Bloomington Community Farmers' Market Permits On-site Sales This Saturday

Bloomington, Ind. - The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market will allow on-site sales for the first time this season this Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Showers Common, 401 N. Morton St. Additionally, the market will continue to allow customers who have placed orders through the Online Farmers Market to pick them up from vendors at Showers Common. Orders may be placed (and modified) from Tuesday at 6 a.m. until Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

The market will continue to operate along CDC guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining physical distancing, requiring all market vendors to wear face coverings and gloves, and recommending their use for market shoppers. Additional protocols established with guidance from the Monroe County Health Department are as follows:

• Customers will access the vendor area using two separate entrances at Showers Plaza in front of the main entrance of City Hall: one for customers picking up online orders, and the other for walk-up customers.
• A maximum 75 people are permitted in the Market at any given time.
• Vendors will be arranged in alphabetical order, and customers will be encouraged to move efficiently through the market, to prevent crowding and to ensure manageable wait times for shoppers waiting to enter the Market.
• Foot traffic through the Farmers' Market is one-way only, with the direction of travel clearly marked by white arrows on the asphalt.
• Vendors must display their products for sale on site out of reach of Market customers. Purchased items will be transferred from sellers to buyers who are physically distanced across a sanitized table top.
• Individual Market vendors will accept a variety of payment methods from walk-up customers. Some will utilize touch-free methods such as credit cards, Google Pay, Venmo and other digital payment apps, while others may accept cash with safety measures in place to limit contact. Shoppers who plan to purchase products on site should have exact change in the form of small bills, and a variety of ways to pay for Market items.
• SNAP customers may continue to use their EBT cards for the Double Market Bucks program. SNAP customers using the online platform should register as a "SNAP Customer" and then place a food order online. Bring your EBT card to Market on Saturday, and redeem your SNAP benefits for Double Market Bucks on site at the designated table by the Market entrance. SNAP customers who wish to make on-site purchases at the Market can bring their EBT card to the designated table, and exchange up to $18 in EBT benefits for up to $36 in "Market Bucks" that can be used like cash to purchase qualifying products from Market vendors.
• To preclude crowding, the market in June will not offer live entertainment, food or beverages that are intended to be consumed on site, or representation by community organizations at Information Alley.

As since the start of the 2020 market season April 4, orders for pickup at this Saturday’s market may be placed at https://bloomingtonfarmersmarket.localfoodmarketplace.com/. Online orders are paid for when the order is placed, so shoppers picking up pre-ordered products will check in at the info tent upon arrival at market and receive a receipt for all their pre-ordered products, then go from vendor to vendor to pick up the pre-packaged orders.

Online ordering from Farmers' Market vendors began in April, due to COVID-19 safety restrictions that did not allow for the traditional opening of the Market. Beginning with a drive-through model at Switchyard Park, the Farmers' Market transitioned to walk-through, in-person pick-up of pre-ordered products at Showers Common in May.

Free, two-hour parking is available on Saturdays at metered spaces on the streets surrounding the Farmers' Market. Free parking is also available in Showers Red Permit spaces, and in the "IU-EMS" lot across Morton Street from City Hall.

For more information about the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market, COVID-19 safety measures or how to place an order online, call Bloomington Parks and Recreation at 812.349.3700, visit the Farmers' Market website or follow the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market on Facebook.

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