Farmers Markets Adapt to COVID-19

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture released guidelines for farmers markets to follow during social distancing. Markets are asked to also work with their local health departments.

The Beatrice Famers Market will start as planned on May 21, but with new health and safety measures in place. Vendors will be placed further apart and customers will be discouraged from touching products they don’t intend to buy.

Michael Sothan is executive director of Mainstreet Beatrice, which oversees the Beatrice Farmers Market. He anticipates the market will take a financial hit this year due to a reduction in vendors and customers.

"Right now, we don’t have any vendors that have expressly said they don’t plan to make it this year,' Sothan said. "There’s gonna be a few that are gonna be a little hesitant at the very beginning of the season. But I think everyone is optimistic that over the course of this year the market is going be something they’ll be a part of."

The market is eliminating their paid market manager position in anticipation of less revenue.

In Omaha, the farmers market will start a month later than usual, and locations will be moved.

The market will be held in parking lots, which will be cordoned off to control the number of people in the market at a time. Booths will also limit the number of customers shopping at any given time.

The market will also be limited to food related vendors and will not include crafts or flowers.