Outdoor farmers markets in Corvallis and Albany will open on Saturday, April 18, followed by the April 22 opening of the Wednesday farmers market in Corvallis.
Wednesdays & Saturdays
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
April 18-Nov. 25, 2020
1st Street & Monroe Avenue, Corvallis, OR (Map)
Working closely with the Oregon Health Authority and emergency committees made up of city and county officials in both of our counties, we will be able to open markets. But it won’t be “business as usual.” Farmers markets in 2020 won’t look or function anything like a farmers market did in 2019.
The markets are government-recognized essential businesses that are staying open to provide food that will help the community stay healthy while facing a brutal virus.
Our farmers markets’ insistence on “farm direct” means that we have a very short supply chain. That means fewer touches on the way to consumers. Farm vendors are selling agricultural products they grew in a six-county area: Benton, Linn, Lincoln, Lane, Marion and Polk counties.
In Albany, the farmers market is in the City Hall parking lot at 4th Avenue and Ellsworth Street, and an adjacent piece of 4th Avenue (map). A portable toilet will replace access to City Hall restrooms since public buildings are closed.
The farmers market in Corvallis occupies a street closing on a block and a half of 1st Street, and rounds the corner onto Monroe Avenue (map). To provide more space for distancing, the market will immediately spread down Monroe Avenue. to 2nd Street on Saturdays.
Wednesday markets, normally just a block long, may spread around the corner if needed. Shoppers who have not previously attended on Wednesdays likely will find a reasonable selection on a more lightly attended market day.
Market shoppers can use features on LocallyGrown.org to search for particular vendors and view interactive maps showing the approximate location of vendors on each market day.
Hours for all Corvallis and Albany outdoor farmers markets are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In another year, organizers of outdoor farmers markets in Corvallis and Albany might have posted an amusing April Fool’s Day story detailing every feature you love about the farmers market that are deemed antiquated. And then we’d all have a good laugh.
Now that April Fool’s story has come true. We really are temporarily pruning out the culture in agriculture. We are removing the human touch to save some humans. We are ripping up the social fabric that we spent decades weaving.
Anything that doesn’t help people acquire food quickly and safely is gone. Anything that might tempt people to linger or stand closer than 6 feet apart is prohibited.
Farmers markets until now promoted themselves as community gathering places. Our new motto is "Shop and Go Home." Even the word “please” has been banished.
Open air and wide aisles are two factors that local farmers markets have going in their favor. But we need full cooperation from our customers and vendors to stay open, keep our community safe and #FlattenTheCurve.
Significant changes began March 14 at the Corvallis Indoor Winter Market, and the list of strategies has only grown as farmers markets have received information from health authorities, and markets have shared new strategies. The following is only part of what vendors and the market are doing.
CAFM’s web page has a new tab with a listing of farms and other vendors who are doing online sales, delivery or pickup options. Find it here. The purpose is to help local small farms and anyone who is not able to attend farmers markets.
At the same time, we are collaborating on a statewide effort to adopt online pre-order systems with delivery at farmers market sites. The aim is to speed transaction times. In person sales will still take place at CAFM sites.
Corvallis-Albany Farmers Markets and the smaller area farmers markets in Linn and Benton counties always redeem SNAP benefits (commonly called food stamps) on customers’ Oregon Trail cards. Matching programs, which potentially double the amount that SNAP customers spend on fresh and local foods, go a step further by helping families stretch their food dollars and improving the nutritional quality of meals.
Local food advocates in 2019 won a $1.5 million two-year appropriation to fund Double Up Food Bucks, a SNAP matching program that served roughly 50 Oregon farmers’ markets in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Fresh & Local, First! is a relatively new local nonprofit that helps the farmers markets in Linn and Benton counties by writing grants and seeking donations on their behalf. This group will take the lead on raising the 30% of matching funds not covered by the state money.
CAFM will return to using Double Up Food Bucks vouchers. Even dollar amounts are matched. Normally the match is capped at $10 per market day. Through April, all Double Up markets are matching SNAP purchases up to $20.
Another program that increases access to high quality foods among low-income households is the Farm Direct Nutrition program, which includes both young families (WIC or Women, Infants and Children) and seniors. Gleaning groups also collect perishable produce from vendors and distribute to others in need.
Article by the Corvallis-Albany Farmers Market (CAFM). Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter.
