Community and connection: Regina Farmers’ Market preparing for June reopening

Regina residents can look forward to shopping for local Saskatchewan veggies and other goods in person by the end of the month.

The Regina Farmers’ Market is hoping to open its outdoor market once again to vendors and customers before the end of June.

Holly Laird, the market’s executive director, told the Greg Morgan Morning Show that while the market does not yet have a confirmed date or location for reopening, it is working towards a date sometime within the next couple of weeks.

“We’ve been targeting June 13; we’re still waiting on a few things to come through like our city permits before we can officially say,” Laird said. “But it’s going to be before the end of June for sure.”

The farmers’ market closed its in-person market in March due to coronavirus restrictions and opened an online option for shoppers at the start of April.

“Online sales have been going wonderfully,” Laird said, adding the online option is not something the market will get rid of once it reopens its outdoor location.

“We’re going to keep going with it,” Laird said. “Our customers have been using it, our vendors have been incredibly happy with it and it’s just a great service that we can provide during the pandemic and beyond.”

With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, Laird said it has been more challenging than anticipated to plan for the market’s reopening.

“It is a lot of work. Safety is our top priority; safety for our staff, our vendors, our customers,” Laird said.

The local market has been working closely with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Laird said, to create a plan to ensure the safety of everyone who chooses to visit the reopened market.

Increased sanitization, hand sanitizer and social distancing are a few of the measures the market will implement to protect its staff, visitors and vendors.

But the new safety protocol and ongoing COVID-19 restrictions mean this year’s farmers’ market will look different than before the pandemic.

“The things that we’re not able to do are live music (and) entertainment. We’re supposed to discourage folks from gathering. There won’t be any seating areas to sit and eat your food,” Laird said.

“Those are all the really lovely touches that make coming to a farmers’ market such a great experience.”

Laird says the changes should not discourage people from stopping by the market to shop for local produce and goods.

“All your favourite vendors are going to be there. They’re going to have truckloads of your favourite Saskatchewan vegetables just waiting for you and so there will still be that sense of community and connection with our customers, the community and the vendors,” Laird said.