The Athens Farmers Market is opening two weeks ahead of schedule this year. Market manager Sarah Thurman says more than 60 local vendors are participating in the market, beginning March 6th.
"For the last decade, our farmers have been investing in coop houses and greenhouses that allow them to expand their growing season, and have been getting better at growing in the wintertime. So they had plenty of food, and we decided to let them open up and get it to the people."
Thurman says they have stringent measures in place to protect both vendors and community members; including limiting the number of shoppers to 50 in the market at a time.
"We are still focused on being safe, stable, and secure. We're doing that by having mandatory hand-washing stations at the entrance. Mask-wearing is mandatory. We're encouraging people to stay six feet apart. Please don't touch any of the vendor's produce. They have staff in place to kind of shop for you; there'll be a lot of pointing and a lot less touching."
The market opened for a shortened season during 2020.
'Last year, we felt like it was really functional, and we felt really safe and confident in what we were doing. We believe that we can continue to offer the safest grocery shopping experience in Athens."
The market will be open every Saturday through December 18. For more information, visit athensfarmersmarket.net.
