What’s open, what’s not during coronavirus outbreak
The Bay Area’s open-air farmers markets are consulting with public health officials about the coronavirus situation and deciding on a case-by-case basis whether to open to customers this weekend. Many certified operations want to remain a valuable source of fresh vegetables and fruit during this current crisis, so they’ll keep their usual Saturday or
Sunday hours — with precautions.
“Purchasing fresh food is a non-optional activity that should not be made scarce,” Ron Pardini, executive director of the Urban Village Farmers Market Association, said in a statement Friday. “Closing CFM’s (certified farmers markets) would only redirect a vast number of our customers toward online, or enclosed-space grocery stores, over-burdening those spaces, and further hurting the local economy of Northern Californian food sheds.”
The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association echoed those sentiments. “We believe that our farmers markets are essential food resources and we are committed to keeping them open for as long as possible,” the website says.
In all cases, market organizers say food sampling will be suspended, all vendors will wear protective gloves and disinfectant will be available at the information booths. Customers
are reminded to wash all produce and wash bags after each shopping excursion.
Markets open this weekend
• All Urban Village markets will remain open this weekend. Those are the Saturday markets in Castro Valley, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and San Jose/Willow Glen and the Sunday markets in Campbell, Palo Alto, Oakland/Montclair and Oakland/Temescal.
• These Pacific Coast association markets will be open: Saturday markets in Alameda, Brentwood, Pinole, Pittsburg, San Jose/ Berryessa, San Jose/Santa Teresa, South San Francisco, Union City and Vacaville. Sunday markets in Belmont, Fremont/Irvington, Livermore, Milpitas and San Jose/Evergreen.
Markets that will go on hiatus
• In the East Bay, the Pleasanton, Danville, Martinez
and Oakland/Jack London Square markets will be closed.
• In the South Bay/Peninsula, the San Mateo and San Jose/Alum Rock markets will be closed.
• In Monterey County, the Marina farmers market operated by Everyone’s Harvest will be open Sunday, and the situation will be evaluated on a weekly basis. Pacific Grove has opted to close its market.