We don’t know about you, but we’re pretty thrilled that Farmers’ Markets will be open during these different times. There’s nothing like local produce to make every homemade meal and snack taste even fresher. Plus, it feels great to support BC farmers. Find your local market at the BC Farmers’ Market Trail.

Markets across the province are implementing new measures to keep all visitors and vendors safe and feeling comfortable. Markets are following the same guidelines, such as:

• Offering special shopping hours for vulnerable populations
• Implementing online ordering
• Limiting the number of people allowed in the market, with a social distancing-friendly line
• Asking visitors to only send one member of the household and leave dogs at home

It will be a different experience than you’re used to, but the changes are necessary and you still benefit from farm-to-table food.

Take a peek at what fruits and vegetables are in season in BC, and start searching for tasty recipes. Here are a few to get your taste buds watering:

Heirloom Tomato and Zucchini Galette with Honey and Thyme

Beet Salad with Feta and Pistachios

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Havarti and Balsamic Drizzle

Herby Roasted Farmers Market Pasta Salad

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie

Make the most of your weekly market trip, with a few tips on how to keep your produce fresh:

• Dry your produce before storing in the fridge. There are a few exceptions to this: keep asparagus in a glass of water and carrots and celery in a container of water
• After washing and drying, wrap your herbs in paper towel and place in a sealed reusable container. Or you can place the stems in a glass of water on a shelf in your fridge, but make sure the leaves don’t touch the water, and change the water every day or two
• Keep greens in plastic bags (you can wash and reuse these) to prevent them from going limp
• Don’t cram your crisper. Allow air to circulate
• You can always freeze your veg if you don’t think you’ll use it before it goes bad
• Here’s a cheat sheet on how long specific produce will last

There’s still so much we can enjoy during this phase of the pandemic.