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The Des Moines Farmers’ Market attracts people and venders from all over, which gives opportunities to vendors as well as entrepreneurs to connect and promote their products. This includes farmers, bakers, producers, and artists that represent cities all throughout the Midwest. This is a huge event that attracts thousands of Iowans each summer as 300 local entrepreneurs/vendor are brought in and an average of 25,000 people visit each Saturday. However, due to COVID-19, they had to find a different way to hold the event this year. 

 Kelly Foss, the director of the Farmers’ Market decided to make the event a drive-thru event this year. This allows people to visit the Farmers’ Market and get the food or items that they need while practicing important safety measures. The main mission of “The Drive-Through Bite-Size” Market is to give people and farmers the opportunity to network with whom they need in order to purchase food and products from vendors. This gives small businesses who have items to sell the opportunity to connect with different vendors and the ability to grow their business.  

This event lasts from May to October and then there is a winter market in November and December. Every Saturday from 8-11 AM, the downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market is reopening in “bite-size” form. 

In an interview with KCCI, Foss said that the “2020 Farmers’ Market season has been put through a year of pivots.” 

That being said the Farmers’ Market has had to generate new operating ideas quickly, so it will still be much different than people normally expect.  

About 20 vendors set up every Saturday morning in the Iowa State Capitol complex parking lot. People can drive through the small market and pick out the items they want, but they will be required to stay in their cars. Vendors will also be taking safety precautions with their products and they will be wearing masks.   

Foss said in her interview that the drive-thru model was “the safest way that they could use to keep the market open and that they hope that the market can be open for the rest of the season.” 

If you cannot be there in person, you have an option to pre order online and pick and pay. The downtown Farmers’ Market has offered online options to also help out with COVID-19 switches and with people that may not have vehicle access. This is helping them to be able to buy and sell fresh locally produced food and much more. Vendors can organize a pick-up time and location or even offer delivery options with customers through the program they offer. The online marketplace option allows customers to pre-order items prior to the Drive-Through Bite-Size Market event. Pre-orders must be placed by 6 p.m. on Thursdays in order to pick up on Saturday. For example, orders for the September 12th market must be placed by Thursday, September 10th by 6 p.m. 

In an interview with Foss from KCCI, Foss said, “It’s just so important for us to get the market open in some way so that we can help our farmers connect with customers.” 

The Downtown Bite-sized Farmers’ Market has laid out step by step instructions for each option on their website. This makes it easier and less confusing in uncertain and challenging times like these. In today’s changing world this pandemic has taught us all a lot and affected us greatly. This was an innovative idea to still hold the event especially since vendors got hit so hard this year.