SYDNEY, N.S. — The Cape Breton Farmers’ Market is partnering with the Pan Cape Breton Food Hub to ensure their farm vendors can keep selling while the COVID-19 measures are in place.
After the provincial government announced a number of measures to try and control the spread of COVID-19, including closures of certain public businesses, Nova Scotia Farmers’ Market officials asked all members to close their doors. The association is encouraging farmers' markets across the province to create online sales options as a way to limit in-person contact while allowing small food businesses to continue making money.
As a result, the Cape Breton Farmers' Market announced on Wednesday — three days before the anniversary of opening its downtown Sydney location — via social media they would be closing and setting up an online service.
When Pan Cape Breton Food Hub executive director Alicia Lake read the Facebook post, she texted farmers' market manager Pauline Singer offering to help.
Since the food hub already sells online and many of its food producer members also sell at the market, Singer and Lake decided to partner so people can start ordering from market vendors immediately.
“It just made more sense for us to pool our resources and limit any delay in service,” said Singer.
“I think (pooling resources) is what is going to be the success of our island, coming together for the best possible outcome for us during this time. No sense in working against each other. We need to come together so we can all succeed.”
Not all Cape Breton Farmers’ Market vendors will be online right away and some may opt out.
Food producers are the only ones available online now, but Singer said if the COVID-19 measures continue past the end of the March, they could be added. For now, the artisans are being promoted on the farmers' market website and Facebook page, along with information on how to order food and which vendors are already involved in the new virtual marketplace.
People wanting to buy from the farmers' market vendors through the food hub are able to have the usual membership fee waived. Lake said they realize these people would not usually shop through the hub if the market was open.
“It wouldn’t be right (to charge them a membership),” she said.
Orders can be placed from Fridays until Mondays on the www.capebretonfoodhub.com website. Thursday deliveries are made between 4-7 p.m.
Using volunteers, the orders will be shipped to a central location and then brought to customers' homes, where they’ll be left on the doorstep to limit in-person contact.
The food hub already has deliveries arranged for Sydney, Baddeck and Ingonish.
Singer and Lake said they may utilize a company like Cape Breton Eats to get all the deliveries out but they are hoping to have enough volunteers so they can keep costs low. Right now, there is no charge for deliveries, but this could change if they have to pay an outside company to help.
For updates on vendors involved and how to order go to the Pan Cape Breton Food Hub or the Cape Breton Farmers’ Market Facebook page. Information can also be found on the hub and farmers' market websites — www.capebretonfoodhub.com and www.capebretonfarmersmarket.com.
