Hampton Farmer’s Market adjusts to COVID-19 guidelines

The Hampton Farmer’s Market kicked off last week with new guidelines but the same fresh offerings for customers.

Barb Ristau, farmer’s market board member, said three vendors attended the first installation last Tuesday and a steady flow of customers followed.

“I think they pretty much got rid of a lot of stuff,” Ristau said.

To comply with sanitation and social distancing guidelines, vendor tables are to be spread at least six feet apart and vendors are asked to keep customers at just one or two per table. Produce and other items are also kept behind tables and will be given to customers when they order. Customers are also asked to remain six feet apart from one another.

Ristau said all involved observed the requirements and thought the market went smoothly given the changes to the operation.

“We had people coming through on kind of a regular, far apart basis so there wasn’t a problem as far as people being ganged up at one table,” she said. “They seemed to flow through.”

She said she’s thankful for both customers and vendors who showed up, as farmer’s markets are important events to the community. Producers count on markets for income and distribution of their goods and customers need to have access to fresh produce and goods whenever possible.

“The planting goes on back in February and March, so people were planning back then to show up and they need to have the market available,” she said. For customers, food is a necessary quality this year and in some cases, grocery stores aren’t always able to provide as much as they were in the past because of (COVID-19).

“I was pleased and the vendors were too,” she added.

The Hampton Farmer’s Market is held Tuesday and Friday, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.