This season’s Ashland Farmers Market, because of COVID-19, is not for lingering and socializing but for accessing essential, healthy local food. (Photo/courtesy AFM)

Are you age 60 and up and staying close to home during COVID-19? Finding it difficult to obtain fresh, healthy food? The local chapter of Neighbor Brigade (https://bit.ly/2YtfEZ8) and Ashland Farmers Market (AFM) are partnering to deliver AFM food each Saturday straight to your door.

To have foods delivered, you must pre-order and pre-pay the vendor directly. An Ashland Neighbor Brigade volunteer will pick up your purchase at AFM and bring it to your home. 

Here are some answers to questions about this new program.

How do I find out which vendors are coming each week?

Make sure you receive the weekly AFM e-blast each Tuesday. Email [email protected] and provide your email to get on the email list.

How do I pre-order?

The Tuesday e-blast will tell you how to reach vendors, some by phone, some by email, and some online. Be sure you tell the vendor it is for AFM and the date of the market.

Note that some vendors do not take pre-orders and some do not take payment in advance. You will see the ‘order by’ deadline, too. If you cannot pay beforehand, the volunteers cannot pay for you, so food from those vendors cannot be delivered.

How do I get a Neighbor Brigade volunteer to deliver my food?

After you order, promptly let AFM volunteer Jeanne Walker know, [email protected] or 508-881-3128, that you are asking for a Neighbor Brigade volunteer to bring your purchases to your home. Give Jeanne your name, address and phone number, the vendor(s) you bought items from, and location where you would like the packages delivered, such as your front door.

Contact Jeanne no later than Thursday at 7:00 p.m. for the Saturday market. A Neighbor Brigade volunteer will call you when they are approaching your home with your order.

What if I am ordering from Upswing Farm?

Upswing Farm’s ordering window starts after our cutoff requesting Neighborhood Brigade delivery. So, please let Jeanne know your intention to order from Upswing before Thursday at 7 p.m., and then order and pay between Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. 

The all-volunteer Ashland Neighbor Brigade helps individuals in a temporary crisis by providing meals delivered, rides to medical appointments, grocery shopping, trips to pharmacy, light housework, dog walking and help with transportation for children’s activities. To volunteer, contact [email protected] 

AFM is held each Saturday through October 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 125 Front Street, on the grass across from the Ashland Public Library. For more information, visit www.AshlandFarmersMarket.org