It’s finally spring and, to the relief of many, it has finally stopped snowing. With nicer weather, a familiar part of this season is the first weeks of the Boulder County Farmers Market which initially opened the first Saturday of April at the Boulder County Fairgrounds.
The market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and currently has about 45 vendors, said Boulder County Farmers Market Executive Director Brian Coppom. “So far, we’ve had an enthusiastic response from customers to the market opening, which has been wonderful. It feels like people are more optimistic, that they’re excited to be outside, excited to be doing normal activities. The markets have felt good.”
Vendors are equally pleased to find themselves back behind their stalls. Jen Melichar, the owner of Boulder Beef, skipped last year’s market but had been a regular seller for close to five years prior to that.
“We are super excited to be back,” Melichar said. “We want to be back with people, talking to them, helping them. It’s a great way for people to really understand what ranchers do.”
As of the publication, requirements for social distancing and mask-wearing at the Longmont Market are set to further relax on June 1st , which is a different approach than the Boulder-based market is taking. When guidelines relax next month, the number of vendors may grow as stalls can be moved closer together. Shoppers can also expect the return of features they’re familiar with, such as free samples, live music and increased seating.
As the market returns to a more typical operation schedule, Coppom and his staff are thoughtfully considering ways to ensure that the public is able to shop in as safe of an environment as possible.
“We are trying to create a welcoming and safe experience. It’s about being good neighbors. We want to make room for all of us at the market,” Coppom said.
The Boulder County Farmers Market recently posted safety guidelines for shoppers. Patrons are urged, but not required, to continue to remain “at a thoughtful distance from each other” and to provide added distance to those who chose to continue wearing a mask. The guidance also said that market management will continue to do its part to support the health and safety of customers and vendors. This included staff mask-wearing and providing plenty of sanitizer and handwashing stations throughout the site.
Curbside pickup at the market’s warehouse at 1811 Lefthand Circle, Unit B in Longmont remains an option. As safety guidelines lift, the curbside option is being used less, according to Coppom.
“We’ve seen a slight decrease in Longmont since the market opened,” said Coppom. “Generally, people really appreciate that they can order this way. There are also times when it is just not convenient to make it to the market on the weekend and there are things available curbside that the market doesn’t have. In fact, we have people who do both now.”
