The V.I. Department of Agriculture, with advice from the Police Department and Health Department, will be allowing farmers to vend produce at the Rudolph Shulterbrandt Agricultural Complex, no.1 Estate Lower Love on St. Croix and at the Bordeaux Farmers’ Market on St. Thomas from 6 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, starting April 4. According to a release from Agriculture, this temporary relocation of market facilities is meant to ensure health and safety of our community while minimizing complications related to sanitation, hand washing, crowding, and enforcement, in light of the ongoing epidemic.
Vendors are required to:
– Practice social distancing of six feet, as appropriate.
– Use provided stations for hand washing and sanitation purposes.
– Creating distance between stands, to limit crowds and reduce the number of customers within your area.
– Pre-package bags of fruits, vegetables and other items to limit shoppers’ handling of food and to keep customers moving quickly along.
– Have, if possible, a different person handling products and handling money OR washing hands or sanitizing in between these tasks.
–Removing tablecloths and sanitizing tables regularly.
– Eliminate samples and eating areas while directing customers to take all foods home with them for consumption.
