COFFS Coast Growers Market reopened this week in City Square with COVID safe practices.

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For stall holders such as David Timms of Mountain Produce it has been a long time coming.

Mr Timms is just one of many stall holders who were unable to sell their goods for close to 18 weeks at the popular markets since their closure at the end of March.

Mr Timms told News of The Area about the difficulties of the past few months.

“I have a stall at the Sunday Markets and if it wasn’t for those, I would be having a harder time.

“But even then, I had more produce than I could sell. I’m so happy to get started again,” said Mr Timms.

“I will be back in town with all my winter brassicas such as cabbage, kale, silver beet, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, pumpkins and free-range eggs as well.”

Coffs Harbour Mayor Councillor Denise Knight welcomed the reopening of the popular Thursday market.

“I know the Market has been hugely missed during this pandemic shutdown by locals, visitors, the stallholders and City Centre business-owners,” she said.

“It’s great to have it back and showcasing all the wonderful produce the Coffs Coast is famous for.”

As well as fresh local produce, there will be lovingly hand-made creations from local growers and makers including Coffs Coast Honey, Raw Food Hub, My Twin Loaves, Bellingen Soap Cakes and more.

All stallholders will be practicing social distancing and will be encouraging cashless payments. To minimise congestion, customers are being encouraged to ‘shop and go’.

Coffs Harbour City Council’s City Centre Marketing and Activation Coordinator Victoria Harper said that the markets were good for local business.

“Local businesses have told us they see a significant increase in pedestrian traffic when the markets are held in the City Centre so they were very keen to have them back up and running again,” she said.

“The economic and community benefits of having a local Growers Market are very wide-reaching. Before we reopened, we wanted to ensure that we had a COVIDsafe approach firmly in place for the market stallholders, City Square businesses and pedestrians.”

By Sandra MOON