Hundreds turned out in Albany and Corvallis to soak up the sunshine and buy local goods at the first farmers’ markets of the year. Attendees and vendors alike described how nice it was to get back to the weekly gatherings that feature local agricultural products.
“Being the first market back, it feels kind of like going back to school,” said Helen Dziuba of Bodhi Artisan Bakery, who was manning a booth at the downtown market just blocks from the brick-and-mortar bakery in downtown Albany. “It’s like one big party.”
And the weather was certainly ripe for these inaugural farmers’ markets. The sunny weather, coupled with months being cooped up thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, seemed to have the public eager to show up.