OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego-Fulton Farmers Markets are set to return to their more traditional format this week, after COVID-19 forced organizers to adopt a different approach in 2020.
In 2020, the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce established safety guidelines that led to “buy and fly” markets as GOFCC Executive Director Katie Toomey described it; however, this year’s plan will allow for more people to linger and enjoy what the markets have to offer.
“[Last year] farmers markets were deemed essential businesses from the beginning, so what we did was a phased approach where we had people ‘buy and fly’ with masks,” Toomey said. “Basically [customers would] go purchase their food and their items from the vendors and leave immediately.”
One farmer, Jim Maryinuk, of Maryinuk Farms experienced the slower traffic last year first hand, as he has been a vendor pretty much since the farmers market started, he said.
“It was tremendous. It was very very slow,” Maryinuk said. “People were scared, everybody was scared. A lot of folks just didn’t come out.”
Maryinuk added that most people who did come out opted for a call ahead option instead of walking up to a booth.
The Oswego Farmers Market began its season on Thursday, June 3 on West First Street. The market shuts down a portion of the road and will run every Thursday from 4:15-7:45 p.m. The first week of the season was a bit quiet, as along the street there were roughly five to eight farm stands. This is something that was rather predictable, however, as the number of vendors increases throughout the summer and into the fall as their farm products are harvested and ready to be sold, according to Toomey.
Fulton’s market is slated to begin Saturday, June 5. The event will be located in the Canalview Parking Lot as it did last year, operating from 8 a.m. to noon. Both markets will continue into the early fall, with its expected end date sometime in October, according to Toomey. While the GOFCC was able to host farmers markets last year, COVID-19 certainly played a role in limiting farmers, and Toomey urged the community to support the locals.
“Get out there, shop, support our farmers because like everyone else, they have been hit just as hard because of COVID,” Toomey said. “We want to make sure we can turn it around for them.”
Maryinuk explained the struggles of farmers a bit further. He was still able to grow and harvest his produce in the same manner but could not seem to find buyers.
“The problem is that if we are selling stuff and people aren’t coming out to buy it, we are losing money,” Maryinuk said.
Despite last year’s struggles, the markets offered some semblance of normalcy during a very difficult 2020. The local institutions have been around for over 40 years, something that helps bring the community together during the summer months and into the fall.
“They bring the entire community together and provide an opportunity for folks to gather, enjoy farm fresh local produce, check out baked goods and really sample what our community has to offer,” Toomey said.
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