Miriam Tenhaaf and her brother Paul from Diemer’s Farm and Greenhouse braved the cold and rain to attend the opening day of the Metro Health Farm Market. (WKTV)
Social distancing certainly was not a problem at the opening of the Metro Health Farm Market on Thursday as mother nature controlled the crowds with rainy and cold weather.
Still some shoppers – and a few friends showing support – stopped by to check out the offerings of about nine vendors who participated in the rainy opening. Plants, flowers, vegetables, cheese, and even hot coffee were just some of items available. Both vendors and shoppers wore masks and despite the cold weather, were happy to have the market open.
A sign at the Metro Health Farm Market reminds patrons of social distancing guidelines. (WKTV)
“We really appreciate it that it is open,” said Miriam Tenhaaf from Diemer’s Farm and Greenhouse, a family farm based in Holland. “We do most of our business through the farmers markets along with some restaurant sourcing.”
And while the Metro Health Farm Market’s Thursday opening was slow, Tenhaaf said the family has seen good numbers at other markets.
That is good news for Mike Cnossen of Cnossen Family Farms as the Metro Health Farm Market was the first event of the season for him and his wife, Helen.
“Farming is in our blood,” Cnossen said, although because of the weather and the very slow traffic (at around 10:30 a.m. there was about three customers at the market), the couple was starting to pack up for the day.
“We’re happy to see the season start and we’ll see what comes,” Cnossen said.
The Metro Health Farm Market is set up in the Metro Village located in front of the hospital. (WKTV)
The Cnossen’s market neighbor, Peter Van de Roovaart, owner of Full Circle Coffee with a store in Byron Center, said he too was glad to see the farm markets open.
“We are at several of the markets,” Van de Roovaart said, adding he plans to be at the Byron Center Famers Market which opens May 23 at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park. Even with a physical location, Van de Roovaart said the company still does a lot of business through the farmers markets as well as its mobile truck.
The Metro Health Farm Market is open every Thursday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., rain or shine. It is located at the Metro Health Village in front of the hospital. The market runs through Oct. 18. For a complete list of vendors, click here. Note: Due to the current governor’s executive order, only vendors selling essential items, such as food and produce, can participate at a farm market.
The Metro Health Farm Market kicks off the summer season by opening Thursday, May 14. Due to COVID-19, the market will be a little different in that social distancing guidelines will be adhered to and those attending are asked to where masks and leave the personal shopping bags at home. The market will be open form 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more on the Metro Health Farm Market and other farmers markets, click here.
Music for Quarantine
Now on Blue Lake Public Radio: the Grand Rapids Symphony (Supplied)
Every Sunday in May, area residents can tune into a previously recorded Grand Rapids Symphony performance. Performances are on at 1 p.m. at WBLU-FM 88.9 in Grand Rapids or click here to access Blue Lake Public Radio online. For the complete line up, click here.
Remembering the Heroes of WWII
May 7 marked the 75th anniversary of when the Germans surrendered to the Allied Forces. This week’s KDL Staff picks features a selection of World War II books from Michael Bornstein’s “The Survivor’s Club to “They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei (of “Star Trek” fame). For the complete list, click here.
Fun Facts
A botanist running around like Rambo? Well according to Tim Evans, a GVSU professor of biology, if that’s what it takes to get people to discover Michigan’s amazing natural beauty, well why not? We’re all for it. Here is Evans’ first in a series on “Dangerous Botany.” To check out Evans’ other videos, click here.
Among the announcements of cancellations and/or delays in programming comes some good news: many area farmers markets such as the Metro Health Farm Market and the City of Kentwood Farmers Market will open as scheduled.
“We’re very excited,” said Metro Health Farm Market Manager Michelle Rademacher. The Metro Health Farm Market is scheduled to open May 14 and run until Oct. 8 at the Metro Health Village, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW. The market is on Thursdays from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., rain or shine.
“There has been a lot of planning for this to take place so as to follow all of the stipulations for COVID-19,” Rademacher said.
Farmers markets have been deemed essential by the state but even with this classification comes limitations with only food vendors able to sell at the markets. Like many of the area farmers markets, the Metro Health Farm Market and the Kentwood Farmers Market will be following Center for Disease Control and Michigan Farmers Market Association COVID-19 guidelines.
Along with only essential items such as food being offered, vendors will be six feet apart and required to wear masks. Patrons will be encouraged to wear masks and to leave their personal shopping bags at home.
“There is going to be less out with vendors restocking,” Rademacher said. “Hopefully customers will say, ‘I would like three corn, one lettuce,’ and the vendor will pick and bag the items so as to reduce the amount of touching the items.”
“Everybody loves to pick up a tomato to see if it is the perfect one for their meal,” said Fulton Street Farmers Market Assistant Manager Dana Eardley. Being open year around, the Fulton Street Farmers Market, 1145 Fulton St. SE, was able to gradually institute procedures for social distancing and reduction in contact. This included a policy that only the the vendors are allowed to touch food and produce.
The Fulton Street Farmers Market had its official main (summer) season opening this past weekend, where the hours were increased to 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday through October. From November to April the market is only open for a few hours on Saturday.
Area farmers markets have been deemed essential by the state with vendors only able to offer food items such as diary, meat, and produce. (Free Domain)
Kentwood Farmers Market
To encourage vendors to follow the guidelines, the Kentwood Farmers Market is offering a Vendor Scholarship, which will cover 100 percent of the vendor fees. To qualify for the scholarship, a vendor who sells food products, needs to demonstrate a commitment to customer safety such as offering pre-packaged items or pick-up.
The Kentwood Farmers Market returns for its sixth season, June 4 and running through Aug. 27. The market will take place on Thursdays from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. in front of Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. For more information on the Kentwood Farmers Market or the Vendor Scholarship, visit the market’s website.
Get It and Go
The implementation of customer counts with the Fulton Street Farmers Market only being able to allow 66 customers in the market at onetime did prove to be a challenge. The market was required to close off all its side entrances and increase its volunteers to get the customer counts along with help at the handicap entrance, Eardley said.
“The market is a place that people come to stroll or have a family outing, letting the smells and produce call to them as to what they might want to add to their meals,” Eardley said. “We have had to really make a shift in having people get in and get their food and leave.”
Advance planning is encouraged with the Fulton Street Farmers Market instituting a “roll call” on its Facebook of vendors planning to be at the market so shoppers could plan.
The Metro Health Farm Market also will have traffic arrows to direct the market flow and some of its entrance points will be closed but there are no plans to track the number of people in the market.
“There is some fear that a farmers market can turn into a social gathering, “Rademacher said. “Hopefully people will follow social distancing guidelines and only send one person from a family to help with the crowd control.
Rademacher added staff will be keeping an eye on the first day to see if adjustments need to be made.
Making Their Dollars Count
Eardley remarked that attendance for opening weekend was lower than usually, but she did have good news for other farmers markets.
“Some of our vendors have told us that they have had record-breaking sales,” she said. “So while the volume was down, those who were coming are very serious about making their dollars count toward the local food farmers and not the big box stores.”
Rademacher concurred with Eardley, saying “I think people are acknowledging that farmers are small businesses and spending local wherever they can.”
What About Non-Food Items?
Most markets usually have a mix of food and non-food items. Fulton Street Farmers Market also has an artist market on Sundays starting in June. Because crafters and non-food vendors do not fall under the essential category, for now they will not be at the markets. Both Radamacher and Eardley said they remain hopeful that as guidelines change, non-essential vendors will be able to be added.
