Farmers Market Hopes to Open May 16

But “open” means something different than previously – the idea is that they will simply be there to provide pickup of orders made online – the Town calls it an “E-Commerce/Curb Side Pickup Service Delivery Model”.  Only food vendors will be allowed and a number of other restrictions will be required – see below.  The details will be presented to council at their Committee of the Whole (C.O.W.) meeting on Monday May 11.  Any resolution passed requires ratification at a regular Council meeting and the next one scheduled is on May 19 – after the Victoria Day weekend.  So to expedite approval, immediately after the COW meeting on Monday, a special meeting has been called to pass the required by-law.

The Farmers’ Market people have not completely organized their online ordering methods – some are already accepting orders via their own websites or Facebook pages and some are using Northumberland REKO (on facebook). They are thinking of using Local Line which has been used by other similar organizations.  However, that will no doubt be clarified and publicized later.

Council are aware that the market is popular and it’s expected that the Farmers’ Market Association’s proposal will be approved.

Summary of Rules to be followed

Download “Proposal” from Links below for full details

  • Only food will be offered for sale
  • Spacing respected with one way movement
  • Hand sanitizer stations available for all shoppers/vendors
  • No sampling of food.
  • No reusable or customer supplied containers.
  • No communal tables or seating.
  • Food Vendors to:
    • Not attend the Market if not well; confirm that they have no symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath), have not travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days, and have not been in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19.
    • Wash hands regularly and thoroughly (minimum 20 seconds) with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
    • Clean and sanitize frequently-touched market stand surfaces regularly (with household cleaners or diluted bleach solution of 1-part bleach to 9 parts water).
    • Maintain social distancing and other usual recommendations
    • Prepackage and box products at a fixed price labeled with customer names/order numbers.
    • Refrigerated and frozen products must be maintained at proper temperatures.
    • Stay in assigned space and with vehicle
Cobourg Farmers Market site plan
Cobourg Farmers Market site plan

The proposed site plan is at right.

Instructions to customers

  • Come to the parking lot on Albert Street to the east of The Oval from 9 AM to 11 AM.
  • Form a line at the WEST entrance to the parking lot, keeping 2M apart.
  • A volunteer will let you in when someone else leaves.
  • Use the hand sanitizer before entering the area!
  • Pick up your order at each farmer’s vehicle. Shop, don’t stop!
  • Use the hand sanitizer at vendor stands!
  • Leave the parking lot by the Exit on the EAST side.
  • Use the hand sanitizer when leaving the area!

Looks like it’s generally in line with Provincial recommendations.

Let’s hope they get a good turnout of their 23 vendors offering food since some have found other places to deliver their product – e.g. at Habitat for Humanity Restore.

It might take a while to sort out the wrinkles. For example, it’s not clear if the protocol will only be to provide pre-ordered items for pickup or will some vendors display and sell products that were not pre-ordered?  I also note that although the number of people at the market will be controlled, the actual number is not yet specified – maybe 5?

Links

 

Update – 11 May 2020

At the Committee of the Whole Council meeting, Councillor Adam Bureau announced that the Farmers Market association wanted to delay the opening day by a week – to May 23 – so that they could “get it right”. They were still debating what e-commerce platform to use – Reko on Facebook or Local Line. They want all vendors to agree and to be up and running by the new date: May 23.

One issue was clarified – there will be no transactions on the property so people will move through quickly. To be sure everyone is following the rules, on site on the first day (at least) will be an Inspector from the HKPR District Health Unit as well as Police Chief Paul VandGraaf with some Auxiliary Police.

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31 Comments
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Wally Keeler
4 years ago

This is for all the downer-thumbs unable to articulate their objection to my anti-communist rant; a young Chinese-Canadian woman, Anastasia Lin, speaks truth at the Oxford Union Society. https://youtu.be/eHLTew86v48.

Wally Keeler
Reply to  Wally Keeler
4 years ago
Frenchy
Reply to  Wally Keeler
4 years ago

Wally, it’s not that anyone doesn’t understand or agree with your stance, it’s just the sheer volume of your rants. Some get turned off and stop paying attention to you as your messages get lost under the weight of themselves. You did (and will probably continue to do) the same thing with nuclear energy, climate change, garbage cans and whatever piques your interest next.

Canuck Patriot
Reply to  Frenchy
4 years ago

Personally, I enjoy reading Wally’s posts. Well researched, informative and they have real substance. Far more inspiring and educational than some of the drivel that gets posted.

Obviously he’s ticked off the teachers union by noting their position on the Communist Party of China.

It’s hard to compete with brains and logical thinking. Keep up the postings Wally.

Wally Keeler
Reply to  Frenchy
4 years ago

Frenchy, your comment reeks of insincerity.

Frenchy
Reply to  Wally Keeler
4 years ago

Very sincere Wally, I meant every word of it.

Wally Keeler
Reply to  Frenchy
4 years ago

You have been trolling me for years with spite. I do not believe your sincerity behind a pseudonym. I don’t trust anonymous individuals.

Rob
Reply to  Wally Keeler
4 years ago

Wally – I think your comments and replies are often interesting. Perhaps you should have your own page on this blog…. I believe you got down the rabbit hole a little and lost sight of the actual subject of the article. You’re talking about genocide and organ harvesting when the subject is the Mayberry Farmers Market opening, which most readers likely view as something positive. I appreciate the commentary but it might be too much for the topic at hand…

Frenchy
Reply to  Rob
4 years ago

Hey Rob, Wally doesn’t need a page here, he’s got his own blog over at http://cobourgtown.blogspot.com/
Let him rant and rave and chase rabbits over there.
Don’t know why he doesn’t

cornbread
Reply to  Wally Keeler
4 years ago

Everyone should spend the 12 or so minutes watching this u-tube presentation. By the way…who is really behind the Academy in the West collegiate…has the RCMP investigated fully? Also we never as a community got to see any reports on the free trip to China for Mayor Brocanier & Mayor Henderson. Canada must not loose control of its country…We already have too much of our country owned by outsiders.

Canuck Patriot
Reply to  cornbread
4 years ago

The free trip was before the election. I clearly remember Henderson’s promise to provide a complete report before spring the year following. He needs to be held accountable. What was the purpose and objective of the trip to begin with? What benefits, if any, were received?

When people make a promise, a person of integrity keeps it. He doesn’t break it. The clock is still ticking.

Curmudgeon
Reply to  Canuck Patriot
4 years ago

Let me help you out here, old son.
Henderson legged it to China.
Henderson is a former Head Teacher.
He gets his pension boodle from the Ontario Secondary Teachers Pension Fund.
That fund has invested in China and is in bed with those Commies.
There is more.
Canada Pension Plan has become a major shareholder of Tencent Holdings Ltd, the Chinese tech giant who’s being accused of carrying out censorship and surveillance at Chinese Communist Party’s orders and aiding Peking’s gross human rights violations.
And there is even more scary stuff.
Tencent Holdings Ltd. is now investing in the Tim Hortons expansion into China.
Tim Hortons! Our Tim Hortons.
Be afraid, be very afraid.

Frenchy
Reply to  Curmudgeon
4 years ago

Are you kidding me!?!?
A Chinese company is investing in a company that is expanding into…. wait for it… China?!?!
What next…Canadian companies investing into companies expanding into Canada?
When will all this madness end?
BTW, it’s not our Tim Hortons anymore, Brazilian owned.

Frenchy
Reply to  Curmudgeon
4 years ago

Unless you are being as sarcastic as I am, you’re connecting a lot of dots here Curmudgeon.

Rob
Reply to  cornbread
4 years ago

Cornbread – why would the RCMP be investigating the Academy? Was there an incident?

cornbread
Reply to  Rob
4 years ago

Hi Rob…I suggest you study a bit of history…you only have to go back before the 1st world war.

JimT
4 years ago

There used to be a few modest frame houses right there on the west side of 1st Street, south of Albert, where the Farmers” Market is now to take place. I was born in one of them. Some years back. Then they tore them all down and made a parking lot.
Weird.

Marsha
4 years ago

This doesn’t sound like a peaceful Saturday morning experience at the Farmer’s Market – hurry up, hurry through and get out. But I suppose better than nothing? I enjoyed a great morning at the Peterborough Downtown Farmers Market recently where all the stalls are distanced far apart, there is a directional flow for customers to follow, friendly volunteers to help and shoppers are not hurried…it works well and should act as a model for all other Markets in the area!

perplexed
4 years ago

Are they Fencing this again ? This idea of standing down wind from someone who may
or may not have a Virus is just wrong the 6 ft distancing does not work
Ridiculous

Informed
Reply to  perplexed
4 years ago

Wear a mask and enjoy the day

JimT
Reply to  Informed
4 years ago

The mask is intended to protect others from any virus the wearer might otherwise expectorate into the environment, not to protect the wearer from any virus around them.

Informed
Reply to  JimT
4 years ago

An N95 mask protects the wearer .

Rob
Reply to  Informed
4 years ago

Informed – would suggest if you happen to have a N95 mask, you donate it to a frontline worker…and if you don’t good luck finding one!

Informed
Reply to  Informed
4 years ago

Rob…Im fine with wearing a surgical mask .Same one i wear shopping.2 metres apart and outside. Im ok with that.

MiriamM
4 years ago

I hope there will be some way of letting market goers know about the regular market vendors who are not allowed to participate at this time because only food vendors are permitted. For example, I noticed that a long time soap maker and market vendor, Northumberland Soapworks, is not on the vendor list. I contacted them (I am using a lot of hand soap these days) by telephone, placed my order and arranged for pick up at the REKO market next week. And I am keen to attend the Cobourg Farmers Market and, like New Cobourg below, I too typically shop by seeing before buying. It would be helpful to me to have a small trolley or wagon I can pull through while collecting my purchases. This would help me by keeping my purchases together when collecting new purchases and making payments.

cornbread
4 years ago

How come Wal-Mart gets the advantage over all the independant stores? They are open for business! Wal-Mart is also the largest importer of Chinese manufactured goods in the world. Things have to change. Support your local retailers as soon as they are back in business.

New Cobourg
Reply to  cornbread
4 years ago

Yes!! I agree wholeheartedly! Can someone explain to me the difference of a local downtown store having a maximum 3 or 4 people in a store, with proper distancing rules being allowed to come in and shop, versus what a Walmart or grocery store are currently doing? If this keeps up, our downtown core will be at serious risk.
As for the farmer’s market, I like to go and browse. Why can’t they put a limit on people going through a one way only path, keeping proper distance to shop? I don’t want to pre order, I like to buy at a market on the spot.

Mark
Reply to  cornbread
4 years ago

Simple , They sell groceries , they sell pharmaceuticals
Where do most independent retailers get their manufactured goods, South East Asia
So Get over it

Wally Keeler
Reply to  Mark
4 years ago

Mostly they come from the Great and Glorious Peoples Republic of China. The motto of Walmart China is “Save Money. Live Better.” Yes, we get many goods from the ASEAN countries, but the vast majority comes from the Great and Glorious Peoples Republic of China ruled by the Communist Party of China. They have killed millions of their own people, no, they have killed tens of millions of their own people. That’s called ‘building communism’. The commies invaded, occupied Tibet and are now mopping up their cultural genocide in Tibet. The commies have imprisoned millions of Uyghur Muslims into ‘re-education’ camps where they are forced to eat pork, drink booze and recite the sacred texts of communism. The Communist Party of China is a racist supremacist organization sweeping up whole peoples into oblivion by demographic smothering — eg. moving one million Han Chinese into Tibet. The Communist Party of China earns tens of Million$ annually from organ harvesting and transplanting, fresh organs plucked from Falun Gong meditators, dissidents and others. The Communist Party of China has strengthened itself from 20 years of intellectual theft of Western creativity. Their cheap labour have no labour rights and they work all too often in dilapidated warehouses with unsanitary conditions.

Most recently their criminal lying and continuous cover-up the Virus, which has resulted in millions infected and counting. And all of the above for what? Cheap shoddy goods. Save money, live better. That’s an investment that the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund couldn’t resist. The Communist Party of China did all of the above criminal atrocities but our Ontario teachers “got over it” just like Mark recommends. We squandered our sovereignty for a few pieces of silver. We have cheapened ourselves and weakened ourselves. And a voice from the back of the room shouts “Get over it.”

Frenchy
Reply to  Wally Keeler
4 years ago

Have a smoke.

Wally Keeler
Reply to  Frenchy
4 years ago