COVID Guidelines
We have worked with our vendors, board of directors and Fairfield County Department of Health to create a plan that keeps real food within reach while also keeping us all safe.
We will depend on your cooperation for safety and success. You can help by keeping an eye out for how the market will operate, for any changes as we move through the season, and by communicating these new guidelines to friends in order to help get the word out. Thanks more than ever for your support of our local producers!
We take our responsibility to our farmers and producers and to you, our customers, very seriously. Our role to connect people with good food is more important than ever in these times. And we recognize that safety must be at the forefront of all our decisions and plans. Minimizing risk from COVID-19 for not only our customers, but also our vendors, staff and volunteers will be paramount.
We will depend on your cooperation for safety and success. You can help by keeping an eye out for how the market will operate, for any changes as we move through the season, and by communicating these new guidelines to friends in order to help get the word out. Thanks more than ever for your support of our local producers!
We take our responsibility to our farmers and producers and to you, our customers, very seriously. Our role to connect people with good food is more important than ever in these times. And we recognize that safety must be at the forefront of all our decisions and plans. Minimizing risk from COVID-19 for not only our customers, but also our vendors, staff and volunteers will be paramount.
What to Expect at Market
The farmers market is held outside rain or shine in a large parking lot with plenty of room for social distancing.
Look for free parking in the county lot directly across Chestnut St from the main entrance of the farmers market. There is also plenty of free street parking and you’ll find signs designating other downtown lots with public parking on the weekend.
Please enter from either the south or north end of the parking lot. Look for marked entrances with hand sanitizer stations dividing incoming and outgoing foot traffic.
Vendors will be assigned to 10’ x 10’ booths, with at least 6 feet in between booths. The central pedestrian aisle will be widened to allow for social distancing for customers waiting at each booth.
Vendors will set up their booth to encourage social distancing. This may include an extra table in front of their booths, separating payment and browsing areas, etc. Please ask if you have any questions about procedures. While in line at each booth, customers should look for chalk X’s on the ground to designate socially distanced waiting spots.
We will encourage vendors to utilize pre-order/pre-paid sales.
Any “extracurricular activities” (music, children’s activities, community organizations, cooking demos, etc) must adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Any prepared foods (eg food trucks) will be for take away only, not for on-site consumption.
We may re-evaluate our operations throughout the season based on the facts and recommendations available to us.
Look for free parking in the county lot directly across Chestnut St from the main entrance of the farmers market. There is also plenty of free street parking and you’ll find signs designating other downtown lots with public parking on the weekend.
Please enter from either the south or north end of the parking lot. Look for marked entrances with hand sanitizer stations dividing incoming and outgoing foot traffic.
Vendors will be assigned to 10’ x 10’ booths, with at least 6 feet in between booths. The central pedestrian aisle will be widened to allow for social distancing for customers waiting at each booth.
Vendors will set up their booth to encourage social distancing. This may include an extra table in front of their booths, separating payment and browsing areas, etc. Please ask if you have any questions about procedures. While in line at each booth, customers should look for chalk X’s on the ground to designate socially distanced waiting spots.
We will encourage vendors to utilize pre-order/pre-paid sales.
Any “extracurricular activities” (music, children’s activities, community organizations, cooking demos, etc) must adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Any prepared foods (eg food trucks) will be for take away only, not for on-site consumption.
We may re-evaluate our operations throughout the season based on the facts and recommendations available to us.
Guidelines for Customers
- Not feeling well? Please stay home. Customers must stay home until they are free of fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication and with improvement in respiratory symptoms. Wait until at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
- Face masks (facial coverings) are required per Ohio Department of Health orders.
- Practice the mandated 6 ft social distancing at all times while at market.
- Clean/sanitize your hands frequently.
- Please consider sending one member from your household to pick up your food to limit the number of people in the space.
- Please prioritize essential food purchasing and discontinue social gatherings at the market until further notice.
- Please do not touch products unless you are purchasing them.
Guidelines for Our Vendors
- Pre-orders with pre-payment are strongly encouraged and will be promoted with a list on our website.
- Take your temperature before coming to market. Do not come to market if your temperature is more than 100.4 degrees F.
- Sick vendors, employees, and volunteers must stay home and not return until they are free of fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication and improvement in respiratory symptoms and at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
- You must wear a face mask (facial covering) per Ohio Department of Health orders
- Sanitize your stand regularly. See CDC guidelines here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
- We recommend discontinuing the use of tablecloths and other porous materials such as baskets. Please use materials that are washed and sanitized after use.
- Clean/sanitize your hands frequently and/or wear gloves. Change to new gloves when you switch tasks.
- Use only new bags for the packaging and sale of goods.
- If collecting payments on site, designate one person to handle food and one person to handle payment if at all possible
- Food sampling: Samples must be prepared in advance. No on site food preparation is allowed. Please have samples individually portioned and pre-packaged. No self service; you as the vendor should distribute the samples.