The Port Townsend Farmers Market’s opening has been postponed to April 25.
Grocery stores and farmers markets are considered essential businesses under Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order because they provide essential food to the communities they serve.
Originally, the Jefferson County Farmers Market board planned to open the uptown market on April 1, but after receiving many concerns from members of the community, director Amanda Milholland announced March 31 they plan to wait until the governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted.
“While Jefferson County Public Health, the City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County Health Officer Tom Locke are all in support of the opening of a small farmers market, city officials and I have been receiving lots of requests from community members to postpone the opening while the stay-at-home rule is in place,” Milholland wrote in an email. “Though it is unknown if the order will be lifted by April 25, postponing the opening will mean that the farmers market can have an active online platform, which will enable community members to order and pay for their food for pickup at the farmers market.”
Jefferson County has no shortage of fresh food. To help those in need of local sources, Local 2020 has partnered with the WSU Extension to create a one-site source for all farm, CSA, farm stands and free-food options in the county.