The Farmers Market of Picayune is looking for new committed vendors to join the market.

Christina Juneau, organizer of the farmers market, said she’d like to have more vendors selling homemade items.

“We’d like some more hot food vendors,” Juneau said. “We’d like some plant vendors. We’d like some more seasonal items.”

Juneau said the farmers market currently has vendors selling jams, jellies, fresh bread, tamales, meat, dairy and produce.

Juneau said the pandemic has not negatively impacted the amount of customers at the farmers market because a lot of people in the community don’t want to shop at the grocery store. They have found the farmers market as an alternative.

A study funded by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development concluded that the odds of catching COVID-19 are 20 times higher indoors than outdoors, and other studies have concluded similar results. Many people feel safer shopping outside at a farmers market rather than inside a grocery store.

“We’ve had so many more customers so the vendors have had to start ramping up to provide the community with the items that are needed,” Juneau said.

Juneau said there was a major increase in customers at the market since the pandemic began.

For those who are not comfortable getting out of their vehicle, the farmers market is offering a drive thru option.

“We just need committed vendors,” Juneau said.

She clarified that committed vendors would be those who can show up every week, not just occasionally.

“People get used to you being there and they start to depend on you, so if you’re not there then what do they do?” Juneau said.

The farmers market has a board with review process for new vendors to ensure that quality, homemade goods are being sold.

“We don’t let just anybody show up,” Juneau said. “It’s gotta be homemade items.”

The farmers market currently has between 7 and 10 vendors when it is open.

The market is open on Wednesday from 10 a.m. through 2p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m.