CKPG News File Image.
Farmer's Market amidst pandemic

Talks are in place to potentially see the safe return of the PG Farmers’ Market

Apr 16, 2020 | 10:23 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—The Farmers’ Market is one of the many local events that has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, but there are talks about re-opening it in a way that would be safe to the public.

The Farmers’ Market is one of many things that has been deemed an essential service as food is produced and sold.

For right now vendors have taken to social media to advertise their products, with some offering online ordering.

“I am retired, so for me it’s more (the) social (aspect).”—Cheryl Wakely, Owner of Pineview Soaps

“I always take three months off,” starting in January, said Wakely to CKPG News in an over the phone interview. For her, not being able to go to the Farmer’s Market every weekend has given her more time to create new products.

She mentioned that she really does miss the market as she enjoys the social aspect of it. Right now she is offering pick up options to her customers from her home, while keeping in line with social distancing measures.

“Very easily it could,” replied Wakely to our question if she thought the Farmer’s Market could potentially go online, mentioning that there are logistics that would need to be figured out to keep everyone safe.

But Martin Krell, President of the Prince George Farmers’ Market Association says it isn’t that easy to provide the service in a virtual way.

There’s a fear that people may begin to see the Prince George Farmer’s Market as the brand itself, instead of seeing each individual farmer for their own, individual brand.

“It would be a food only market.”— Martin Krell, President, Prince George Farmers’ Market Association

Krell mentions that the delivery aspect of having an online market—with the model the province is providing funding for — seems “clunky,” adding that “you’d have to check out as if you bought six different products from six different vendors. You would have to check out at six different stores and arrage six different delivery models.”

Currently Krell says they are in talks with the City of Prince George to best figure out how they could put on a safe Farmers’ Market amidst the pandemic, “there have been a lot of conversations towards a street market and how that would look…we just have to be comfortable that health guidelines are in place…and that the general population are comfortable with it.”