Guelph Farmers' Market back in business

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY TAYLOR PIPE

Since 1827, residents of Guelph and the surrounding area have gathered at the Guelph Farmers’ Market, supporting local businesses by buying fresh produce, artisan crafts and eye-catching floral arrangements.

Along with other shops downtown, the Market had to close its doors in March due to the pandemic. It was able to reopen this past July.

“We had to close for sixteen weeks, just after march break when everything went into quarantine in the world,” said Danna Evans, general manager of the market and manager of culture, tourism and community investment for the City of Guelph.

“We took some time to get organized to make sure we did everything properly. And we opened the first weekend of July.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the market has moved outdoors, backing onto Freshfield St.

Wearing face coverings while attending the market is mandatory, and volunteers with hand sanitizer can be seen throughout the space. The inside of the market reopened on Sept. 5, but most vendors still remain outdoors.

The customer experience at the market is also different this year, compared to previous years. Due to safety protocol, produce must only be handled by the vendors and customers must practice physical distancing.

“Customers can expect touching less — a little more point and shoot, a little more conversation. But still access to all of the great things they’re used to from their favourite vendors and of course, new things to try,” Evans said.

Vendors participating in the market feel that the community has rallied together to support shopping local.

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“The local community has been very supportive of us, and other local small businesses,” Tom Herdes from Baroque Botanicals Lavender said in an email.

“Since the re-opening of the farmers markets, the local community has really come out to buy local. We are thrilled by the support we, and other local farms and businesses, have received from our community.”

Karen Mansfield has been a vendor at the market with Majestic Water Buffalo for three years.

Her business sells water buffalo meat from bovine raised in Erin, Ont. Mansfield said her business has shifted to mostly online orders due to a large business loss at the beginning of the pandemic.

“We expanded our online sales and saw more people adopt that way of shopping. We did home delivery and saw more people coming to the farm to pick-up pre-orders,” Mansfield said in an email. “We have learned a lot and will keep learning how our locally raised and nutritious food can be a staple in the 'new normal'.”

Mansfield said she was thankful for the spotlight that the COVID-19 pandemic placed on supporting local businesses and shopping for local food.

“Buying local supports local, it reduces transit and the associated costs, it gets nutritious food to consumers when it is fresh and the most nutritious. COVID has encouraged people to research what is local and they have found great food in their own communities,” Mansfield said.

The Guelph Farmers' Market is open to the public on Saturdays from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.