The La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) is excited to announce May 23rd will be opening day for the La Porte Farmer’s Market. LEAP is the organization formed through the partnership between the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce and the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation. The Market Managers are glad they will be able to continue providing the community with locally sourced produce with additional safety precautions in place to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19. Angela Rose, Market Manager said, “I believe it is extremely important to support our local farmers in times such as these. They offer minimally handled produce at its peak of freshness and nutrient count. Additionally, for each dollar spent at the market, you are putting 90% of that dollar back into our local economy which is paramount in the wake of this pandemic.”
The 2020 Market Season will run its usual schedule from May to October under the direct guidance of Angela Rose, LEAP Downtown Director and Lindsay Jongkind, LEAP Marketing and Membership Director. To ensure safety, the following will be put in place.
- Vendors will be lined up in a straight line on both sides of the Market Area
- Customers are asked to stand behind the marked line (3 feet distance) and maintain at least 6 feet between each person in line.
- Market Managers will be posted at the entrance and will limit the Market to 50 people at a time.
- All produce and goods will be prepackaged and handed to you in a bag.
- Elderly and at-risk individuals will be encouraged to shop from 9-10 a.m. to reduce their risk.
- If you have a temperature or feel sick, please stay home and ask a healthy friend or family member to pick up a produce box for you.
Lindsay Jongkind, Market Manager said, “We hope that by following these guidelines, we can move forward as a community and return to some resemblance of normalcy. If everyone does their part by following these safety measures, we can look forward to a great market season and support our local producers through these tough times.”
More information about the Farmer’s Market can be found at www.laportepartnership.com or on the Farmer’s Market Facebook Page. On Thursdays before the market a weekly list of vendors and produce will be posted on the La Porte Farmer’s Market Facebook page. Angela Rose and Lindsay Jongkind can be reached at (219) 324-8584 with questions or to sign up for the market.
