Atlanta Community Farmers Markets Stay Open As Essential Businesses For Now
People shop at the Grant Park Community Farmers Market with social distancing measures in place on Sunday.
Lily Oppenheimer / WABE
With most major American cities under shelter-in-place orders to curb the spread of COVID-19, grocery stores are one of the few places left to see more than 10 people in the same place. And no matter how many times employees wash their hands, customers can still squeeze and smell produce.
But as shelves are emptied, and major grocery chains are seeing disruptions in the supply chain, Georgians can always fall back on local farmers.
That’s according to Katie Hayes, executive director of Community Farmers Markets across Atlanta.
Hayes says the Grant Park Farmers Market, currently hosted on Sundays by Eventide Brewing, is still drawing crowds and taking social distancing measures seriously.
“Before anyone can enter the market, we have hand washing stations,” Hayes says. “At every booth, we have hand sanitizing stations and gloves. Each vendor that handles produce also has another person at their booth that handles money, so there’s no cross-contamination between the two.”
Last week, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a 14-day stay at home order, where all residents are allowed to leave home for “essential” services. Those include grocery stores, doctor’s visits and farmers markets.
Hayes says dense cities like Atlanta are setting a precedent for vendors and farmers whose livelihoods depend on those markets staying open. California and New York have listed farmers markets as an essential service. Georgia leaves that decision up to local governments.
“There’s no shortage of local food being grown right now,” Hayes says, adding that sales have gone up during the 2020 winter market season.
Hayes spoke with “Morning Edition” host Lisa Rayam about how CFM officials ensure fewer hands touch local market produce versus the options at a major grocery store.
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