New day at the market
Laurel Boyd checks out the flowers for sale at the Woodstock Farmers Market in Woodstock, Vermont, on Friday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
It’s been over two weeks since the Woodstock Farmers Market opened to in-store traffic, and so far, so good, said longtime owner Patrick Crowl in a recent interview.
On June 9, he wasn’t so sure how customers would react to new safety protocols, shortened hours and other changes. There is a 15 to 20-customer limit in the store, masks are required, social distancing implemented, and customers must sanitize their hands at the store entrance before heading in.
But on Thursday, Crowl said the response was positive from the start.
“People were very, very appreciative, polite, respectful, and played within the rules really, really well,” he said. “It all worked out.”
Customers depart the Woodstock Farmers Market with their purchases on Friday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Before June 9, the store had seen 12 weeks of only curbside — a service Crowl said is here to stay. However, they are running the curbside operation and their in-store business on limited staff availability, which Crowl said is a big reason for the scaled back hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. He noted that staffing is down due to several reasons, including the fact that some can’t get child care.
“The pressure right now on the payroll is extreme, meaning we have more work than we have people for,” Crowl said. “It’s an hour to set up, an hour to close. Then we have to social distance as best we can. … We try to fulfill all the webcart orders in the store before opening in the morning.”
Federal assistance has been a huge factor. The market received a loan from the Payroll Protection Program meant to keep workers paid, and the business has 24 weeks (until the end of the year) to spend it, Crowl said.
“Without that money, we’d probably be upside down,” he added. “That’s been a godsend.”
Employee Nick Becker sanitizes a basket at the Woodstock Farmers Market on Friday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Among changes to in-store offerings, a big one involves a customer favorite: sandwiches. Rather than made-to-order, there is a set offering of pre-made sandwiches available each day. Some customers will miss the on-site sandwich ordering, but Crowl said some workers who want to avoid waiting may like the grab-and-go model.
“Now you can come in and grab a sandwich, a bag of chips and a Coke and be out of the store in five minutes,” Crowl said. He added it’s a much different approach from the daily sandwich line, which is very heavy on staff time. “I think that’s interesting, so, stay tuned.”
Throughout the day, the staff follows strict sanitizing protocols, including sanitizing all surfaces regularly and wiping down all carts and baskets before use. Customers are asked to line up at the front door and wait to enter, if 15 to 20 shoppers are already inside.
More information is available at www.woodstockfarmersmarket.com.
— Gareth Henderson
