\When the pandemic forced everything to shut down in mid-March, nearly all farmers markets – at the height of their growing season – closed up, too. Over the past six months, many South Florida farmers and artisan markets have reopened in different forms.
Some, like the Redland Community Farm and Market in Homestead and the Pinecrest Gardens market, have opened as drive-throughs; others, at Dadeland and Aventura, have moved indoors. Key Biscayne and Coconut Grove’s Saturday markets, like many of their counterparts in Broward and the Florida Keys, have stayed open. Others, like Urban Oasis Project and Farmers Markets to Go, set up robust online ordering platforms to keep business going during the shutdown. A few have closed down for good, like Southwest Community Farmers Market at Tropical Park.
Movie theaters, bowling alleys, museums, the zoo are gearing up to join already-open casinos, national and county parks, malls and beaches in reopening. But the popular Legion Park Farmers Market in the city of Miami is not. Market organizer Art Friedrich of Urban Oasis Project wants to know why.
“We had previously been told that October 24th looked like a real possibility,” he says. “Most cities across the country never shut down their markets, and shopping outdoors in open air in a socially distanced environment is far safer than going into grocery stores and many other now-permitted activities.“
Friedrich says he thinks the city is ignoring their pleas to let them open the market again in October, typically the start of South Florida’s farmers market season.
“By the mayor’s own executive orders, farmers markets were exempted as essential businesses, but the parks department has disallowed them and claimed it was at the directive of the mayor,” he said in an email to followers. “We need to demand that they allow us back at Legion Park, the Arsht Center and Vizcaya Village.”
He is calling on the community to call or email city officials to speak up.
“New York City never closed their markets. They were considered essential businesses,” he says. The market will adhere to safety measures, including requiring face masks, no food and drink consumption within the market area, extra space between vendors, hand-washing stations.
“We want people to stay safe and support outdoors farmers markets as an essential business,” says Friedrich. “It’s the safest way to shop for groceries and support the local economy.”
HOW TO HELP
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez 305-250-5300 [email protected]
City Commissioner Keon Hardemon 305-250-5390 [email protected]
Miami Parks Superintendent of Recreation Zhaoming Guan 305-416-1311 [email protected]
Miami Parks Director Lara Hamwey 305-416-1341 [email protected]
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez 305-468-5900
