St Matthews Farmers Market

"Eating is an agricultural act" Wendell Berry

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Be A Good Farmers Market Citizen!

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What does it mean to be a good farmers market citizen during COVID-19? Beyond donning a mask and social distancing, it’s critically important that you shop with your eyes, not your hands. Please allow your farmer to select your items for you. Point to what you want. Please do not handle the produce! Our hands carry germs which can be transmitted to produce. Thank you for being diligent about this!

Also, as you enter and exit the market, please follow posted signs and placards. After parking in the rear of the church or in Owens Medical Plaze, enter on foot either at Shelbyville Road, the rear from the Parking Lot off Browns Lane, or at Browns Lane near Shelbyville Road. We added these entrances for your convenience near the car parks. We must strictly limit and control attendance to maintain social distances. This week several guests came in through the sides of the market! As Governor Beshear says, “You can’t be doing that!” Please come in through one of the entrance/exit tents so we can count you!

Guidelines set by our governing body, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, stipulate that we limit attendance and keep accurate occupancy counts. Our volunteers are working hard to do this. When you come in through the out door, the side, and through the caution tape, we struggle to keep our number of shoppers within recommended guidelines and thus, struggle to keep each other safe.

We are so glad to have you at the market! Please follow the guidelines, signs, and placards which are established for your safety. As always, if you don’t want to walk, order in advance and use the Drive-Thru off of Browns Lane. Thank you!

1 Person Per Household Rule Expires – What Does This Mean for the Market?

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Good news marketgoers, as we work together to flatten the curve of the Novel coronavirus, our rules and regulations will change to reflect the most current information. As of today, the 1 Person Per Household rule for shoppers is no longer in effect. What does this mean for the market? Couples and families are able to shop the market together, HOWEVER, the 6′ of social distancing rules remain in effect. As we are an all volunteer market, all volunteers will not know the members of your family groups. Please be patient with us as we ask you to remain socially distant. Safe operating procedures from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture require that we enforce social distance recommendations of 6′. Masks are still required for entry. Please remain socially distant as you wait in the queue for vendor booths. Thanks for helping us flatten the curve and keep everyone safe during the continuing epidemic.

Highland Moor and Others Offer Delivery

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COVID-19 brings with it many challenges. At the Market, we are constrained by space. In order to keep everyone healthy through social distancing, booths are spread out. Many of our long-time vendors are not participating right now due to space constraints or other COVID-19 restrictions. We want to keep you up to date on the status of regular vendors and alternates you will not find currently at the market. We will update this list as information becomes available.

Highland Moor, a plant propagation and cut-stem nursery in Midway, Kentucky is offering delivery in Louisville. Visit http://highlandmoor.com/ to learn about their offerings and email info@highlandmoor.com to order. Kristine McNeil will be happy to assist you. They’ve been long-time vendors at the market and if you need bushes, and shrubs or cut stems, please reach out to them.

Bluegrass Bowls is the business of wood-turner, John Lander, whose parents, Art & Bonnie Lander, are original vendors at the market through their Holy Branch Farm in Bethlehem, KY. Visit https://www.bluegrassbowls.com/ for convenient ordering and shipping options.

Foxhollow Farm is offering CSA subscriptions and their farm store has open hours. Visit their website to learn about their offerings. https://foxhollow.com/

Gallrein Farms, Blueberries of Daviess County, and Gypsy Ridge Farm will be back when more produce is ready and in season. Watch our news for details.

Lexington Pasta will be back later in the season.

We don’t have any information on when foods prepared on site will again be permitted at the Market. Please stay tuned for more information.

Other craft vendors are permitted to operate and we are committed to providing space for returning vendors as soon as we are able.

Broadway Clay, and potter, Les Greeman, are sitting this market year out. If you’d like one of Les’ pieces, please call him at Broadway Clay in Frankfort or visit their online store. https://www.broadwayclay.com/

Kentucky Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Markets

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The Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Commissioner Ryan Quarles, provided clear guidance for market managers operating during the COVID-19 epidemic. This includes on-site hand and surface sanitation, proper money transaction procedures, and discontinuing sampling and cooking demonstrations. For staff handling money and vouchers, sanitary gloves and hand sanitizer are required. We implemented a limited entry procedure to ensure we can maintain appropriate social distances.

Vendors and volunteers are asked to wear cloth face coverings as recommended by the CDC.

Our all-volunteer Market Committee made the decision to require customers to wear masks as well. This helps keep vendors, volunteers, and customers safe. We respect that not everyone wants to wear a mask, however, we require it.

The Market Committee created a convenient “no contact” drive-thru experience for those who don’t want to walk the market. This is a great option for those who prefer not to wear a mask.

Our goal is to keep everyone safe, and keep the market open for the farmers who depend on it. We appreciate all who have shopped the market these past two weeks and followed the rules we set to ensure we can operate safely.

Commissioner Quarles offered this advice in his training to market managers, “All of these practices are only useful if they are followed. This may be uncomfortable but please remember, we are trying to keep people safe, and keep the market open.”

Thank you for shopping the market! Our farmers appreciate your business.

What Does 1 Person Per Household Mean?

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Per Executive Order, shopping at the market 1 person per household means just that. 1 person per household at a time. No groups permitted. This season farmers markets are transitioning from community gathering spaces to in and out markets. We welcome you to shop but even 2 person groups are not permitted.

Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order on April 8 to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in the state. Beshear said as essential businesses remain open, such as grocery and drug stores, only one person per household should be visiting them at at time. For example, that would mean spouses should not be shopping together. On how this will be enforced, Beshear asked the businesses to use good judgement.

This is not a family event due to COVID-19 and we discourage you from bringing children to the market at this time. There are some exceptions. If an adult needs to go shopping but there is someone dependent on them, such as a young child or someone with disabilities, that can’t rely on someone else, they may accompany.

We hope to return to regular operations soon.

Read a news story about what it means here. https://www.wlky.com/article/executive-order-1-household-member-at-a-time-allowed-inside-ky-businesses/32086452

THANK YOU.