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Safety at Farmer's Markets: Response to COVID-19

Fri, May 15th, 2020, created by Amanda Perez
The primary recommendation is that markets operate in accordance with all federal, state, and local guidance and requirements on protecting the health and safety of vendors and customers. This may mean that a market cannot open for business unless they follow state recommendations. Please check with your state Department of Health or Department of Agriculture for guidance. 

Selling Safely at Farmers Markets

  • If a market does remain open, management should monitor and limit the number of customers who access the market at any given time. Keep in mind that many states have limits on how many people can gather.

  • It is recommended that market managers place a large container of hand sanitizer that contains 60% or more alcohol at a central and visible location within the market and encourage all vendors and customers to use it often and when entering and exiting the market.
  • Additionally, markets that are open for business must require vendors to follow safe hygiene practices such as:

Not attending the market if they feel unwell, have had a fever or a cough recently, or are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19;

Ensuring vendors have access to a facility to wash their hands frequently with soap and water, and posting signage with proper hand washing techniques which includes washing for 20 seconds or more;

Posting signage, in English and Spanish, around vendor booths with tips on controlling the spread of pathogens including COVID-19;

Coughing or sneezing into a tissue, sleeve, or elbow and immediately discarding or disinfecting the contaminated item or area;

Practicing proper social distancing by maintaining a 6-foot distance between themselves and their customers;

Cleaning frequently touched surfaces with disinfectant often during market hours;

Suspending all food sampling activities;

Offering only “take-home” options for prepared foods being sold;
Requiring customers to “shop with their eyes, and not their hands” as this will reduce cross-contamination;

Bagging items for the customer so as to reduce the number of people touching these items;

Accepting digital-based payment options if possible such as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and others.

  • Similarly, customers should be reminded to follow safe hygiene practices while shopping by:
Staying home if they feel unwell or have symptoms of COVID-19;
Washing their hands before they enter the market and shop for items;
Maintaining the recommended social distance of 6 feet from other customers and vendors;

Coughing into a tissue, sleeve, or elbow and discarding or disinfecting the contaminated item or area;

Not eating, smoking, dipping, or spitting while at the market;

Not touching items. Vendors should bag items for the customer;

Downloading and using digital-based payment options if possible such as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and others.

  • Again, it is recommended to utilize the many digital-based payment options as mentioned above. However, if this is not possible for some vendors or customers, please consider these guidelines:
Have vendors accept cash but limit the need to make change with the customer by upselling or rounding off to an even dollar amount. Also, a glove may be used, but it is a better practice for vendors to properly wash and sanitize their hands often instead. Remind vendors to not touch their face during transactions.

Credit cards are recommended with caution as they require the payment method to be handed back and forth between vendor and customer. Vendors may choose to handle a card with a sanitary wipe and clean before returning to the customer. It is not recommended for customers to provide their card information verbally to the vendor.

Many markets supply and customers use reusable bags, which are environmentally friendly. Please see this resource from NC State University on properly disinfecting reusable bags.

These recommendations provided by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s Local, Regional and Safety Foods Team that includes: Dr. Amanda Philyaw Perez, Assistant Professor and Food Systems and Safety Specialist and Rip Weaver, Julia Fryer, and Angela Gardner, Program Associates. 




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