How the Farmer's Market is Adapting to Coronavirus

Walking along 32nd street, the Waverly farmers market appears as an unexpected mirage on the horizon every Saturday morning. Shoppers browse the seasonal produce, as well as meats cheeses and prepared foods with reusable bags in tow. Despite social distancing restrictions, the market is bustling- the lines at each vendor’s booth blend together like a tangle of overlapping roots.

For many, the large crowd feels like a relic from a past life. For the vendors, the crowd is a beacon of hope amongst closing restaurants and decreased sales.

Living Lettuce, one stand at the market, is affiliated with an urban farm that sells greens, herbs, and cooked meals. Dominic Uccellini, the owner and operator of Living Lettuce, says that sales at the market “have been better than ever since the pandemic happened.” However, this is in stark contrast to his restaurant sales. “We used to cut up all the extra lettuce and sell it as a spring mix to restaurants, but a lot of them have stopped ordering.”

Despite this, vendors are generally in a good mood, and they are optimistic about the market sales for the coming season. Can these sales supplement the lost income from restaurants?

The buskers, who act as the fly on the wall each week, say “there are about the same number of people at the market” as last year, but they are “making more in tips.” In the age of takeout and delivery, tipping has become more mainstream than ever. The pandemic seems to have sparked generosity in the market patrons, and sales seem to reflect that.

Uccellini explained that, in the winter, sales at the market predictably decrease. With the end of the pandemic nowhere in sight, restaurant sales may continue to decline throughout the winter, leaving farmers market vendors like Living Lettuce unusually dependent on the income from the weekly market.

Will customers continue to come as the weather chills and the warmth of Giant is increasingly appealing?

Shalom Entner, a customer who picked up a beef patty from The Curry Shack at the Market while doing her weekly produce haul of tomatoes eggplant and kale, says that she will not come to the market past October; “Last year, it was so cold, I don’t know why they even keep the market open.”

Hopefully, the vendors will be rewarded for their persistence.

The pandemic caused a restructuring of the market, with the middle row of stands removed to allow for social distancing. Some vendors lost their spot for the season, and some chose to close for safety reasons. The decreased competition means that the vendors that remain have a better chance of turning a profit each week, even as the weather gets colder.

The fall harvest is an exciting time of year for the market, and shoppers can be overheard gushing, “the eggplants are such a beautiful color,” “I’ve always wanted to try oyster mushrooms” and “these dumplings are SO good.” One can’t help but wonder: will the winter be as fruitful?

Only time may tell.