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Grand Lake Farmers Market Remains Open
While local and statewide shelter in place orders have closed most businesses in Oakland, many farmers’ markets remain open with added safety regulations, including the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market, which operates from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays near Grand Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.
“We’re continuing to operate our markets, including the Grand Lake Market, as an essential and critical service for food security. We believe that farmers markets are important to the community so farmers can sell their products and people can buy healthy food,” said Andy Naja-Riese, CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, the non-profit that runs Grand Lake and seven other farmers’ markets.
The farmers’ market at Grand Lake supports about 70 different vendors that sell vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, cheeses, flowers, breads, baked goods and other products out of booths. The business has implemented new safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Booths are farther apart to allow for social distancing, roped off with signs indicating customers should not enter booths. The market has a no touching before purchase policy.
“The only people touching the produce are the farmers who pick it and the sellers who hand it to you,” said Grace Countryman, who sells apples, jellies, wine cider and other fruit products at the market for Rainbow Orchards.
While in the past, vendors encouraged customers to reuse plastic bags to reduce waste, they now pre-bagging products. Customers can tell vendors what pre-bagged products they want. Countryman says customers have been understanding of the new rules.
“People are ready to do whatever’s possible to keep the market open,” she said.
Those waiting in lines at the market now stand on marks placed over six feet apart. Naja-Reise says the market encourages only one member per household to shop if possible, to reduce crowds and suggests that customers show up later in the day, since the market is especially crowded right after it opens.
Vendors are wearing masks and gloves. Naja-Reise says customers should wear masks as well. He encourages quick visits and discourages hanging out. The market formerly had music, arts and crafts, and cooked hot food for consumption on-site but has suspended these programs.
For customers that use CalFresh, the market has a matching program where for every $10 in purchases the market matches another $10 for fresh fruits or vegetables.
To help customers with health risks, the market offers “Bounty Box,” which allows the customers to order fresh vegetables and fruits from market vendors online at agriculturalinstitute.org/bounty-box until the end of the day on Thursdays. The boxes available between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays at the market, which workers place inside vehicles.
The market is not currently limiting numbers of customers. Since there are so many entrance points, such a policy would be difficult to implement.
Both Countryman and Naja-Reise are encouraging people to support local farmers if they can, which especially crucial now. Many small farmers depend on restaurants, hotels, and catering companies for much of their sales. But most of those orders have been cancelled.
“For many of our farmers, the farmers’ market is really what’s creating that lifeline for them to ensure our local and regional food system remains intact,” said Naja-Reise.
