For Immediate Release
Downtown Peterborough Farmers' Market to provide local food
Market moving outdoors as a preventative measure
March 18, 2020 – Peterborough – The Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market (PRFM), with advice and support from the Local Health Unit, will be moving its Saturday market outdoors on March 21st in response to the COVID 19 situation. As is the case with grocery stores and other essential services, the market will ensure customers have access to the products they need during these challenging times.
“We believe that it’s prudent to move outside at this point and continue to support our vendors and customers” said Julie Fleming on behalf of the PRFM. “We encourage the community to enjoy local products and to help us adjust to changing circumstances.”
For the next four Saturdays, the downtown Farmers’ Market will be located at Citi Centre (our previous summer location, at the corner of Aylmer and Charlotte Streets) and will be open from 9 am. until 12:00 p.m. As the situation evolves, customers will be updated through the Market’s website and social media platforms.
Notable Changes:
1. At the Citi Centre we will be able to limit contact with surface areas, limit lingering crowds and increase fresh air circulation and distance between vendors and guests.
2. We are asking vendors to pre-package certain goods, to limit all displays, and further limit contact with goods sold. Although we take precautions normally, we will continuously work to decrease any potential sources of contamination or potential spread.
3. We recommend that you contact the businesses you know ahead of time and ‘pre-order’ from them. This will allow you to conduct business more efficiently and minimize gathering, as well as minimize the handling of cash. Many vendors will be able to do online orders. You can find the list of businesses here and contact them directly: https://www.ptboregionalfarmersmarket.org/partners
4. There will be no seating areas, no dishwashing station, no play areas and no formal places where groups can gather.
5. We ask that all guests and vendors maintain high levels of healthy hygiene habits, including hand washing, use of anti-bacterial hand wash, wearing gloves if necessary and limiting interactions. If you are sick, have recently traveled or have any potential exposure to illness, we request that you please stay home and continue to drastically limit social interactions. While at the market we ask that you continue to maintain a social distance with other market patrons.
We would like to thank Brad Smith who has generously allowed us to use the Citi-Center for the coming weeks, and we would also like to thank Peterborough Square, as they have been extremely supportive throughout this challenging time. We are so thankful for our downtown partners.