Madison City Farmer’s Market2010 Rules & Guidelines
MISSION:
To provide consumers with a choice of fresh, quality produce, food products, handcrafted items and other services. To provide an outlet for local farmers, producers and artisans to promote their products within the Madison community. To provide an experience that encourages community spirit and keeps money and energy within the community.
Location: Grassy lot in front of the Madison Senior Center, next to Discovery Middle School, at 1282 Hughes Road, Madison, Alabama.
The Selling Season: The market facilities shall be opened in the spring as seasonable produce for the area becomes available and will be closed as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors when demand and/or seasonal produce is no longer available.
The 2010 Madison City Farmer’s Market schedule will be as follows, rain or shine, except in case of severe weather:
April 17th to October 23rd 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
November 20th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors is made up of local market producers and consumers that are responsible for developing and managing each year’s operating rules and guidelines, schedules and the general operation of the market. The Board of Directors may appoint sub-committees as it deems necessary. The Board of Directors will review any complaints or violations regarding the operation of the Madison City Farmer’s Market.
Market Coordinator: The Market Coordinator or his/her designated agent will supervise and control the activities of the market and the market property. The Coordinator has full responsibility for making certain that all rules and guidelines as set forth by the Board of Directors are followed by each producer and his/her agent or employee. Failure by any producer to comply with any of these rules and guidelines can result in the forfeiture of the right to do business at the market for a length of time determined by the Board of Directors.
Questions about the market may be directed to: Mary Stallings, Chairperson mary@madisoncityfarmersmarket.com 256-656-7841
Eligibility Requirements: Only producers may sell at the market. A producer is defined as the person that grows or makes the product and may also include the producer’s family members, partners and employees. A producer may be herein also referred to as a vendor in this and other market documentation. Producers should be located in North Alabama or the Tennessee Valley. Individuals offering products for sale at the market must be at least 16 years of age. Younger children are welcome to participate in the market but must be accompanied by an adult responsible for the child’s safety and conduct.
Farmers: Applications will be compiled and reviewed by the Board of Directors and are not reviewed based on date received. Applicants will be chosen based on the variety of products offered and on the number of weeks those products will be available.
Growers who use the market for sale of produce are subject to field inspections, before and throughout the market season, to verify the source of produce offered. Farmers may sell for other farmers who have valid applications on file. These products should be clearly labeled with the growing farm’s name. The sale of any product at the market (without prior approval) that is not produced by that farm is grounds for automatic dismissal. If a producer is part of a cooperative (co-op), products from the co-op may not be sold at the Madison City Farmers Market (MCFM). The MCFM is a producer only market and items from co-ops cannot be tracked directly to an individual producer.
Artisans: Persons who handcraft the products they offer for sale may sell as artisans. Artisans are juried to assure that they are creating a quality product that fits into the market theme. Originality of design, creative use of material, level of difficulty, variety of work and overall contribution to market balance will be discussed and a decision will be made whether or not to allow an applicant to become a vendor at the MCFM. Jury members will review and categorize all applications, then compile their results. Applications are not juried according to date received.
All artwork, craftwork and handiwork sold must be the original hand-made creation of the vendor. Vendors are not permitted to re-sell commercially produced items. Manufactured items can only be used as components of handcrafted work. Reproductions in the form of books, cards, calendars, t-shirts, prints, etc. will not be allowed except under certain circumstances and on a case by case review.
Questions concerning artisans may be directed to: Freda Bjorkman Freda@madisoncityfarmersmarket.com 256-721-3957
Applicants will be notified once their application has been received and again once it has been reviewed.
Permits and Fees: The growers of all produce sold at the market must hold a grower’s permit. They are available at no charge from local County Extension Offices (www.aces.edu). The purpose of the certificate is to ensure that the products sold originate with the producer, his or her family, partners or employees. This allows the producer and the customer to be exempt from state and local taxes for goods sold. A copy of the grower’s permit must be provided to the MCFM prior to the first market attended. All permits must be available at each vendor’s booth in case of on-site inspection.
All producers selling value-added products are responsible for obtaining a valid business license from the Alabama Department of Revenue and a tax I.D. number from the Internal Revenue Service. Artisans are required to collect and submit sales taxes to the respective tax agencies (State, County and City). All licenses and permits must be available in case of on-site inspection. Madison City Farmers Market holds an event business license with Madison City, which covers all vendors with gross sales under $10,000. However, vendors are responsible for registering with the city under this license and paying all necessary taxes. Items Permitted for Sale: Food items allowed for sale may include, but are not limited to, vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, ciders, flowers and plants.
Any vendor wishing to bring additional product(s) not initially listed on their original application must submit an amended application with the new product(s) for approval before bringing said product(s) to market.
Any producer wishing to advertise their products at the market as Organic or Naturally Grown must provide documentation of certification or a signed affidavit if exempt from certification.
Live animals and commercially produced foodstuffs may not be sold at the market. Items purchased for resale, as well as items made from kits, commercially available plans and items that are mechanically mass-produced may not be sold at the market.
Many items are subject to Alabama Department of Public Health regulations. It is the responsibility of the producer to abide by these regulations. For further information regarding these regulations contact the Madison County Health Department or any Alabama county health department.
Madison County Health Department Environmental Health 301 Max Luther Drive Huntsville, AL 35811 256-539-3711 or 256-533-8726
Market Fee: The Season Plan is $250.00 for the entire selling season. This amount is non-refundable and is due in full. Any daily fees paid before selecting the Season Plan do no apply toward the purchase of the Season Plan. The Season Plan may be paid in two installments of $125.00, with payments due on or before April 17, 2009 and June 26, 2009.The Daily Plan is $15.00 per market day. This fee is for people who only want to participate in the market on a week-to-week basis. This amount is non-refundable. Producers paying on a weekly basis must pay for a space by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the market. Producers paying on a weekly basis who do not pay on the day of the market will not be allowed to set up at subsequent markets until outstanding balance is paid.
A small number of tents are available for rent on a weekly basis. The tent rental fee is $10.00 per week and is payable by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the market. Rental tents are available on a first come first serve basis, but may be reserved by paying the rental fee in advance. Renters are responsible for the proper set-up, tie-down and breakdown of the rental tents. Any damage found to have occurred during the rental, will be the responsibility of the renter. Vendors who intend to rent tents should arrive no later that 7:15 a.m. in order to allow the Market Coordinator time to assign tents.
Fees collected by the Madison City Farmer’s Market are for the express purpose of promoting and operating the market. This may include, but is not limited to, advertising and promotion of the market and special events, as well as upkeep, maintenance and management of market property and facilities.
Space Assignments and Reservation Policies: Applications will be accepted beginning March l, 2010. If application is denied, a full refund will be paid. Prepaid Season Plan producers will receive priority selection of reserved spaces. The Market Coordinator will designate the spaces for regular producers. Any new producers will be designated a space by the Market Coordinator. Assigned spaces may change depending on the market’s weekly needs. Every effort possible is made to keep each vendor in a regularly assigned space.
All applicants will occupy only one space per rental. Displays must be confined to the assigned space. Multiple spaces may be rented as needed.
The market will maintain a ratio of a minimum of 66% farmers to a maximum of 33% artisans. The ratio will be measured based on the number of current accepted applications on file. The Madison City Farmers Market Board of Directors monitors the overall composition of the market and determines the number of vendor openings available by type. Priority will be given to artisans participating in the market the previous year.
Set-Up and Clean Up: The Market Coordinator will open the market space and oversee the setup of producer tents and tables. Vehicles may enter the lot by 7:00 a.m., and vendors may begin setting up once the Market Coordinator assigns their space for the day. It is necessary for all producers to be set up no later than 7:45 a.m. and ready to do business when the market opens at 8:00 a.m. There will be no sales allowed before the market opening at 8:00 a.m. Any vendor found in violation of early sales will be fined $10.00, due immediately. Any violator who refuses to pay the fine will be asked to leave the market immediately.
Each producer is responsible for setting up his or her tents, tables and signage in the manner specified by the Market Coordinator. Proper staking or weighting of tents at all four corners is mandatory. Producers will be solely responsible at all times for the cleanliness within their vending area, regardless of the origin of the debris. Each producer is required to leave the space clean. All vehicles should be loaded and cleared from the market area one (1) hour after the market closes.
No-Show Vendors: A no-show vendor is defined as one who does not attend the market when expected, without notifying the Market Coordinator. It is each vendor’s responsibility to inform the Market Coordinator of attendance at the market. The courtesy of informing the Market Coordinator of any known absences allows for smooth set-up of the market, avoiding stress and set-up delays. Vendors who discover unexpected circumstances that will cause them to arrive late (after 7:30 a.m.) should notify the Market Coordinator as soon as possible.
Expected vendors who will be absent must notify the Market Coordinator by 6:30 a.m. on the day of the market to avoid a no-show violation. No-show vendors will receive a warning with the first violation. A second no-show violation will result in a $50 fine. A third no-show violation will result in dismissal for the season.
Smoking: Due to customer concerns, the Madison City Farmers Market will now be a smoke free zone. There will be no smoking allowed in the market area or within 10 feet of any market booth. Vendors who smoke are asked to step behind their booths to smoke. Smoking debris should be correctly disposed of and should not be dropped in or near the market area.
General Violations: No firearms, drugs or alcohol will be allowed on market premises. All profane, abusive, discourteous, and boisterous language and/or conduct at or in the market vicinity are strictly prohibited. There is to be no “dumping” of produce at the end of the market day. Fraudulent, dishonest, or deceptive merchandising or collusion to set prices among producers may be grounds for forfeiture of the right to do business of any kind in the market for a length of time to be determined by the Board of Directors. No booth fees will be refunded to any producers found to be participating in these activities. If the Market Coordinator determines that a producer has violated any provision of the market policies, that producer may be penalized.
Complaints: Any complaint made against a producer must be in writing and given to the Market Coordinator. The Market Coordinator and the Board of Directors are responsible for reviewing and resolving complaints. Together, they shall determine what type of investigation, if any, shall be conducted in response. They also have the sole discretion to determine whether or not that complaint will be disclosed to the producer under complaint. Also, the producer under complaint may or may not be given the opportunity to respond; this will depend on the nature of the complaint.
Indemnification: By participating in the Madison City Farmer’s Market, all producers shall be individually and severally responsible to the City of Madison for any loss, personal injury, deaths, and/or any other damage that may occur as a result of the producer’s negligence or that of the producer’s servants, agents or employees. All producers hereby agree to indemnify and save the Madison City Farmer’s Market and the City of Madison harmless from any loss, cost, damages and other expenses, including attorney’s fees, suffered or incurred by the Madison City Farmer’s Market or the City of Madison, by reason of the producer’s negligence or that of its servants, agents or employees.
Producers are liable for their own products. The Madison City Farmer’s Market and/or the city of Madison shall not be held accountable for the products offered by Producers. Product and liability insurance is the responsibility of the producer.
Approved by MCFM Board of Directors on 02/19/10. |