The Methow Valley Farmers Market will look significantly different from past years (above); the organization is moving to a “pre-order” model to accommodate social distancing.
The Methow Valley Farmers Market, prevented from opening in early April because of COVID-19 restrictions, gets its seasonal start this week with a “pre-order” service that features 10 direct-to-market farms offering produce, cheese, bread, and garden starts.
Saturday (May 9) will be the first pickup day for the market, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp. Pre-order from Wednesday morning (May 6) until 8 p.m. Thursday (May 7) by visiting http://www.methowgrown.org/buy.
Each participating farm has created its own online farm store on that website. Shoppers are asked to read the health safety guidelines, which are listed in detail on the same website. Payment can be an online credit card, and some farms may allow shoppers to bring a check or exact change in cash. The same deadlines and pickup schedules are in effect each week until further notice.
Participating so far are BCS Livestock, Bee Gentle, Bunchgrass Beef, Dharma Farms, The Garden Nest, The King’s Garden, Red Shed Produce, Sunnypine Farm, Twisp River Sourdough and Willow Brook Farm.
Customers are asked to bring their own hand sanitizer, wear a mask, keep a 6-foot safety distance, and send only one family member to pick up the order. Customers can bring their own bags if they are the only ones who touch them.
Farms will maintain their usual agricultural practices and food safety protocols. Booths will be spaced well apart to allow for social distancing among vendors and shoppers. Farmers will be wearing masks and gloves at all times, and will sanitize or wash hands at regular intervals, or after touching money, a phone, or other high-contact, non-food surfaces.
Methow Grown is a project of the Methow Conservancy.
