WOW - we are blown away by your support this weekend!
To those who shopped the regular winter market (with new safety precautions) - thank you for your confidence in us as we navigate this complicated and rapidly changing world. We are leading the nation in farmers market best practices for this COVID-19 era and looking ahead to the summer market season for how we can connect you with farmers and keep everyone safe.
To those who used the online ordering (https://www.rochfarmmkt.org/shop) and drive thru or delivery option - thank you for your patience as we develop this entirely new system! Thank you for following instructions, waiting in line, reading your emails, and supporting our growers, producers, and staff through this difficult time. We hope we were able to get your products to you in a way that made you feel safe and valued, and we loved filling your cars with fresh groceries - you are clearly excellent cooks with great taste! :-D If you had issues with your order, please get in touch at rochfarmmkt@gmail.com, and we will sort them out to the best of our abilities.
To our flock of INCREDIBLE volunteers - Saturday was amazing. We filled 255 orders (DOUBLE our first weekend)! RFM had only two paid staff onsite this weekend (we only have one full-time paid Manager), so we literally COULD NOT offer this option without volunteer support. Thank you for practicing the best personal hygiene, showing up early and staying late, and loving our customers as much as we do.
Finally to our vendors - THANKS for growing and providing FOOD to our community. Farmers know more than anyone that summer is just around the corner. Thanks for researching and implementing best practices, volunteering new ideas, rethinking your displays and packaging to keep everyone safe, and trying out online ordering even though we KNOW you sell at farmers markets because you prefer to see your customers face to face.
We are a handshake-and-smile marketplace, so this crisis has shaken our identity, and we CANNOT emphasize enough how much we value everyone's support and patience. To keep the momentum going, we have decide to open the online store for PREORDERING ONLY this week (through Wednesday at 8 PM), and we will offer drive-thru and delivery Saturday April 11 for Easter weekend.
We hope to see you (from a distance) out there!
