The Market will be closed for the entire month of April so we’ve put together a Quick Reference Guide for our Vendors HERE. They are working around the clock to feed the community that has helped us grow for over 20 years. We are all adapting to the change. It has not been easy and each of our members has faced challenges that range from learning how to set up online stores, to figuring out how to use mapping applications to make home deliveries.
On a positive note, the weather has been excellent for setting out new plants and extending the season for some of the winter favorites. It’s hard to believe that some farmers already have strawberries coming in from their hoop houses while others are still harvesting beautiful sweet winter kale from their fields. Patiently waiting for all of this to move out is the fabulous Durham community who are calmly practicing physical distancing and managing to work-at-home and stay-at-home.
Our continued perseverance is needed and to that end, the Market will be closed through the month of April in support of the community efforts being made to keep the COVID-19 numbers as low as possible. Our vendors continue to add home delivery options, pick-up locations and farm stands. There is even work underway on a food hub to help farmers, consumers, food crafters and non-profits connect. Sometimes the perfect storm leads us down a path we might not have chosen, one with an unexpected, positive ending.
If you are looking for what your favorite vendor is harvesting during April and how to access their products, new seedlings for your Victory Garden (yes, we are resurrecting this idea for a victory over COVID-19!), foods to make and bake at home or something that will delight your senses or tastebuds, click HERE to access our Vendor Profiles. We are continually updating the notes on our members’ stores and offerings. If you want to add your name to our newsletter mailing list, click HERE and fill out the information at the bottom of the page in the little green section labeled “Stay Connected”. That will get you signed up automatically for our weekly newsletter. Normally during this time of year we send newsletters for both Wednesday and Saturday markets. We are working with our vendors to see if this is still useful. We’ll let you know. In the meantime, we are going to add our Wednesday market folks to the one mailing a week through the month of April.
Speaking of members! We added three new members back in the beginning of March. Red Tail Grains, Crumbs and Huanong Ecorganics. Red Tail has locally grown & milled grains. Crumbs is a vegan baker and all of the staff gives her two thumbs up, especially the layered cakes. And Huanong Ecorganics is an established farm growing an amazing assortment of Asian veggies.