2018 Monroe Farmers Market

Transcription

1 From: Gail Zorn and Marc Hammes, Market Managers 2018 Monroe Farmers Market To: All New Farmers, Growers, Artisans, and Prospective Vendors This letter is to welcome you to the Monroe Farmers Market. The market is operated and comprised by its membership of farmers, growers, artisans and vendors. Our goals are: 1) provide local growers and artisans an outlet to showcase and market products; 2) publicize the importance of locally grown products; 3) provide opportunities for presentations and demonstrations related to agriculture, gardening, food safety and preparation; and 4) allow citizens of Monroe and the surrounding area the opportunity to buy healthy, locally grown products to enhance their quality of life. Upon joining the Monroe Farmers Market, you will become a member and will enjoy all the benefits allowed to every vendor at the market. Enclosed you will find a copy of the 2018 Application, Market Rules & Guidelines and Compliance & Indemnity Agreement. We are giving these to all applying vendors so they can read and understand them before they get to the market. You can return the material by mail to the address provided below. You will need to send in the completed 2018 Application, the signed Compliance and Indemnity Agreement, initialed rules and guidelines, annual membership fee of $35, and season permit of $160 if you choose to purchase one. (Season passes must be paid by June 2, 2018) A daily booth setup fee of $15.00 (for Agriculture vendors) or $15 (for Artisan vendors) will be due each day of the market if a season permit is not purchased. Spaces will be assigned according to availability. Every effort will be made to provide tents to all vendors. Spaces will be assigned by the Market Manager using best marketing practices. The 2018 Market dates are May 12 November 17. We WILL be open on holiday weekends. Contact Information: Monroe Farmers Market Market Manager, Gail Zorn P. O. Box 1249 Monroe, GA Phone Fax monroefmdowntown@gmail.com Initial 7

2 Rules & Regulations for Agriculture Vendors and Food Vendors: 1. Vendors shall be local farmers, and gardeners. Entertainment, demonstrations, and presentations shall be allowed with prior approval. 2. Products offered at the Market should be the highest quality within the rules and regulations established by the Georgia Department of Agriculture such as, but not limited to: cleanliness, spoilage and product damage. A food safety class for 2018 provided by MFM (or comparable certification) is required for participation in the market. 3. All products must be sold by the person who grew or made the product, or an immediate family member, or an employee with a very good understanding of how the product was produced. No vendors can buy products from other sources to sell at the Market. Exceptions may be considered by the Market committee and are subject to approval. All products sold at the Monroe Farmers Market must be produced, made or grown in Georgia. Priority will be given to growers in Walton County and counties that touch Walton County. The market manager may need to ask for additional information about the applicant and the product. All farms and certified kitchens are subject to inspection by the MFM market manager and/or market committee member. SUBLEASING: The sublease, sale or loan of a vendor's space to anyone other than the vendor or his/her identified representatives is prohibited. 4. There will be no combined artisan/ag-produce vendors. If you would like to sell both types of products, you will be required to apply as both types of vendors and be approved for each category. You will physically occupy 2 tents in different areas of the market and will need to provide supervision and selling personnel for each tent. Your fees will be based on both categories; however you will pay only 1 membership fee. 5. Vendors shall arrive at the Market during an assigned time period with no arrivals after 8am. Sign in and payment to vend shall be completed by opening time for the Market (8:30 a.m.) First time vendors will be required to gain Market committee approval and a vendor permit to sell by Wednesday prior to their planned market attendance. (See procedures for opening and closing the Market.) 6. Booth spaces will be assigned by the market manager at check in, with top priority given to agricultural products and vendors holding a season permit. Tents will be provided to all vendors. Tables and chairs are the responsibility of the vendor. 7. A standard booth space will be 10 feet by 10 feet. Additional space must be pre approved by the Market. 8. Only members of the Monroe Farmers Market will be permitted to sell at the Market. The annual membership fee is $35.00, regardless of when the membership is initiated. In addition, vendors must purchase a permit in order to vend. Vendors may purchase a season permit to vend on all market days for $ or a daily permit for $15.00 per Saturday. Season permits must be purchased by June 3, Initial 1

3 Rules & Regulations for Agriculture Vendors and Food Vendors: 9. The Market will be open on Saturday beginning May 12, 2018 through November 17, Market hours are 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Market will be held on Court St., adjacent to the Historic Courthouse on South Broad St., in downtown Monroe. 10. Vendors are responsible for their own garbage clean up. Any refuse must be disposed of by the vendor. If refuse is not properly disposed of, the vendor will be subject to a fine of $ Pricing of goods is enforced by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and shall be done by volume or by piece (such as $3.00 for a pumpkin, or $4.00 for a quart of blueberries), or by weight. 12. The vendor should furnish something to put the items in for the customer. This may be sacks, boxes, or baskets. Customers will be advised to bring reusable bags to keep waste to a minimum. We do not encourage plastic bags. The Market will sell reusable bags at the Information Tent. 16. Products that are NOT approved for sale at the market may NOT be delivered or sold to customers at the market before or during market hours. Unapproved products will not be permitted. 17. If you find that you cannot come to the market on your agreed dates, please communicate this to the market manager no later than 24 hours before the market date. Weekly vendors will be held responsible for the booth fee in the event of a no show. Initial 2

4 Rules & Regulations for Artisan Vendors: 1. Vendors shall be local artisans. The Market will allow up to 25% of the total vendors to be artisans. Additional artisan vendors are welcome on opening and closing dates and the 1 st Saturday of each month as well as FallFest on October 13. (These dates may have limited tent availability.) Artisan vendors must be pre registered by the Market Committee the week preceding the Market (Monday Friday). 2. Only members of the Monroe Farmers Market will be permitted to sell at the Market. The annual membership fee is $35.00, no matter at which point in the season you join. In addition, your vendor space will cost $15.00 per event. 3. There are no season permits for artisan vendors. 4. All products must be sold by the person who created or made the product, or an immediate family member, or an employee with a very good understanding of how the product was produced. No vendors can buy products from other sources to sell at the Market. Exceptions may be considered by the Market committee and are subject to approval. All products sold at the Monroe Farmers Market must be produced, or made in Georgia. Priority will be given to artisans in Walton County and counties that touch Walton County. The market manager may need to ask for additional information about the applicant and the product. SUBLEASING: The sublease, sale or loan of a vendor's space to anyone other than the vendor or his/her identified representatives is prohibited. 5. Artisan vendor slots are on a first come, first serve weekly basis. If an excess of artisan vendors have requested to attend a market, the market manager will ask for volunteers to move to the next market date. If no vendor(s) volunteer, the market manager will choose and have the final say as to vendor attendance. No artisan vendors will be allowed to register the day of the Market. Please contact the Market manager, Gail Zorn, to be placed on the schedule. (monroefmdowtown@gmail.com or Booth spaces will be assigned by the market manager at check in. Tents will be provided to all vendors (1 st Saturday may have limited tent availability). Tables and chairs are the responsibility of the vendor. 7. ALL items sold MUST be preapproved by the Market committee Initial 3

5 Procedures for Opening and Closing the Market: 1. Our Market hours are 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. All vendors will be required to stay at the Market for the entire open Market hours. NO early load ups. Leaving early will impact your opportunity to particpate in future markets 2. Off load is 7:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. If you arrive before this time, you will not be allowed to drive down the street until tents are up, secured, and the crew is off the street. This has to do with safety and liability. The market manager may need to stagger times to prevent a backup. Please adhere to your assigned time. 3. The street will be closed at 8:00 a.m. to vendor traffic. If you arrive after this time you, will need to unload in a parking area and carry your items to your tent. 4. Some customers arrive before 8:30 a.m. We will do our best to let them know that the Market does not open until 8:30. You do not have to sell before 8: If you happen to sell out, use that time to meet and greet customers. Let them know what you expect to have next week, etc. Maybe bring more next week if you can. You may NOT leave until the market closes. 6. At 12:30 p.m., the display at the head of Court St. will be moved so you can pull your vehicle down the street. We ask that you not pack up until 12:30 as it gives the appearance that the Market is shutting down customers start to leave and there are other vendors with items to sell it hurts the other vendors. 7. Please do not move your vehicle and wait at the entrance for clearance to pull on to the street. This is a safety issue. 8. Sometimes, we still have customers at closing time. Be as quick and polite as you can be to complete the sale. This time gets to be hectic everyone wants to leave and we understand, but care must be taken that we do not have an accident. 9. The alley is no longer an option for parking. Use of the alley is for emergency use only by an agreement with downtown businesses and the Downtown Development Authority. We may use it from time to time for temporary loading or unloading if there is a back up on Broad St. There is no parking on Broad St. These spaces are for the downtown businesses. The Monroe Police Dept. enforces a two hour parking limit. We do not want anyone to get a ticket. 10.The tent crew has been instructed not to enter the Market to close down until 1pm. They will start from the lower end of the street and will start with the tents that are vacated first. We have asked that they move the tent away from the vendor s items to collapse the tent if the vendor still has a few things to move. We do not want you to feel like they are taking the tent down on top of you, however, they are on a time line and have to be back at a certain time NO EXCEPTIONS! Initial 4

6 Additional Information: 1. Restroom facilities will be available. The Monroe Police Dept. across Broad St. is available every Saturday. 2. Vendors are encouraged to hand out information about their farms/gardens or organizations. 3. Bill changing will not be available. Wells Fargo has Saturday hours and is only one block from the Market. 4. Electricity will be available, but on a limited basis. This must be approved prior to the Market. 5. In the event of rain, the market will be closed. Every attempt will be made to make the appropriate weather call BEFORE Saturday morning, please check your or call the market manager for updates on weather closings. 6. Please note, it is the responsibility of each vendor to charge and report sales tax, if applicable. Produce vendors are not responsible for the applicable state sales tax; they are only required to charge and report local county taxes for sales. Please consult your accounting professional for direction, the Monroe Farmers Market assumes no liability for sales tax regulatory issues. Licensing & Permits: Proper permits and licenses are the responsibility of the vendor and can be obtained from the county extension and/or Georgia Department of Agriculture. Permits include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Processed food permits are available through the Georgia Department of Agriculture and pertain to any food that has been packaged. Proper labeling must accompany packaging. Market items will be periodically inspected during the market season for proper labeling 2. Live plant growers license or live plant dealers license are available through the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Pre cut plants and flowers are exempt from this license, while plants and flowers with root systems must have been in the possession of the dealer for 60 days prior to the sale and proper licensing must be in hand. (This is a State governance, not a local decision). 3. Meat, Milk, and Cheese license. 4. Egg candling. 5. Certified Organic and Certified Naturally Grown All licenses and permits are subject to inspection by the market manager. Initial 5

7 Behavior and conduct 1. Behavior of vendors to consumers will be in a professional manner that fosters a sense of market community and camaraderie. Verbal or physical threats, foul language or gestures are grounds for immediate ejection from the Market and permanent expulsion. 2. Vendors under the age of 18 will be held to the market standards of conduct for professional behavior. No horseplay or unprofessional conduct will be tolerated. Incidents or reports of violation of this conduct code will be subject to review by the Market management. 3. MFM is a smoke free environment. No smoking will be permitted in the Market area. Behavior and/or actions which are considered to be disruptive, unsafe, and/or actions which are considered to be a nuisance are prohibited at the market. All decisions regarding disruptive behavior and/or nuisance activity are at the sole discretion of market management. The objective of the Monroe Farmers Market is to create a market that will support the development of the local agricultural and artisan economy in Walton County. Our hope is that the market will foster stewardship of our land and goodwill in our community by providing a place for vendors to sell their products to customers, as well as create a place that will provide local shopping, education, and entertainment for the Monroe and Walton county community. The Monroe Farmers Market will not discriminate against anyone because of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Initial 6

8 2018 MONROE FARMERS MARKET AGRICULTURE APPLICATION Vendor Checklist Annual Member Fee Completed Application Initialed Copy of Rules Signed Indemnity Vendor/Farm/Company Name: Contact Name: Address: Farm Address if different from Mailing Address: Telephone: Cell Phone: Season Permit: YES NO Farm Website Is your farm Certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown? If yes, please provide verification. Please write a few sentences to tell us about your farm, how you got started, what you grow, and how you grow it: Business Type: Check all that apply: (Adding new items to your table after your application is approved requires approval from the market committee.) Fruits/Vegetables: Specify Products Dairy: Specify Products Meat and/or Fish: Specify Products Maple/Honey Products: Specify Products Baked Goods: Specify Products Prepared Foods: Specify Products Value Added: Specify Products Nursery Products: Specify Products Eggs (Please provide candling license) Herbs (Dried or fresh cut) Soaps, lotions, scrubs, homemade skin care products Other FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of Application Received: Contact Information Verified: Season Permit Requested: YES NO Approved: YES NO Completed Application YES NO Signature:

9 Monroe Farmers Market 2018 COMPLIANCE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT I (we) the undersigned have read the Rules and Guidelines of the Market and do agree to abide by all rules and guidelines. I (we) further agree to operate my (our) booth in accordance with these rules and guidelines and to pay all applicable fees as set out in the rules and guidelines. I (we) do understand that the booth fee, length of season, and hours of operation are set in the rules and guidelines, and I (we) will abide by them. I (we) further understand that failure to comply with the rules and guidelines of the Market could mean dismissal from the Market. As a vendor, wishing to participate in the Market, I (we) agree to SAVE, HOLD HARMLESS, and INDEMNIFY the Market, Monroe Downtown Development Authority, and the owners of the lot on which the Market will operate, members, and employees from any and all liability or responsibility pertaining to any damages to person or property on the site assigned to me (us) by the Market, when such damages or liability arise out of acts of my (our) own, or of my (our) employees or associates, located as such site. I (we) verify that all information I (we) have provided about my farm and products for sale is true and accurate. I (we) understand that the Market operates on limited funds. I (we) also acknowledge that the Market s beneficial purpose will be impossible to pursue if it is subjected to costly litigation. Wherefore I (we) hereby agree that as a condition of my participation in the Market, I (we) will resort to litigation against the Market, its agents, officers, management, the owners of the lot on which the Market will operate, and affiliated entities, only after attempting in good faith to resolve the dispute. I (we) agree to limit any claim I (we) may have as a result of a decision by the Market management or Board of Directors which results in the denial of a market acceptance, the denial of a product to sell, or wrongful suspension or termination from the Market, to a return of market fees incurred during my (our) absence from the Market. I (we) further agree that in the event I (we) am unsuccessful in my (our) litigation against the Market, I (we) will pay all costs, expenses, fees, and disbursements incurred by the Market in the course of its defense of said litigation, and I (we) will also pay the Market attorney s fees. Vendor Name, Please Print Signature Date Vendor Name, Please Print Signature Date