By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that come with it will not stop the Bowling Green Farmers Market from opening.
The market, though, will have to make some alterations to comply with social distancing. The market opens Wednesday May 13 and will run from 4-7 p.m. The markets will continue Wednesday through Oct. 21.
This year Work Leads to Independence will take over the management of the market from Downtown Bowling Green.
Linette Kemner, a supervisor at Work Leads to Independence, will coordinate the market this year. She said Tony Vetter, executive director of Downtown BG approached them last fall about taking over management of the market.
The market was started about a decade ago by Downtown Bowling Green, and then was managed for several years by the Sentinel-Tribune before the downtown group took over management again.
“Downtown BG SID took over the operations of the Farmers Market to keep it running a couple of years ago until another organization was found that not only benefited the community, but the market as well,” Vetter said Tuesday. “That organization is Work Leads to Independence which will ensure the Farmers Market continued success.”
Work Leads to Independence is a non-profit company that helps people with developmental disabilities find employment.
Kemner said they hope some of the restrictions may ease over the course of the summer allowing favorite features, including food trucks and the Stone’s Throw live music stage, to return. Those, however, will not be offered when the market opens.
The market will feature 16 vendors spaced out throughout the Huntington Bank parking lot at the corner of Clough and South Main in downtown Bowling Green.
The first hour, 4-5 p.m., will be reserved for senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems. Kemner said they will judge based on the response whether to continue to have a full hour, or to reduce that period to 30 minutes. Regardless, there will always be a period for those customers at the beginning of the market.
The wearing of masks is requested, but not required.
Vendors’ stalls will be 10-feet apart. Customers will not be able to handle the produce, instead they will have to point to what they want to buy and then it will be bagged by the vendor.
Kemner said people will be able to use their own bags.
Customers will travel in one direction and the number within the market at any one time will be limited. Kemner said she is still waiting for guidance from the Ohio Department of Agriculture on how many that will be.
Five WLI staffers will be on hand to help shoppers navigate the new system.
No tastings will be allowed.
Food trucks may be part of the offerings later in the season. She expects that will be the first market in June at the earliest. The trucks will all be parked on Clough Street. None will be located within the boundaries of the market.
She said they are hoping that the live music can return as distancing guidance eases up.
Once that happens special events will return. That includes having clients of Work Leads to Independence visit to tell their stories.
The non-profit company will have a booth at the market.
Scheduled vendors are:
· Garry’s Kettle Corn
· Just Jammin and Stuff
· Swan Soaps and Scents
· Bella Cuisine
· Clay Hill Produce
· SoBee Honey
· Dirty Feet Gardens
· Stevens Gardens
· Windy Hill Berries
· Riehm Produce
· River Valley Pasta
· Anderson Farm Fresh Products
· NeNe’s Sweets
· Charing Finds
· Viking Coffee
· Main Street Cookies and Café
