KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — The Kershaw County Farmers Market has been able to open to help local farmers, while practicing social distancing and providing essential products for the community.
Kathy McCaskill, owner of Old McCaskill's Farm, says they raise meat and have a commercial kitchen for canning. They also sell other local items such as grits and rice.
She's been a part of the Kershaw County Farmers Market for the past 15 years. She is also one of the board members.
"Our Kershaw County Farmers Market has really grown, I'd say, over the last three to four years. What's so important about the Kershaw County Farmers Market, any farmers market in general, is the connection," said McCaskill.
The market was temporally cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"This has hit the farmers market hard. We had to talk to our officials that would allow us to set up. We wanted to still have our farmers market. They wanted to know the list of the people that we were going to have, the vendors that we were going to invite and they wanted them to be considered essentials," explained McCaskill.
The market offers vegetables, soaps, meat, canned goods and other items.
After talking with government officials, they wanted to see if the farmers market could be reopened.
"They wanted to know what our protocol was going to be, what were we going to do to keep people safe, and they went on and gave us the go-ahead."
Last Saturday, the farmers market was able to reopen with patrons practicing social distancing and taking precautions.
"What we have done is that we have set up our tents up so that we have a drive-thru so that those who don't want to get out can drive through with their car. There's also parking where people can get out and walk around and everybody already knows at this point how to do their social distancing."
To prevent people from touching things, people point or say what they want and then those items get bagged up for them. McCaskill also says she uses hand sanitizer after every transaction.
Tents are also separated about ten feet to help with social distancing.
This past weekend, there were several vendors at the farmers market. Officials say the event went well and they look to continuing it this weekend.
"We just felt like it was important to go on ahead and start instead of waiting until this (coronavirus) was over and allowed the gathering," said McCaskill. "You can't shut the people off from their food and tell me those big box stores are a better place to shop food than going directly to the farmer."
"The farmers already had their crops in the ground. In March, the early crops go in and there's nowhere to go with them, especially the ones that are used during the farmers market for many, many years. This is the only avenue they have to sell their product and if we didn't have the farmers market, they already have product in the ground, there's nowhere for them to sell it."
The Kershaw County Farmers Market will be open from 9 am until noon on Saturday at 906 Broad Street.