The Warman Farmers Market will have some new rules to go along with its new location when it opens for the season on Thursday, May 21.
“I’m excited that we’re able to open at all, given all the restrictions that we’ve seen over the past two months,” said Warman Farmers Market coordinator Ann Janzen. “We’re confident we can make it work, but it will take some getting used to. We just want everyone to be able to buy from local vendors in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere.”
This season, the farmers market will still be setting up shop outdoors at its familiar Thursday afternoon 2:00 to 6:00 pm time slot, but at a totally new location.
“We won’t be at the City Hall parking lot anymore,” said Janzen. “The new site is in the southeast corner of the parking lot at the Legends Centre on Centennial Boulevard.”
Janzen said the new site provides more parking for customers and more booth space for vendors.
The relocation of the market has been brewing for several years, with ongoing discussions between the city and the farmers market vendors. This year seemed like the right time for the move, said Janzen.
“The market has been at the City Hall parking lot for about ten years,” she said. “It was popular, and a high-traffic area because it was so close to the post office.
“But at the same time, the high traffic location was a bit of a mixed blessing because parking was always a problem.”
She said the vendors view the new site as an opportunity to increase the outdoor market’s profile.
“I think our regular customers are loyal and they’ll follow us to the new site,” she said. “We don’t expect any drop-off that way. Plus, the new site gives us visibility in a part of town where we’re not as well-known.
“A lot of the young families in that part of Warman don’t ever go to the main post office downtown because their mail is delivered to boxes in their neighbourhood. And the Legends Centre is a central location that everyone is familiar with.”
Being situated close to Centennial Boulevard, a main north-south thoroughfare also provides higher visibility for traffic. Janzen noted that customers will have to pull in to the Legends Parking lot to access the market.
“They can’t park on Centennial Boulevard,” she said. “The city doesn’t allow that.”
Janzen said the COVID-19 restrictions will pose some challenges, but customers and vendors alike are used to physical distancing and other safety measures.
“The biggest thing is we will only be allowed to let in a limited number of people at any one time,” said Janzen. “When a customer leaves, then we can let another one in, but there can’t be any socializing or leisurely browsing, and we have to make sure that two meter physical distance requirement between people is always maintained.”
She said the vendor tents and tables are already within acceptable guidelines, although an extra half-meter will be added to the normal set up.
A table will be set up at the entrance with hand sanitizer for customers, and another hand sanitizer station at the exit.
Customers will have to stand two meters back from each vendor’s table, and money and produce will be passed back and forth in a bucket.
“I’m going to be using a hockey stick to pass the bucket to the customers,” said Janzen. “That should work.”
Will she be using a left-handed or right-handed hockey stick?
“I have both, so I’m prepared for whichever the customer prefers,” she replied.
Janzen said the provincial health guidelines rule out any entertainment or special events at farmers markets.
“That will dampen the festive atmosphere of the outdoor market a bit, but that’s a small price to pay,” she said. “I think people will still be okay with just being able to shop at a farmers market again. I don’t foresee too many complaints.”