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Farmers Market able to open for 2020 season By Ron Giofu As the Ontario economy starts to slowly re-open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Amherstburg Farmers Market was one of those that opened up to the public. The market opened for the 2020 season last Saturday at its new location at G.L. Heritage Brewing Co. G.L. Heritage co-owner Jen DesjardinsGrondin said the craft brewery and the market have been planning the opening day for weeks but things were on hold as they awaited the necessary approvals to legally hold the event. Desjardins-Grondin said they received the final go-ahead from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) last Wednesday and the Amherstburg Farmers Market and G.L. Heritage Brewing Co. were able to execute their plans. “They turned around our application very quickly,” said Desjardins-Grondin, of the WECHU. While original plans called for vendors to be close together around a fence line, things had to be changed due to the coronavirus pandemic and booths had to be spread apart and a site plan and traffic flow plan had to be turned into the WECHU for their approval. “We have everything in place as far as physical distancing and things like that,” said Amherstburg Farmers Market co-ordinator Rita Casagrande.
Vendors either had their produce pre-bagged or were bagging it on site for the customers and people were not being allowed to touch the food until after they purchased it. Both Desjardins-Grondin and Casagrande reported a steady flow of people streaming through the parking lot at G.L. Heritage Brewing Co. “As of now, everyone is doing a good job respecting social distancing,” said Desjardins-Grondin, roughly 90 minutes after the market opened for the season. Ten vendors were throughout the parking lot for the opening day of the market, but only essential goods such as produce, pre-packaged food being offered. Pet food was also allowed on site. Original plans called for crafters, pony rides and entertainment to be part of the market but those were shelved until some point in the future due to the pandemic. “We had big plans for opening day,” said Casagrande. “This is good too.” Casagrande added people were happy to get out of their homes and go somewhere, with Desjardins-Grondin stating many people were wearing masks including the vendors and the shoppers. “It’s a manageable amount (of vendors) for opening day,” said Desjardins-Grondin, “while we implemented all of the safety protocols.”
RTT PHOTO BY RON GIOFU
Dorothy Kryworuchko Languedoc and her husband David Languedoc were just one of the ten vendors at the opening of the Amherstburg Farmers Market last Saturday at G.L. Heritage Brewing Co. The market got clearance to open from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and vendors were spaced apart in an effort to have them physically distanced from one another. Many people joined the Languedocs in wearing masks. Continued on Page 2
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