The Original Farmers’ Market to open Wednesday
The Original Farmers’ Market at City Market has been deemed an essential business and given the go-ahead to provide critical food access to the community beginning Wednesday, May 6. Stevi Stoesz, Executive Director of City Market explains, the Farmers’ Market will open with new rules and safety precautions to allow guests to social distance and shop efficiently and carefully.
Every Wednesday from May through October, shoppers will be able to find fresh and local produce and herbs from Indiana farmers and artisanal items such as baked goods, syrups, dog treats and locally crafted barbecue sauce. Stoesz says things may feel more transactional than communal as restrictions are lifted and the community responds to the “new normal”.
The City Market will be taking the following precautions at the Original Farmers’ Market:
- No prepared food.
- No home-based
vendors. - No demos or sampling.
- All food sold on-site
will be pre-packaged in a licensed facility and labeled according to federal - guidelines.
- Pet food and personal
hygiene products will be allowed. - No food is to be
consumed on-site. - Live entertainment
will be temporarily suspended from the market.
Additional safety precautions for patrons include:
- Adhering to social distancing guidelines while shopping at the market. The City Market will have social distancing guidelines marked in front of vendors so guests know where to stand, 6 feet away from other individuals.
- Guests are encouraged to bring their own masks and gloves.
- Service animals will be the only pets allowed at the market.
- Multiple hand-washing stations will be available on-site.
- Guests are encouraged to pre-pay and pre-order with individual vendors as much as possible. All vendors and their contacts can be found under the “Original Farmers’ Market” tab at www.indycm.com.
- Guests are asked to refrain from consuming food or beverages on-site.
- Guests are encouraged to shop on their own, if at all possible. Families are encouraged to send one family representative to the market to avoid larger groups of people while visiting the market.
Dollar- For-Dollar Matching: Fresh Bucks & SNAP
Individuals utilizing SNAP benefits will be able to once again double spending up to $20 through the Fresh Bucks program. SNAP users can utilize this program to buy fruits, vegetables, honey, herbs and spices, maple syrup and seedlings for edible plants. The program’s expansion in 2015 was made possible by a Specially Crop Block Grant awarded by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture of 2014.
Programs and Activities:
Food Gleaning Program: The gleaning foods program Buy 2 Give 1, administered through the Original Farmers’ Market, encourages individuals to buy additional products for those who are in need of fresh, healthy products, all of the donations are made at the City Market tent (located in front of the City Market House’s Market Street doors) during the Original Farmers’ Market hours and are given to one of the three downtown homeless missions to prepare healthy meals for those in need. Each year, thousands of pounds of produce are given to those who need it most through the gleaning foods program.
Wheelchair Accessibility Info:
Guests needing wheelchair accessibility will be able to enter the City Market from the East Side of the building. The East Entrance has door opening assistance and is distinguished by double doors. An elevator to the Mezzanine is located on the first floor at the Northside of the building after passing through the breezeway as you approach the Platform.
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