Shortened farmers market open Saturday

Betsy PickleOur Town Health

While staying at home is the best thing you can do to stop the spread of the coronavirus, you obviously have to eat. And the good news is, farming hasn’t been canceled.

Nourish Knoxville is trying to spread the word that local produce is available and healthful.

The Nourish Knoxville winter farmers market will be open 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (instead of the usual 2 p.m.) Saturday, March 21, with some modifications. It will be held outdoors in the large parking lot at the corner of Morgan Street and Third Avenue, next to the usual location, Central United Methodist Church, 201 E. Third Ave.

Parking is available in the lot behind the church and on the street.

Vendors will be spaced 10 feet apart, and customers are asked to stand six feet away from each other while waiting for their turn to check out. Patrons are asked to request items from vendors and not to touch any product they don’t intend to buy.

The market will offer SNAP processing and SNAP doubling up to $20 per day for all SNAP customers. There will be no children’s activities.

People who have a fever or a cough, or who have someone in their household who does, are asked not to attend the market. There will be hand-washing stations at the market.

Pre-ordering from vendors is encouraged. Patrons can contact them directly or call Nourish Knoxville the day of at 865-805-8687. A list of vendors will be posted this morning (3/20) on Nourish Knoxville’s social-media pages and its website.

According to Nourish Knoxville, farmers and food producers are banding together to offer more delivery services and online shipping and are expanding their CSAs. Visit the Nourish Knoxville website for a guide.

At this time, the April 4 and 18 markets are still scheduled, as are the farmers markets at Market Square and New Harvest Park.

Betsy Pickle is a veteran entertainment, features and news reporter.

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