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.