Serious buyers are keeping a Missoula farmers market afloat

Fewer people have visited the Clark Fork River Market in Missoula this season, but vendors and organizers say business has nonetheless remained steady throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outdoor market has several safety measures in place, said Laurie Schlueb, the executive director of the Clark Fork River Market. Masks are mandatory. One-way traffic is being enforced, “so that customers are exhaling into the back of people's heads rather than in faces.” Hot food vendors, which “tend to attract a group,” are prohibited. A maximum capacity of 550 attendees at a time is enforced.

Despite these changes, market visitation is down. Yet Schlueb said overall sales “have stayed on par with previous summers.”

Veteran vendors have recognized the shift.

“We took about a month off from working our booth and once we started again it was hard to adjust to the difference, but the foot traffic picked up after like a month,” said Ulia Chinikaylo of Maria’s Homegrown Goods, which has been selling at the market for eight years.

“We’ve been doing this for 12 years. It used to be more of an attraction and now we really only see serious buyers,” said Vanessa Andrusevich of Andrusevich Produce. “It’s not the same, but it’s not bad.” She explained sales have been consistent and similar to past seasons.

But Andrusevich said it is sometimes disappointing not being able to interact with tourists or members of the community who can no longer attend. 
Schlueb said she has “been pleased and heartened by our community's support for the market and by customers and vendors alike rolling with the punches – being flexible and working together to allow the market to operate.”

Andrusevich and Chinikaylo said they were not worried about the future of their businesses. As long as there is a market, both sellers said, they will participate.

The Clark Fork River Market ends its season Oct. 31. Online ordering and curbside pickup are available for a less interactive experience. More information is available on the Clark For Market site.