Cochrane Farmers’ Market manager Valerie McCracken said the market has moved to the Spray Lake Sawmill Family Sports Centre to comply with COVID-19 public health measures.
“We’re really trying to be creative and think about how we can best get food to people in a way that they feel safe,” McCracken said.
The Market is entering its 22nd year of operation, she said but visiting the market will be a different experience for customers due to the COVID-19 public health measures in place.
The Farmers’ Market has evolved over time she said and it has been great to see the event become a place for direct sales between farmers and customers.
“That’s the heart of what we do, keeping those local food chains maintained and supporting them and the whole local food system,” McCracken said. “One of the really nice results of doing that is markets tend to become very social, interactive community hubs.”
McCracken said they have been fortunate to host the Farmers’ Market at the Historic Cochrane Ranche Site, but it will be moving to the Spray Lake Sawmill Family Sports Centre this year to help ensure social distancing. She added that Spray Lake Sawmill has been a partner of the Cochrane Farmers’ Market for more than a decade.
“They were very gracious, very supportive and absolutely wanted to see us be successful and have a place that we could go,” McCracken said.
It was felt that a re-location was the best way to provide a safe space for the market because it is a big open space where shoppers can spread out.
They are confident they can operate the Farmers’ Market in a way that keeps customers and vendors safe, McCracken said. She added that they are grateful for the support they have received from Alberta Agriculture in helping them understand health requirements. The market is sponsored by the Cochrane Environmental Action Committee and is an Alberta approved farmers market which also played a role in helping the Farmer’s Market navigate the COVID-19 public health measures.
McCracken said preparation for this season’s Farmers’ Markets has been fluid with the plans adjusting and adapting to public health measures each day.
There was never any doubt Farmers’ Markets would be able to operate because they have been declared an essential service in the province, she said.
“The province knows the very important nature or Farmers’ Markets and keeping Farmers’ Markets open. From the very beginning markets were deemed as an essential service,” McCracken said. “It was just a matter of how and what that would like.”
She said people look forward to the Saturday morning shopping she said because they get good food and see good friends.
“It’s a social outing as much as it is a shopping-get-your-local-food outing,” McCracken said. “It’s not going to be business as usual, we’re going to miss all of those great social elements.”
The Farmers' Market will be operational but new restrictions will be put in place— Vendors are only allowed to sell essential products such as food, non-food agricultural products, pet food and beverages.
Additionally, the market has to practice all physical distancing requirements and control customer numbers to ensure there is no crowding in the market space.
All vendors have innovated the way products are sold to minimize the ability of customers to touch products, McCracken said. She added a drive-in zone has been added to the market to allow customers the opportunity to pre-order from vendors.
“We’re really reducing any contact and interaction between customers, products and vendors,” McCracken said. “It’s a very different way of shopping.”
The Cochrane Farmers’ Market kicks off their season on Saturday, June 6 and runs until the end of September.
The Market will be offering an hour of shopping at the start of the day for seniors and other vulnerable populations.
Visit the Cochrane Farmers’ Market website cochranefarmersmarket.ca for more information on shopping during COVID-19.
