Cape Coronavirus: Virtual Farmers Market Supports Businesses

OSTERVILLE, MA — The new coronavirus has created significant hardships for businesses across the country, and especially for small artisanal shops that rely on farmers markets for their supplies.

In Barnstable, businesses that participate in the Osterville Historical Museum's Farmers Market are starting to feel the pinch.

The market, which typically opens in June, has been a fixture in the community for more than a dozen years. But with COVID-19 causing uncertainties about how and when open-air markets can operate during the pandemic, museum staff decided to create a virtual farmers market to promote the services its farmers and other business owners offer.

"It sure is a win-win supporting all our local farmers and small artisanal food vendors," said Jennifer Williams, the museum's executive director. "They’ve certainly filled a need for lots of folks."

Williams said the museum's subscribers receive email blasts to make residents aware of what the vendors are offering. As of last week, 18 businesses were participating in the virtual market, including Amie Bakery, Washashore Bakery and Say Cheese.

Amie Smith, the owner of Amie Bakery in Osterville, said she's had to cut hours and limit the business to takeout on weekends because of the pandemic.

"Employees have lost hours, we obviously have lost revenue," Smith told Patch. "It's hard for all the small businesses, especially the ones that are fully closed and not even allowed to open. I think there's going to be a greater awareness of how much small businesses contribute to the economy."

Smith thanked the community for its support and is optimistic that will continue once she's allowed to return to regular hours.

"I'm an optimist, and I feel this is going to pass, and we will come out stronger than ever," Smith said. "People tend to rally around and come through. We have a really strong community."

Sandy Rowland, owner of Washashore Bakery in Mashpee, said customers still call about picking up birthday cakes or cookies, but she had to "stop and pivot" by closing for a few days during the week and relying on online orders.

Those orders are being promoted in the virtual farmers market. Normally, the market is a strong outlet for sales during the summer. Rowland said she sells a lot of cookies and other baked goods there, so she's hopeful the online sales will help.

"We're here for our customers and want to provide them with their bake goods to help them get through," Rowland said. "It's meant a lot to us to help us get going during this difficult time."

Joanie Chipman, who runs Say Cheese, told Patch farmers markets drive her business. The virtual market is bringing in "a few bucks," she said, but her artisanal cheese business is "not booming" at the moment.

To help keep the business going, Chipman said, she's had to get creative, so she's collaborating with Artis Winery, another vendor at the virtual farmers market.

"Farmers market vendors are very much like a tribe," Chipman said. "You kind of put your heads together and try to figure out all sorts of ways."

Williams said that creativity is part of why she loves the farmers markets, and although they can't have physical stands this year, she wants people to remember the value they bring to the community.

"Whenever I get there, my faith in humanity is always restored, and i think that means so much more this year for so many reasons," Williams said. "They’re just great people, small business doing what they love and doing what they do best."

For more information on the Virtual Farmers Market, check out the Osterville Historical Museum's website.