May 12, 2020 submitted by the HFM
The Hingham Farmers Market (HFM) announces the opening of its 2020 season, Saturday, May 23, 2020 at the Station Street parking lot from 9am-12pm. The lot is located at the intersection of Station Street and Water Street.
“Things are going to look and be a little different for a while,” said Mark Cullings, president of the market. “The Covid-19 public health emergency is affecting farmers’ markets everywhere, but we’re excited and proud to be able to open and to begin bringing healthy local food back to our town.”
Noting recent news reports of disruptions in the national food chain, Cullings said, “Farms and farmers in New England provide us with a vital source of food not dependent on distant supply breakdowns. Farmers’ markets have never been more important than they are today.”
Working jointly with Hingham officials, the HFM has designed a “pre-order/pickup, drive-through” market with a limited number of vendors present. There will be no pedestrian traffic and no on-site sales allowed for the time being. Customers will be directed to the Hingham Farmers Market’s website, www.hinghamfarmersmarket.org, for pre-market ordering instructions. The website, along with social media outlets and its newsletter, HFMarket Matters will offer details about which vendors are participating and how to order. When the market is open, customers who have placed orders will be directed to drive through the market to their vendors’ stations. The vendors will bring the orders to the vehicles.
Because of the market’s unusual configuration, the number of vendors is limited to 10 for the time being. Produce farms and protein vendors (seafood, beef, poultry and pork) will have priority, with others added as space and operations permit. There is no capacity for the market to process SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) transactions at this time. The market hopes to transition to a walk-through model utilizing current public health safety guidelines as soon as possible, at which time SNAP and the SNAP-Match program will be back.
Linda Luke, vice president and co-chair of the Friends of the Hingham Farmers Market, expressed the need for more volunteers. “We’re going to need between 8 and 10 volunteers every week to assist customers and help with traffic flow,” she said. “The citizens of Hingham have been wonderful supporters of the HFM over the years, and we know people are looking for ways to be involved. Well, here’s a great opportunity, because the market won’t be able to operate unless we have help. People interested in volunteering should write to the market at hinghamfarmersmarketfriends@gmail.com.”
The market’s location on Station Street is temporary. The Hingham Bathing Beach, where the market has been for 14 years, is currently unsuitable as a site until restrictions are eased. The market and the Trustees of the Bathing Beach are discussing ways for it to be moved back as soon as possible.
The Hingham Farmers Market is the third oldest farmers’ market in Massachusetts, offering local products to marketgoers since 1977. Its mission is to offer to the public a rich array of locally produced or grown products, focusing on primary or valued-added foodstuffs. Sign up for the market’s weekly newsletter on its website or Facebook page or, for more information, contact the market directly at info@hinghamfarmersmarket.org.