By Lisa Carolin
This Saturday, May 1, the outdoor Chelsea Farmers Market opens at Palmer Commons, located on South Main Street in downtown Chelsea.
It’s a time to enjoy the spring weather and shop for a huge variety of fresh foods, plants, artwork, and more. The market runs from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
There will be plenty of fresh produce at the market, including organic choices. It’s also a good time to purchase plants for your garden.
In addition, locally made cheeses will be for sale, along with fresh eggs and meats.
Fresh, locally baked breads, cakes, and cookies will be available too. You’ll also find herbs, soaps, cards, and more.
At the on-site markets, everyone who enters the market must wear a mask, and there are masks available for those who don’t have one.
Vendors, volunteers, and market staff are also required to wear a mask.
Market Manager Emily Griswold asks anyone with any sign of illness to please stay home.Everyone is asked to practice social distancing of 6-10 feet and not to linger.
Shoppers will be asked to follow one-way pedestrian traffic signs using one entrance and one exit. Shoppers are asked not to touch or sample products, and vendors will choose and bag items.
Anyone with questions is encouraged to go to the market’s website: https://chelseafarmersmkt.org or to check for updates on social media.
For anyone who prefers to order online, that option will continue. Just go to www.chelseafarmersmkt.org and click on the Open Food Online Network to shop. Orders can be picked up Saturdays at Palmer Commons between 10 a.m.-noon.
When you pick up your order, you will be directed to the parking area and asked to stay in your vehicle and display a sign with your name on it. Market volunteers will wear masks and observe proper social distancing while delivering orders and collecting payments from customers, which must be made with exact cash, credit card, or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)/DUFB (Double Up Food Bucks) program.
The outdoor Wednesday Chelsea Farmers Market season begins on May 5 and is located at the Chelsea State Bank, 1010 S. Main St., near the corner of Old US-12 and M-52, and runs from 1-5 p.m.
The outdoor Chelsea Farmers Markets run through the end of October.
To learn more about what to expect each week at the farmers markets, visit the website at www.chelseafarmersmkt.org, visit the Chelsea Farmers Market Facebook page, or e-mail [email protected].
