Outside and buying local

Colemann Colburn, of Fresh Roots Farm in Sharon, bags some vegetables for customers Karen Ferrante and Paul Disegna at the Market on the Green in Woodstock, Vermont, on Wednesday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

People love being outside and buying local food — two things summer is made for. That's why, on its second day of the season, the Woodstock Market on the Green in Woodstock, Vermont, had no trouble attracting customers for its local food producers, despite the fact that it looks a bit different this year. 

Hand sanitizing stations are on either end of the Green and social distancing is required during in-person shopping, in accordance with state regulations on farmers markets. Vendors are required to wear masks, and they are recommended for customers. 

Colemann Colburn, of Fresh Roots Farm in Sharon, is at the Market on the Green for the ninth straight year. The market is every Wednesday during the summer from 3 to 6 p.m., and it started the season last week. 

Spotting a few of his vegetable baskets which were near empty, he said on Wednesday that the market's second day of 2020 was a fruitful one. He said customers had no problem with the six feet of distancing. Colburn said he's glad to pick the food for customers, but if they want to pick up the food themselves, he asks that they wear gloves, which he supplies.

"People have been good about it," he said. 

Karen Ferrante and Paul Disegna, from Rhode Island, stopped by Colburn's stand for some veggies, donning their masks. They've enjoyed his farm's vegetables many times in the past two or three years when they've been visiting Woodstock, and they had no issues with the state rules. 

"It's weird but we believe it's keeping us and others safe, so it's just being respectful," Disegna said. 

Farther down the Green, Windsor-based SILO Distillery was offering their small-batch spirits, all made with Vermont-grown grain. Mary Shappell, field events manager for Silo, said people were thrilled to see the vendors. 

"I've heard so many customers say, 'We're so glad you're here,'" she said. "It's just a little touch of normal." 

Kathy Avellino, of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, which runs the market, said a "steady stream of people" during the first couple of hours on Wednesday. The state unveiled the rules for farmers markets last month, but some restrictions have been relaxed. Craft vendors are now allowed, and Avellino said the market hopes to have some crafters back in two weeks. 

The weather this Wednesday was a lot better than opening day last week, when it rained and poured. That was a welcome change, Avellino noted as the sunshine hung around through the late-afternoon hours.

"It's a beautiful day. Who wouldn't want to be out here?"

— Gareth Henderson