RICHMOND, Ky. — One Kentucky farmer says she saw a positive impact with COVID-19 and her business, with pouring support from her community.
What You Need To Know
- Farmers Markets have been a passion for Martha Wilson
- Pandemic had positive impact on Wilson
- Farmers Market in Lexington created COVID-19 rules
- Wilson believes the farmers market brought people closer together during the pandemic, all while supporting local business
For the past six years, farmers markets have been a passion for Martha Wilson.
“I just think it's awesome because I just love doing this. I'm the luckiest person on earth to be able to do this for a living. Because it’s just so much fun,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the community kept that passion alive while supporting local farmers like herself during the pandemic.
“My sales were amazing, amazing, people wanted fresh food. They wanted to be outside. There was nowhere people could go. I don't want to say congregate but to kind of be around, you know, it's not like going to the grocery store, people just kind of go like this and get their stuff and leave, you know, but they would see their friends and it was kind of a license to say hi to someone,” Wilson said.
Throughout the last few months, Wilson said the farmers market in Lexington adopted rules with COVID-19 in mind to keep everyone safe.
Those protocols included wrapping items up individually, wiping down their tables, wearing a mask and social distancing.
“People love to support locals, there's some people that kind of joke about the fact that they think our products are more expensive, which they might be, but you're getting a much better product,” Wilson said.
After years of teaching, Wilson decided to change her career and pursue her passion for baking.
“I've done this my whole life. I've always loved baking. And when anybody in the family has a birthday I always make the cake. Everybody always wanted to come to my house for dinner. You know one of those kinds of things,” Wilson said.
And during a time of isolation, Wilson says the farmers market brought people closer together during the pandemic, all while supporting locals.
“You know, it's almost like old home week. The first day is like oh well I've been thinking about you all winter. How have you been, you know, you know, how is this one or that one and you know my dog died over the winter oh I'm so sorry to hear, you know, stuff like that,” Wilson said.
The Bluegrass Farmers Market in the Hamburg Liquor Barn parking lot is set up on Saturday mornings from 9-2 throughout the summer months.