Don’t Be A Covidiot

Add that to the American lexicon, would you. These are the folks who are refusing to adhere to the new way of life we must undertake for now to flatten the curve. Lots of changes have ripped through the fabric of society over the last few weeks, none more evident than when it comes to purchasing food.Grocery store shelves are devoid of paper goods, cleaning supplies and many basic staples needed for daily life. Try getting delivery service and you’re looking at a three-week lead time in the DC Metro area—that’s if what you want is in stock. I thought I’d take a week off from market after the sales record shattering week I’d had and to reduce my risk, but panicked messages from customers had me second-guessing my choice to shut off my phone and sleep in on a Sunday morning.When I returned last week I was greeted by big signs with the new Covid-19 Protocols for shopping at the market. Ninety-nine percent of our customers were fantastic, but there are always a few in the crowd who feel that the rules don’t apply to them. Yes, I know the market is the social highlight of the week for many people, including me, but I’ve had to forego my weekly hugs and kisses, as well as spoiling the pooches with treats.Here’s the thing—the new protocols aren’t there for convenience, they are now a matter of life or death…literally. We ask that people not enter the market prior to the opening so vendors can get set up without having to worry about early birds entering their personal space to see what’s for sale this week or trying to nab items in short supply before the crowds start shopping. Sneaking in through the back gate and badgering a vendor to sell you items while they are setting up—that’s being a Covidiot.This week the governor of Maryland issued a STAY AT HOME ORDER. No Maryland resident should be leaving their home unless it is for an essential reason, such as obtaining food. I know people need to shop, but please only send ONE PERSON from your household to the market. I witnessed too many couples, be they husband and wife, parents and children, or roommates traveling through the market together in close proximity. This behavior obviously made other patrons and vendors uncomfortable—that’s being a Covidiot. If you can’t carry all your purchases by yourself, please ask for help at the market’s Information Tent.Speaking of the Information Tent, I want to give a big shout out of appreciation to our market staff for their hard work in gathering up all the pre-orders and delivering them curbside to our customers. Last week was a steep learning curve and investment of time for all the vendors. Many of us spent a lot of time setting up systems to allow customers to pre-order and pre-pay and bagging items that are normally loose. Yes, there may be more carrots in a bag than you normally purchase, but don’t open the bag and remove what you want—that’s being a Covidiot. The same goes to anyone who ignores the market staff’s request to leave your dog in your vehicle.The last bullet point of new protocols is to BE KIND as we are all in this together. I’ll admit I’ve found my temper flaring far more often than I want. Leaving the solitude and safety of the farm for market in the city is stressful. I don’t want to get sick or worse, transfer the virus to anyone I am helping to care for during this time. Many fellow vendors I spoke with on Sunday are experiencing the additional anxiety of losing their restaurant business due to closures, having to make payroll or worse, lay off workers, re-tool their businesses to sell online and the additional hours it takes to pick and pack pre-orders.As vendors figure out the best way to do business and keep our patrons healthy and safe, please bear with us as we work out the kinks in our new systems. There has been a massive behind-the-scenes effort to ensure your access to locally produced goods with new and exciting services to be shared next week in Dishing the Dirt. Stay tuned, respect the new market protocols and don’t be a Covidiot.