In light of the recent and rapid COVID-19 changes in our community, the Ithaca Farmers Market winter market is moving from their Triphammer Marketplace location immediately. The market will open outdoors at Steamboat Landing this Saturday, March 21st, 10:30am-2pm, as well as next Saturday. The pavilion is located at 545 3rd Street in Ithaca.
Vendors will be selling meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, honey and other cooking ingredients. At this time - only vendors who initially signed up for the winter market will be present, with a majority of them providing grocery items. Vendors are permitted to decide on the day of market whether they feel safe attending, and the market website will be updated at 10:30am to reflect current vendors at the pavilion.
The market has decided to stay open because they are an important grocery option for our local community.
“While nearby grocery stores run out of specific meats and veggies - the market’s farmers can fill in the gaps,” said Becca Rimmel, Ithaca Farmers Market Executive Director.
All vendors at IFM live and work within 30 miles, so the supply chain for food is much shorter than in large grocery stores - with fewer hands touching each item. Food that is grown on small farms is fresher and tends to be more nutrient-dense than items from large-scale agriculture operations.
The market’s mission is to support the community with access to healthy, safe food - and to support the vendors with a place to do business. Shopping locally is now more crucial than ever to keep our economy strong, and to keep the businesses afloat.
“Many of our market vendors rely on the market as the sole source of income to support their families,” said Rimmel.
While the market is slated to stay open, they have also created another way for their members to sell products in a contact-less way. Customers looking for producers that offer home deliveries or farmstand pickups can access a searchable document for Tompkins County. The market’s latest website post highlights the link for customers, or they can click HERE. Any farm that supports Tompkins County is welcome to submit information to be added to the document HERE.
The Tompkins County Health Department has granted IFM permission to hold the market this weekend and next, with specific requirements. Vendors must be spaced out throughout the pavilion and customers and vendors are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing. All vendors are encouraged to ramp up cleaning routines in compliance with guidelines.
When visiting this weekend, note that vendors may not be in their reserved booths. The market office will not be open - which means that IFM merchandise will not be available for purchase. The Tompkins County Health Department reserves the right to cancel market at any point moving forward. Plans for our April markets have not been finalized.
Join the Winter Market Facebook event to stay up to date on market happenings.
