DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Downtown Farmers' Market is one of the most useful tools that small businesses use to sell their products.
But when the market was forced to become smaller and only allow cars to come through, the vendors needed to innovate.
Jenny Quiner with Dogpatch Urban Gardens is now creating salad dressings to go with her winter best seller: spinach.
"We were very hopeful that we could introduce those dressings so we just had to get more creative for sale avenues with them," Quiner said.
And Sarah McCoy, with her letterpress studio The Permanent Collection, came up with more designs in her spare time.
"I'll have a few more prints," McCoy said. "And I'm always thinking of what is important to my customers and a lot of the time it's an Iowa theme."
Both businesses are also participating in the Drive-Through Winter Farmers' Market, and even though it is held in a parking lot instead of packed streets, the two women are still enjoying the facetime with customers.
"It has been fantastic," Quiner said. "Sales have been the best we've ever had."
Resilience, innovation and gratitude are the traits of the small business owners across Iowa keeping it together during the pandemic.
The final drive-through of the farmers' market is Saturday, Dec. 12 in the Principal Park parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.