Climate Resilience Resources

Emergency Planning

Farmers markets are vibrant community hubs, but they face unique challenges when it comes to emergency preparedness.

From unpredictable weather events and climate-related disruptions to power outages, health crises, and even security concerns, markets require effective emergency planning and response tools to protect vendors, staff, and visitors, maintain food access, and support community resilience.

  • A digital resource by Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets covering forming a safety team, incident debriefs, and different protocols for everything from earthquakes to dog attacks, unauthorized cars in the market, and public nudity. This feels like something a market could take as is and use as their emergency plan. 

  • A guidebook of protocols from the Michigan Farmers Market Association for different types for emergencies, and templates that can be used for lists of safety contacts and incident report forms. 

  • A 2-page handout from the The North Carolina Farmers Market Network on the elements of an emergency policy a market should consider when writing a policy, with links to examples used at NC markets. 

  • A guide on how to create emergency policy for your market, goes more into depth with questions to help you think through what sorts of contingencies and planning your market needs.

  • Online course from VA's Farmers Market University, Emergency Planning for Farmers Markets (cost $50).

  • For major disasters, FNS will issue Disaster-SNAP. If this happens, it would be listed here. 

  • A digital toolkit that delves into lots of potential risk to markets around: finance, fraud, labor law, and accidents, etc.

    Their guide on injuries to people and property at market points out the greatest physical risks are slip and fall, tents, and vehicles.

    If you're feeling overwhelmed with where to start emergency planning, focusing on these potentials will possibly keep the to-do list manageable. 

Climate Resilience Resources

Farmers markets face unique challenges in adapting to climate change and responding to emergencies and disasters, which can disrupt market operations and jeopardize the livelihoods of local farmers and vendors.

These resources can strengthen the capacity of markets to make decisions and take actions that safeguard food access, protect small businesses, manage extreme weather impacts, and ensure safety during emergencies.

  • This map is in real time, but there is a search function if you scroll down where you can enter your specific city’s name and see a forecast for what your AQI is projected to be on your market day.

    The forecast can change fairly quickly if fires grow or the wind changes or if rain does/doesn’t happen; however this is still a useful tool.

    View Map

  • A user-friendly webpage where you can enter a ZIP code and get personalized heat forecast information for your location, including information on local air quality, alongside protective actions to take.

  • Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management fires and hot spots map and dashboard is an excellent way to visualize where the active fires are, what % contained they are, etc.

    View Map & Dashboard

  • The National Farmers Market Coalition has put together a disaster preparation and recovery page with a variety of resources for different regions and disasters (including West Coast wildfires).

    View Page

Should My Market Be Open?

During extreme weather events, market managers are often faced with tough choices about whether or not to hold their markets - and if so, what should they look like?

Every market is unique, so these decisions will have to be made on an individual level, but here are some questions for market operators to consider when making this decision.

    • What’s the AQI forecast in your area?

    • What resources do you have to protect staff and vendors if you choose to be open? Do they have, or can you provide, N95 or K95 masks?

    • What are your market/community considerations? Each market is different! Some things to think about are:

      • How many vendors have been affected by fires, floods, and other disaster-related issues?

      • Are vendors eager to be there? Can you ask them?

      • What sort of attendance can you expect? Is your community typically very committed and likely to come even if the situation is not optimal

    • What do your own market policies say? If you have an inclement weather policy in place, it may be useful to reference that policy when making decisions.

    • What are state officials saying about recommendations and best practices? Does OSHA or OHA have recommendations that are pertinent to you? If so, you may need to consider your market’s liability if you make a choice for your market that is outside of the recommendations.

  • If you decide to cancel your markets, communicate early, broadly and often with your vendors, staff and community. You want to make sure to get the word out!

    • Consider shortening the market hours. This can reduce the exposure for staff and vendors. [Note: Markets who have tried this strategy, when the air quality is very poor, report that there have been no negative impacts on their ability to enforce social distancing due to reduced overall visitation under those conditions.]

    • Consider allowing vendors to park in or near the market area. We recommend this if it is possible to reduce load-in and load-out for the pre and post market setup and teardown.

    • Consider waiving cancellation fees. We recommend this for vendors who don’t feel comfortable attending when the AQI is in unhealthy ranges. Every vendor has different types of health conditions and levels of risk tolerance.

Sustainability at Your Market

Many farmers markets in Oregon have incorporated environmentally friendly programs and practices into their daily operations.

At OFMA, we believe that environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of a healthy local foods economy and therefore strive to support these efforts. See below for some ideas for how your market can get a little greener!

  • Portland Farmers Markets run a durable dining program at their large flagship PSU Farmers Market and at their King Farmers Market.

    Read through this presentation from Amber Holland, one of PFM’s market managers, to learn how the market piloted and refined the program. You can also read more on their website.

    Montavilla Farmers Market, another Portland area market, also runs a durable dining program. You can read about how the program is run in their vendor handbook.

    Each market is different and there are various factors to consider when deciding to switch to durable dining wares. You might also consider compostable products. This page from the city of Portland walks through different considerations, and case studies to help make an informed decision.

  • Betty Benson of the Forest Grove Farmers Market put together this presentation for the 2018 Small Farms Conference, which shares the various inspiring sustainability efforts at FGFM. The market has the help of a dedicated team of volunteers and the local Master Recyclers, who help run reusable dining ware, recycling, youth programs, and more.

  • Interested in solar powering your market? Jim Fanjoy, Board member at Manzanita Farmers market, put together this presentation about how their small, rural north coast market leveraged internal expertise and municipal funding to install solar panels to run their bandstand and power hot food vendors.