The Cedar Farmers Market (seen here in this image from 2019) opens on Sunday, May 10 to begin a new era for markets of its kind under COVID-19 guidelines. (Jess Clark/Cedar Farmers Market)

By Alex Rawnsley

MODIFIED MARKET

Nanaimo’s farmers market season opens amid a whole new world

May 10, 2020 | 7:57 AM

NANAIMO — Local farmers markets are opening under layer upon layer of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cedar Farmers Market begins on Sunday, May 10 and market manager Kate Poirier told NanaimoNewsNOW this years experience will be significantly different to align with current health orders.

“We’re going to be rather small, only about 25 vendors with the majority being local farmers selling fresh fruit and vegetables,” Poirier said. “We’ll have bakery items, cheese and packaged items such as soups, dips and coffee.”

Typically the market features around 85 vendors with live music and a wider array of food options.

Poirier said it’s lucky the market moved to Woodbank Elementary School because organizers can more easily enforce social distancing recommendations.

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“With our layout being in a large, open field, we have a lot of space to spread out. We are going to cordon off the whole field with caution tape so we can really maintain the number of customers and make sure it’s safe for everyone to come in.”

On Wednesday, May 13, the Island Roots Market Co-Op will begin operating at Beban Park.

Michele Greene, market manager, said their setup will be similar to the Cedar market with only one entrance and monitoring how many people are allowed in at one time.

The 25 vendors will have strict rules on how they interact with customers, including the vendor being the only one to touch and select products before purchase.

“We like to create community at the market and we can’t do that right now. It’s going to be a shop, don’t stop atmosphere, get your things and go,” Greene said. “No eating, no dogs, no sitting, no visiting. Unfortunately I feel like a warden.”

For the time being, neither venue will feature live music or many of the other atmosphere-enhancing elements of summer markets.

Nanaimo’s popular downtown Night Market officially cancelled its 2020 season in April.

Kim Smythe, Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce CEO said at the time COVID-19 restrictions meant they wouldn’t be able to present the market in its true spirit.

“No matter which way we sliced it, we didn’t feel we could achieve what we wanted the event to achieve.”

Parksville’s Summer by the Sea market has yet to make an announcement on how it will proceed this summer.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley