Shopping by Pre-Order and Delivery at the Farm Markets
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Photo by Linda Wang
By Susan Able
Farm market shopping has changed dramatically in the past few weeks as rules for social distancing have become strictly enforced. The good news is that farmers, food vendors and makers are now taking pre-orders to reduce your time at the market and make lines move quickly. So now, there are two to three options for shopping. In person, by pre-order for pickup, and delivery from many vendors and Central Farm Markets.
FRESHFARM has built a fantastic Market Shopping Vendor List for pre-orders. There is also a link to a spreadsheet to see what’s happening easily. Go to the links to find out more about pre-order options, planned vendor absences, and ordering deadlines in the spreadsheet.
Central Farm Markets (CFM), in partnership with Gepetto Catering, launched Farm to Fridge. You can order most of their wonderful vendor products, including proteins and more for home delivery for $15. They are currently delivering to Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Potomac, Rockville, Silver Spring, Arlington, Falls Church, Oakton and Vienna
Farm to Fridge has been very popular and to accommodate the increase in orders, CFM will sends out a Market Delivery e-blast on Mondays with links for ordering. Here is the link for ordering for the Sunday delivery service. Get your order in early as they have been maxing out in just hours. Beginning the week of April 27th, you will now have a choice of ordering on Monday for a Friday delivery or Tuesday for a Sunday delivery. Of course, if you are able to drive to the markets for pickup without leaving your car, CFM encourages you to do that instead of getting home delivery. You can pre-order for the Bethesda Central Farm Market here, or the NOVA Central Farm Market here. Also, if you are a fan of MeatCrafters from the CFM markets, the all natural meat products from CFM founders, Mitch Berliner and Deb Moser, you can shop online here for sausages, salamis and charcuterie.
Takoma Park Farmers Market is open on Sundays from 10am to2 pm. You can pre-order here. Enter the market on Laurel Avenue next to SunTrust and wear a mask. Pre-orders are encouraged.
The Leesburg Saturday market is open for shopping from 9am to 12 pm in the Virginia Village Shopping Center. Pre-orders are encouraged, but not required. You are still able to attend the market during market hours and place an order, but you will not be able to handle any products at market. The market looks forward to seeing you masked and at the market from a safe distance of at least 6 feet away.
