photo by: Elvyn Jones/Journal-World File Photo

The downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market at 824 New Hampshire St. is pictured Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Local residents are now able to place orders with Lawrence farmers’ market vendors while the weekly downtown event remains closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new smartphone app will allow customers to make purchases online before picking up their produce in a drive-thru setting Saturdays between 8 and 10 a.m. at the usual market location, 824 New Hampshire St.

The app, which is called Lawrence Farmers Market, is available for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Brian McInerney, the market’s manager, said the app is a great solution to help out local vendors who “have an abundance of food that they’re growing.”

Each week, customers must place their orders between Sunday at noon and Wednesday at midnight. This gives the vendors time to package their deliveries before the drive-thru market on Saturdays.

As the Journal-World previously reported, the in-person downtown farmers’ market has delayed its opening until at least May 30.