FRESH VICTUALS: People are masked and few and far between today at the Palisades Farmers Market, with new guidelines in place to allow access to fresh produce but protect against spread of the corona virus.
It’s a far cry from the usual Sunday atmosphere of the market, where friends and families come to socialize as they shop.
“This is kind of the opposite,” said Jim Coleman, the market manager, who has been working out the details to help people get in and out safely.
Coleman said vendors and customers have been adapting to the new conditions, such as: Do not linger or socialize; No sampling, please; Do not enter if sick. At Kuhn’s, for example, orders were pre-packed for pick-up. Protocols for financial exchanges varied, as people aimed for how best to pass a credit card back and forth with the least contact. People have become more conscientious in the past two weeks, according to Coleman. He said he has been learning as he goes, too. He said separation lines on the pavement had been marked with chalk. But he switched to more durable gaffers tape, a staple of stage productions.
“I think things are going pretty well,” Coleman said. “It’s just very difficult to run something that is designed to attract people.” Photos Credit: John Bray

HOLDING UP: Jim Coleman, Palisades Farmers Market manager, on duty today.