OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Much to the joy of thousands of customers, a seasonal mainstay found a way to open this weekend.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the Overland Park Farmers Market to open a few weeks late this year and in an entirely new location. However, the market is now set up and running in the north parking lot of the Overland Park Convention Center.
The location provides the crowds with lots of room for social distancing. It’s not much like the weekend morning party it used to be, but the vendors are still full of produce, lines of masked customers ecstatically exchanging money for radishes, strawberries, lettuce and flowers.
At 38 years and counting, the Overland Park Farmers Market is one of the largest in the metro. Its usually bustling with food traffic, food trucks, music and entertainment this time of year. Yet, things looked a little different this year.
“I tried to wear gloves and a mask so everyone stays safe,” Pam, from Sunny Specialty Farm in Fort Scott, said while lifting her latex-clad hands.
Austin Reynolds, from Green Thumbs Up, was thrilled with the turnout. He grows his vegetables from seeds in a green house and was starting to worry as the harvest ripened.
“It’s absolutely great to see everybody. My goats were eating very well because some of these things were starting to turn on us, and we have no where to sell it, so we’re thankful that they opened up,” he said.
Thanks to stay-at-home orders in cities around the metro, many of the folks who rushed to the open market had hardly left home in weeks.
The rules at the market have changed. Everyone stays in single file lines inside their vehicles. Many already placed and paid for their orders on line. Customers are encouraged to wear masks and gloves. Vendors are required to.
Zila Welsh was all smiles in the midst of a long line of cars snaking back and forth through dozens of spaced apart booths.
“I’m super glad to get out of the house,” she said. “It’s nice to see a friendly face, even though we’re in cars. A lot of the farmers and vendors have been striking up conversation while we’re waiting in line. Its great.”
Debbie Nitchals, from Nitchals Family Farm, agreed.
“We’re very excited to see all of our friends and customers,” she said.
Good cheer and relief seemed to fill the space left by absent food samples and live bands. Though lines were long, they moved quickly.
“The organization is great, and you can still pass through cars without waiting in line for the whole process,”Welsh said. “There’s a great selection out here, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with everything so far.”
With last year’s tornadoes and flooding destroying crops at many local farms, the coronavirus seemed to be dealing a double whammy this year. Local farms aren’t selling to some of their biggest customers, including restaurants, hotels and schools. That leaves grocery stores and for smaller operations, farmer’s markets.
Long-time farmers have weathered their share of storms over the years, and although they’ve never seen anything quite like a drive-thru farmers market, they hope they will eventually rebound. And together with lines of unexpected customers, they are making the best of it.
Organizers of the market in Overland Park say they are monitoring local health agencies to decide when and if they can reopen the market in Downtown Overland Park. If you would like to pre-order items from vendors, you can do so on the Overland Park Farmers Market vendor website.
