The Damariscotta Farmers Market opens this Friday, May 15 at the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust (CRCT) Round Top Farm. “It has been a busy start to the spring for all of us; preparing our farms and businesses for the summer and adjusting to heightened precautions at markets, work, home, and delivering to the community,” says Derek DeGeer of Hootenanny Bread in Nobleboro. “As market managers and vendors across the state, and with the help of James DeBiassy of the Maine Federation of Farmer's Markets, we worked out a set of best practices guidelines based on the Maine CDC's recommendations that we are very comfortable with. I feel safer here at markets than in any other public interactions I've had since the coronavirus restrictions arrived in March.”

Some of the precautions that vendors are taking are all vendors and customers to wear face coverings, spreading booths out to encourage social distancing, using cash buckets and giving change in bills that have been quarantined for seven days, moving product behind barriers and asking customers not to handle things until the farmer can hand it to them, sanitizing commonly touched surfaces, discouraging socializing or congregating while shopping, and encouraging the use of touch free payment methods like Venmo, Apple Pay, and newer Credit Cards.

“There are fewer vendors at market, particularly in the early season, and I'm sure there are going to be fewer customers as we adjust back into public life,” says DeGeer. “Many customers have transitioned to ordering online from Hootenanny Bread and farms like Morning Dew. We've also been visiting some great farm-stands like the one at Goranson Farm in Dresden and Chase Farm Bakery in Whitefield. I know that Du Jardin, Crow Point Herbal, and Appleton Creamery all have pre-order options available. We're working as a community to make this kind of thing more accessible to our current and potential customer base. I encourage people to seek out the options available to them from their favorite local producers and retailers.”

“This is challenging, but I'm feeling hopeful about the spring and summer,” continues DeGeer. “If people are looking for a way to participate, we can always use volunteers at market to help with parking and traffic flow. Come see me at the Hootenanny booth and we'll schedule you for a Friday or two during our season. The farmers really appreciate it and you're helping us bring our community necessary, healthy, local products... and it's fun.”