Opening Day 5/23 + more safety measures

We have worked hard in tandem with the Town to fulfill the public health requests of the Town/Governor and we feel more than ready to open to the public! The market will be a place where we can shop safety while buying the freshest, most nutrient-dense food in Taos. Since we will have a person limit at 25% capacity, once you get through the entrance gate please get what you need and move out of the market, see map below.   There will likely be a line of people waiting to enter the market area so the faster you shop the more people who will have access to our vendors’ goods. Please follow the chalk arrows on the ground for market flow and wait in line on the chalk waiting lines in front of each booth, 2 people waiting per booth. If we all keep it chill and respectful while following these guidelines we can continue to hold market so please help us!!! The better we can all follow these directives the better our chances of staying open to provide fresh, local food to our community!

Our EBT/DUFB program will be open to market shoppers.

See the map below in the Taos News this Thursday so you can make a game plan for your market visit!

We will have 30 CSA style produce bags for drive thru pick up starting at 9am see map, cost per bag will be $35 credit or cash, unfortunately we can’t do EBT for these bags but we can for shopping in the market. It will be first come first serve for the drive thru bags, please leave this service to the elderly and vulnerable. If you can shop for yourself do!

We would like to provide our customers and community with an update on the Taos Farmers Market changes put in place that provide a safer and healthier environment to shop during this time of heightened anxiety. We want you to know that we take the safety and health of our customers and vendors very seriously.

Our farmers are working hard every day to provide our community with the freshest food available in Taos. Our farmers market is safer than shopping in a conventional grocery store so please remember that fact and let it allow you to feel safe and confident while shopping. Farmers’ markets are formally deemed as an “essential business” by the state govt so they are not considered gatherings. Our farmers provide the freshest most nutrient rich foods with shortest distribution line (literally from the farmer’s hands to you!). Again we operate completely outside and with our strong mountain sunshine we are so blessed to live in such a safe and healthy environment.

Here is a list of modifications to our market we have in place:

  • To protect others, stay home if you are sick. Vendors may not come to market if ill.
  • Everyone must wear a face mask while at market
  • We will have 4 hand-washing stations located around the Plaza for public and vendor use.
  • There will be no sampling during this time.
  • No customer handling of products. Customers should not touch anything on the Vendor’s table, the Vendor will be the only person touching your food until you bring it home and wash it as you should always do with fresh produce.
  • No reusable produce bags for the vendor to fill at this time, but personal shopping bags are encouraged.
  • Do not place your personal shopping bags on vendors tables.
  • All vendors must have hand sanitizer for their personal use, the market has provided every vendor a bottle of locally crafted hand sanitizer for this very purpose.
  • The prepared food vendors will sell to-go items only.
  • All Vendor Booths are spaced out 8 to 10 feet apart for ample room for vendors and shoppers.
  • Follow the chalk arrows on the ground to direct you around the market’s flow for customers
  • Please notice and use the chalk lines on the ground in front of vendor booths for how to stand in line, 2 people allowed to wait in line at one time per vendor
  • Since we will be counting people in and out of the market area we ask that you come to pick up your produce and leave, please do not hang out in the Plaza, at this point we need to operate solely as a place to buy food.  There will likely be a line at all times of people waiting to get into market to shop so please be quick so that everyone has a chance to shop
  • We will be sanitizing EBT/DUFB tokens each week between market days & we have safety procedures in place for the EBT terminal during market
  • NM Governor says as of 5/16/20:
    “Masks will be required of everyone in public places, with exceptions for eating, drinking and exercising and medical requirements.” (see: https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2020/05/13/state-to-further-modify-public-health-emergency-order/

We serve the farmers who rely on direct market sales for their livelihood, providing our community with the freshest, healthiest food available, while considering the safety and health of everyone involved. The short supply chain of local food is now more important now than ever and we will continue to strive to bring those products in the safest and most effective way possible.  We have also added an extra half hour to market for the whole season, our new hours for 2020 are 8am-1pm.

4 Replies to “Opening Day 5/23 + more safety measures”

  1. thank you so much for your well thought out directions…this seems reasonable…i will be so happy to have fresh harvested food…i will honor the systems in place for the good of all…i am grateful

  2. We are visiting the Taos area in the end of August. We are just wondering if we can check out the goats and farmers market of course with masks.

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