Coronavirus safety comes first as Modesto Certified Farmers Market opens season
“Smell sells,” Dale Johnson said as he stood at his Dale’s Gourmet Kettle Popcorn stand early into the opening day of the Modesto Certified Farmers Market season Thursday. He was referring to missing the enticing aroma that wafts from his booth when he pops on-site, which for now is verboten.
At some point in the season, which continues until December, he certainly hopes to have his kettle back on 16th Street. But for now, he said he’s just happy to be there. The market accounts for 90 percent of his Ripon-based business, he said. The remainder comes from about two dozen events he does throughout the year, including volleyball games, soccer tournaments, festivals and company events.
The market got off to a light start, which Burch Bees Pure Honey proprietor Shiela Burch said was fine with her. A quiet day would be perfect for working out any kinks involved in greeting customers amid the new measures in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Much of that involves social distancing. Booths were spaced apart more than usual, and tape markers on the street showed customers where they should stand in line. There were hand-washing stations and signs reminding people keep their distance from one another and not touch vendors’ food.
Other safety measures in place include:
- No hot or freshly prepared food or drink booths or craft/artisan booths. Prepacked food, including bread, will still be allowed.
- Produce vendors are encouraged to prebag items for customers to purchase. Those who don’t prebag are asked to handle and bag the food for each customer. Shoppers will be asked not to touch products and allow vendors to handle all merchandise.
- No food or product sampling of any kind.
- For CalFresh/EBT customers, the machines will be wiped off between each transaction. EBT and Market Match coins will be sanitized between receipt and recirculation.
Like Johnson, Burch said the opening of the market was very important to her business, accounting for about 70 percent of her income. Honey sales are her bread and butter, so to speak.
“We’re very small, and inside that little ‘certified’ bubble, farmers markets are our No. 1 place that we market our honey. We have a few small accounts here and there, but really this is it. ... If I can’t get to market, of course it would be a disaster.”
An employee of Gustine-based Ledesma Farm/Splendor Salad said the grower also participates in markets including San Jose and Los Gatos, but not having Modesto’s would have been a blow.
“We would try to deliver to people, but we still don’t know about that,” Salomon Araiza said.
His stand offered a variety of produce including broccoli, cauliflower, chard, kale, garlic, herbs, beets, celery, cabbage, potatoes, onions and more. Araiza said everything is washed and handled with gloves to protect customers and staff.
Hughson-based J&J Ramos Farms had an abundance of citrus and nuts on its tables. A gloved employee there, who did not want to share her name, said customers will be allowed to touch only what’s handed to them. The Modesto market is more important than ever, she said, because “we do a lot of the Bay Area farmers market, and most of them are closed.”
Additionally, J&J Ramos has a stand on Geer Road in Hughson that was supposed to open by April 12, Easter, but because of the pandemic, they’re not sure they’ll have the permits to do so, she said.
At the Bloomingcamp Ranch stand, Betsy Townsend said having its Oakdale bake shop makes it not quite so dependent on the farmers market. Still, it does rely on — and enjoy interacting with customers at — local markets, and Modesto’s is the only one open right now.
Also, Townsend said, adjusting to the pandemic has changed business at the bake shop dramatically. For about two weeks now, it’s been open only on Fridays and Saturdays, and for drive-through pickup only. Customers order online and pick a date and time to stop by its Highway 120 location.
To anyone who goes grocery shopping but is wary of heading to the farmers market, Burch said, “Overall, I think the farmers market is a safer option. It’s here today, gone tomorrow, not sitting open for days at a time. There’s aren’t a million people crawling all over it. There’s no canned air. You’re not stuck in an aisle trying to get past someone.”
Two of the morning’s first shoppers, Gus Mena and Christina Amaral, viewed it the same way.
“At the grocery store,” Amaral said, “everybody’s touching it, putting it back, touching it, putting it back. This seems a little safer.”
The market runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 9:07 PM.
