Boulder Bulletin

There are few things in Boulder more Boulder than the Boulder Farmers Market. One part fresh food market, one part social gathering scene, one part local entertainment venue, our farmers market—ranked number one nationally by USA Today—is the place to be in Boulder on a Saturday morning or a Wednesday afternoon. Or, at least it was until the COVID pandemic messed up everything. Now, with gatherings of more than 10 people banned by county and state public health officials, Boulder’s mosh pit of all things local and fresh and fun has joined the long list of really cool stuff that we can no longer enjoy.

That will change this Saturday, at least a little. At 8:00 on Saturday morning, the Boulder Farmers Market will be back, albeit under strict rules imposed by public health officials. It won’t be quite as cool as before, and it won’t be a place to hang out, hoping to bump into friends and acquaintances. There won’t be any funky local music or delicious food truck offerings. Initially, there will be only about half of the stalls of a typical Saturday market. And Wednesday markets are still something being considered. In short, the Farmers Market will be strictly business: Make an appointment, show up with a mask, buy your fruits and vegetables as quickly as possible, and move along so that the next shoppers can pass through. More on the rules below.

Notwithstanding the necessary sterility of the shopping experience, now more than ever it’s important to support our local farmers. Brian Coppom, the executive director of the 33-year-old Boulder County Farmers Market, is realistic about the limited impact of the constrained re-opening: “We realize that there won’t be fantastic outcomes,” Brian predicts. “Doing okay will be a big win. But we want to try to help our local farming community. We want to do everything possible to help our farmers, our customers, and our own organization survive.”

That work faces many uphill challenges. With local restaurants closed for two months and counting, many of the wholesale sales that some local farmers depended on have dropped to nearly zero. That impact, combined with the deferral of the typical April opening of the Boulder Farmers Market, puts local farmers in a bind: They have produce, but no easy way to sell it. Of course, the problem is not unique to Boulder County farmers. With restaurants and farmers markets across the country closed or severely restricted, small farmers everywhere are suffering. In a nationwide survey published last week, 30 percent of small, independent farmers predict that they may be out of business by the end of the year.

A few Boulder County farmers who are close to towns have had some success by... Read more ☞

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