Oshkosh residents know the Farmer’s Market for its locally grown vegetables, delectable pastries, live music, and environment. Despite changes due to COVID-19, the experience this summer has continued to be a valuable one for many: a good break from the routine at home and a chance to spend time outside.

Tammy Thompson, a local vendor who sells handmade items at the market, will need to adjust to some of the new regulations.

“We weren’t able to sell anything but agriculture until later into July and we have to have vinyl tablecloths, not cloth tablecloths,” she said.

Danielle Boerson, who is in charge of the Boerson Farms booth, sells certified organic vegetables, free-range chicken eggs, and grass-fed beef. She feels that the new regulations have had more positive effects than negative ones.

“We had to modify our booth so that we could encourage social distancing and put a barrier table between the product and customer,” she said. “It turns out it’s actually kind of improved the flow of our stand and reduced the amount of handling that the produce gets, so that’s actually more hygienic I think.”

Many booth participants believe the regulations haven’t changed what they can and can’t sell. Samantha Fisher from TJ Highland Steakhouse appreciates the extra sanitation.

“We just take more precautions with packaging it and make sure we use hand sanitizer in between each of our transactions,” she said. “Kitchens are usually very strict with sanitation, so it hasn't changed us a lot. We are just making sure we wash our hands more often than we were before.”

Christy and Ralph Harrison, on the board of directors for the Farmers Market, even sell masks at their booth.

“We're outside, so we can’t force people to wear a mask, but we encourage people to wear masks,” Christy Harrison said. “We still want everybody to come out and visit and support our local farmers and other vendors.”

One would think with all of the restrictions that fewer people would show up on Main Street every Saturday morning, but the opposite seems to be true.

“It seems like the pandemic conditions have improved the sales of our produce and our beef because people are more concerned about accessing local, clean food, so it’s not all bad,” Boerson said.

Fisher had the same experience with her booth and appreciates how the community has come together to support local vendors.

“Customers realize how much of a struggle it’s been for local businesses, so I feel like that’s pushed people to come to the Farmers Market more than going to your basic grocery store,” she said.

Michelle Schultz, the Farmers Market manager, appreciates how everyone has been working together to get through COVID.

“No matter what, we all support each other and help each other as needed to get through this,” she said. “These businesses still have to survive down here and no matter what, they do what it takes to get it done, and then they do what it takes to help each other get it done. I’m very proud of all the vendors.”

Many customers say that COVID hasn’t affected what they usually buy at the booths. West alumni Emelia Smith says her weekly routine of going to the market hasn’t been disrupted.

“I still go every Saturday and still get the same stuff,” she said. “I run into a lot of people that I know and it’s just a good atmosphere.”

Junior Zoe Olmsted agrees, and has found the pandemic has influenced her to make more frequent trips.

“I’ve been coming to the Farmers Market a bit more, actually,” she said. “It’s super early; a great way to start my day.”

Christy Harrison believes that the health and wellness aspect is part of what makes the event so special.

“It’s a great way to get some healthy choices into your diet,” she said. “There is such a wide variety of vendors with different things. If you're looking for new foods to try, we have food trucks here, which is just wonderful.”

Harrison also thinks that the social aspect is a big reason why people are so enthusiastic about such an opportunity during the pandemic.

“It’s really hard to get out and get involved with things socially,” she said. “This is one of the few places where you can get out, be social, see people, and talk to people, all while getting good food. We get a lot of people who have never been here before, and they didn't realize it was this big.”

In order to maintain this joyful environment during the winter months, the Farmers Market moves indoors from November until the spring. Christy Harrison is in the process of coming up with a plan for the upcoming winter.

“We’re still setting up our dates with the convention center and the arena,” she said. “We are assuming we're still going to have the same social distancing issues that we had in the past, so we’re looking at using a larger space than we normally would.”

Despite the changes, vendors and customers remain strong and motivated to help each other. Schultz sees a positive future after observing how the community has come together the past couple months.

“This is the experience of a lifetime,” she said. “The Oshkosh Farmers Market is a community event - we're not just celebrating agriculture here, we're celebrating the wonderful community we live in.”

By Abby Furcy, Hannah Chung, and Anna Krupp

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue I

October 2nd, 2020

Local Vendors Stay Strong During COVID Pandemic