T-burg Farmers Market manager wraps up first season

In January, the Trumansburg Farmers Market Board of Directors asked the village of Trumansburg for more money to fund its eventual new market manager. When the Board hired Natalie Baris in February, members had no idea how important her role would be in the coming months.

“No one knew what to do,” Baris said. “It was up and down because things changed for everybody daily, and there were new guidelines to follow. We didn’t want to be overly strict — we were safe, but we played it by ear.”

The market eventually got that money, and Baris had her work cut out for her due to COVID-19 guidelines. The market, a usually vibrant and bustling place, looked starkly different this year on opening day. On top of setting out hand sanitizer and adding signage about social distancing and masks, the organization had to address the problem of crowds at the weekly hot spot.

For the first week in May, Board members removed tables and benches and did not allow prepared food vendors or live music so that customers would not linger. Board member and vendor Debbie Biltonen of Know Your Roots in

Trumansburg said that nonessential businesses were also not allowed at the market in the beginning.

“We took it very, very seriously,” Biltonen said. “We met almost weekly for two months to try and figure out how to create a safe environment for everybody.”

After all the planning and stress taken on by the vendors, the manager and the Board, things have turned out quite well. The market will host its last Wednesday market Oct. 28, and things are now almost back to normal.

Baris, a resident of Geneva, said that she was a customer in past years — loving the market enough to drive 45 minutes on a regular basis. She said that many vendors have done better this year than in all the years she has been visiting, partially due to new buying patterns.

“Because the people that are there are there to shop, they’re not just there to hang out,” Baris said.

Biltonen is an herbalist and forages plants to make products such as moisturizing cream, lip balm, pain relief salve and natural insect repellent. She said that the board was very mindful of opening things back up in stages.

When nonessential businesses were allowed to open back up, craft vendors came back, and prepared food vendors came back in June. The tables and benches took a little longer, with music just starting in September.

“This year has been surprisingly good,” Biltonen said. “It was a lot better than last year. You don’t actually see a lot of customers, but they come with intention to buy and then they leave. It’s weird — you come home and you’re like, ‘Oh, I did really well!’”

While music was still banned, one market vendor took a creative approach. Youngiee Quennell of Three Stone Farm in Interlaken said that she and other people had a tough time adjusting to the lack of social connection and normalcy, so she brought her violin to play in her booth during slow times.

“It helped out a lot, for me at least, to have some music because otherwise, it was so quiet,” Quennell said. “People were missing that community aspect. You’d go and get your food, listen to music. There [were] lots of people. They went to have a good time. Without all that in the beginning, it was difficult. We missed having the community aspect to it.”

Quennell and her husband Roger grow vegetables to sell at the market as well as for wholesale to GreenStar in Ithaca. She also noted that her sales were better than anticipated this year at the market. She said it was mostly because her customers preferred to shop outdoors and to know exactly where their food came from.

“It seemed like people were wanting to get their full supply of vegetables from market instead of a little here and there,” Quennell said. “We had more devoted customers who were buying a lot more things. It seems like because of COVID, people are staying at home more and cooking more for themselves.”

Patrons who visit the last three markets this year will be able to picnic and listen to music while soaking up the fall weather. Quennell said she is grateful to Baris for helping make the season a successful one, against all obstacles.

“She was a steady person to be able to talk to if you had any concerns. She helped everybody get going,” Quennell said of Baris. “There’s a strong feeling of trying to help each other out in Trumansburg. The pavilions were built with community support. Everybody seems to be happy to try and help others. Because of that feeling, it extends to the market and the community wants to support it. It is a very special place.”