Farmer's markets and how they cope with COVID-19

The worldwide pandemic that's striking fear in the hearts of many, COVID-19 is certainly unforgiving to those who need to sell produce in order to make a living. In an act of defiance against this trend, however, farmer's markets are staying open to help out farmers and needy customers alike. How they are still up and running may seem like a miracle, but there are multiple guidelines followed that make markets safe for everyone.

In a farmer's market today, one can be assured that the mandatory requirement of masks and the need to stay 6 feet apart are enforced properly with no shortcuts. Many markets are also situated outdoors, meaning that there is a much smaller risk of getting infected when compared to indoor facilities. Hand-washing and sanitizing stations are also set up around the market so that everyone stays clean and safe. If absolutely necessary, market managers have supplies like masks and gloves to provide when needed. All of this is great, but what about actually buying produce? That is where the farmers take an extra step to protect themselves and their customers in the form of no-contact buying.

Instead of having customers move their hands through items picking out whatever they want, they are kept behind a barrier and catered to individually. Without having to touch anything, customers can direct shopkeepers to pick out which items they want, bag them, and then pay for them. Produce is also sorted out such that individual units are separate from each other, like in the picture below for example.

With these measures put in place, a safe experience is guaranteed for customers and farmers alike in markets. If any guideline is not followed or anyone steps out of line, the market staff will be there to promptly regulate the situation and make sure that everyone is taken care of. So, take the time to visit a farmer's market when you can, and take care.

Food security, sustainability, Farmer's markets and you

Sometimes, one can wonder how it feels to get produce directly from a farmer rather than having to go to a commercial supermarket and purchase it in a robotic fashion. Such goods are purchased from producers all over the world in bulk and transported to stores, involving a lengthy and complicated process that takes a lot of time and energy. All of this, but there isn’t always a guarantee that the produce arrives fresh. That’s where Farmer’s markets come in. 

Attempting to fix a 30 year old Wind-up musical carousel @Redwood City Public Library Fixit Clinic

On December 14, 2019, a Fixit Clinic was hosted in the Redwood City public library. Starting at 12:00 PM and ending at 3:00 PM, the session saw a variety of items being brought in to be fixed, from a wonky clock to a dead space heater. I attended this event and experienced the early Christmas spirit associated with attempting to fix items.

Fixit@Home - Rice cooker and the Thermal fuse

My mom has a large but basic rice cooker that has knob which flips between a “warm” and “cook” setting. Recently, however, it stopped working, so it had to be fixed. Of course, I took that responsibility. To start, I took apart the cooker by unscrewing a metal plate underneath it to expose its internals. Inside the cooker was a relay to the mains, a switch connected to the knob and wires connecting to heating elements. The first thing I had to do was test out whether electricity was flowing into the system, so I plugged the cooker in and used a multimeter to check.

The problem with plastic

Today’s world is dominated by plastic-based products that are mass produced across the planet.  The problem is what to do after a plastic product has come to the end of its usable lifetime. Following the path of most other commonly used materials, plastic is recycled in order to be used again. The process itself takes time and energy, but the surplus amounts of plastic present pose a challenge to countries using it. Sometimes, there’s just way too much of the material to effectively recycle, so what is done? It is carted off to another country that can do the job, of course!

Another successful Fixit Clinic at South San Francisco Public Library

On the 30th of March, 2019, I attended a Fixit Clinic at South San Francisco Public Library. As usual, the general response towards this event was very positive and many people came with their devices in need of repair. Along with several Fixit coaches, I was able to fix a couple of devices and had a good time altogether.

Fixit Clinic at Fremont Library

On Saturday, the September 29th 2018, the Fremont Library hosted a Fixit clinic from 12:45 in the afternoon to 4:00 in the evening. Many people who wished to either repair or learn how to repair their devices showed up to participate in the event. The clinic saw about 50-75 people enter and exit. An entire assortment of electronic, mechanical or electromechanical products that were not functioning, flawed or such was eagerly worked on by the volunteers. Even though some of these devices couldn’t be fixed, smiles were still upon people’s faces as they tried to understand what was going on behind the scenes.
After all, this was a free experience that could greatly benefit those who wanted to repair items themselves instead of paying a hefty price to do so. My own experience was fun and I learned quite a bit from it. I signed up to volunteer at the Fixit Clinic. My first task was an electric whisk that was not functioning.  I took it apart but didn’t glean much from it until a man came over to see what I was doing.
He then proceeded to give instructions along the rest of the way for about an hour or so. Funnily enough, we came to the conclusion that the whisk itself wasn’t worth fixing. There was a motor inside attached to a transformer that would have to be replaced. The set itself would cost as much as a new whisk, so it was pretty much unfix-able in its current state.
Next up was an air compressor for a pump. This was generously supplied to me by the man who gave me an extensive lesson on how something couldn’t be fixed (I’m grateful too). We tried to take it apart, but our tools were proved insufficient to find the problem. After that, he said his goodbyes and left.
Then, there was a printer that kept jamming when operated and was a pain to use. We slowly took it apart to the point where the printing mechanism was exposed. There were compressed air cans, so we used them to try and clean out the bay and found the problem. A push pin was lodged inside the mechanism. It was taken out and the printer worked regularly again.
Lastly, an electric razor was brought in that wasn’t working. I took it apart, only to find that oxidized contact plates in the device’s switch didn’t allow any electricity to pass through. I cleaned it up and that was the end of the problem. Just before the event ended, a mixer with a snapped blade was brought in. A replacement part was brought with it, so I tried to put the part in. However, it didn’t properly fit and by that time, the event was nearly over. It was great to meet and interact with all sorts of people, even if their devices were not fixed in the end.
Thank you to all of the Fixit Clinic's staff that organized this event. If not for the entire organization itself, I wouldn't have been able to find the opportunity to do what I like doing.
Here are a couple of pictures to get a glimpse of what it was like.