at a time. People will also be encouraged to shop efficiently rather than to browse.
Market organizers are reassuring residents that it will not be business as usual.
"In light of COVID-19 our market is much smaller, food and drink only, with limited numbers, hand wash stations, a carefully managed entrance to our fenced-off market, no cash: only card, and any lineup will be orderly and managed with six-foot separation standing marks," the market's website says. "There will also be no music, craft tent or community groups at the market for the time being. Shop, don't stop!"
An official statement from the market's board of directors notes that the B.C. government has listed farmers' markets as an essential service during the pandemic, and its plan has full support and backing from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Fraser Health and the City of New Westminster to proceed with the new, regulated setting.
The statement notes there will be fencing to allow entrance from one side only, and a carefully managed entrance and exit to limit the number of shoppers, along with other safety measures such as hand washing stations and cashless transactions only.
"We want to keep people in our community safe while also providing them access to local food during this difficult time," the statement says.
The market is also working on setting up a “click and collect” option, where shoppers would be able to place an order online and then simply show up to pick it up, although that may not be available right out of the gate.
B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry addressed the issue of farmers markets in her March 26 briefing, noting that markets are part of B.C.'s food supply and will be allowed to continue operating. However, they will only be allowed to sell food, and the focus is on strictly selling food rather than serving as a community gathering place (so, for example, there will be no entertainment and kids' activities at markets).
And there’s some extra good news in New Westminster: the New West Farmers Market will be working with the food bank so that the two groups can share resources and space. The food bank will operate in the Tipperary Park space on Thursday mornings, and the market will be there in the afternoon and evening.
New Westminster city councillors, at their meeting March 23, had asked staff to work with the market to help keep it operating. Coun. Nadine Nakagawa brought the issue to the table, noting the market is an important food supply source at a time when consumers are facing shopping challenges and also a way to support farmers who have crops that won’t keep.
To stay abreast of all the farmers market news, follow the New West Farmers Market on Twitter and Instagram, @newwestfarmers, and on Facebook at @NewWestFarmersMarket.
In the meantime, you can also support New West Farmers Market vendors by ordering directly from them. Check out a list of options at https://newwestfarmers.ca/shop-direct/
