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2024 Market Rules and Regulations

The mission of the Eastern Randolph Farmers Market is to provide a venue where ​local farmers, producers, crafters and artisans come together to provide a variety of ​fresh produce and related products directly to the consumer.

 MARKET OPENING AND CLOSING

  • Saturdays from May – August | Opening Day: May 4th and Final Day: August 24th

  • Saturday’s: (Sale Time) 9am-2pm  (Set-up) 8:00am

    • *On Saturday, May 25th, our vendor hours will be 9-5pm as Millstone Creek Orchards hosts a special 20th Anniversary event (Party @ The Pond) featuring 7 hours of live music, hayrides, games, and more.

  •  Each vendor must leave his or her selling area clean and in orderly condition. All refused and unsold goods must be removed from the market area by the vendor. All boxes and trash from each vendor must be removed and transported by the vendor. Onsite trash disposal is not provided.

FEES

  • Season pass (covers all weekends): $100 - due at time of application

  • Daily pass: $10/day - confirm your attendance the Wednesday prior to the upcoming Saturday market day and your card on file will be charged or you may pay cash upon arrival

WEATHER

  • Markets will be held rain or shine.  In the event of closure due to severe weather, the market manager will contact the vendors by email or text message.

 BOOTHS/ FACILITIES

  • Vendors who have confirmed their attendance should arrive at 8:00 am for setup. Any vendors not checked in by 8:35am will forfeit their space.   

  • Vendor spaces will be assigned day of based on permanent and temporary market status. Our permanent season pass vendors, those  committing to sell their items the entire market season, will be given ​dedicated spaces. Our daily pass vendors will receive space on a first ​come, first serve basis. Daily pass vendors are individuals who cannot commit to the full season because of other obligations or supply reasons.

  • Vendors must supply their own tents, tables, chairs, etc.

  • Vendors may not leave prior to closing time. Rare exceptions are to be at the discretion of the market manager.

  • All vendors must have a sign clearly showing their name.

ALLOWED VENDORS AND PRODUCTS

  • Market Manager’s Discretion

    • Acceptance of vendors will be at the discretion of the Market Manager. Acceptance is based on quality of the product(s) and the relevance of the product(s) to the overall diversification and mission of the Market.   All products must be local (within a 50 mile radius) and handmade or home grown.

  • Producers Only Market

    • The Eastern Randolph Farmers Market is a producers-only farmers market, which means that vendors must grow, produce, bake, raise, or craft their products by hand. Farmers who wish to sell must submit an application to the Market manager that certifies that they grow their own produce and/or proteins and it’s locally grown/produced.  Each vendor in the market must be directly involved with or knowledgeable about the production of the produce or products being sold at the market.  The producer’s name must be clearly displayed in each booth.

    • Members must reside and produce the items they sell within a 50-mile radius of Ramseur, NC. Members must also be the original producer of their items. Reselling is not allowed.

  • Locally Grown, Raised, Produced

    • All vendors must locally grow it, raise it, produce it ​​or craft it. Local means that the product must have been grown/raised within a 50-mile radius of Ramseur, NC.

  •  Farmer Value-Added Products

    • Farmers may sell any farm products, including value-added products. At least one ingredient or material in any value-added good sold in a vendor’s booth must have been grown on the producer’s farm.

  • Prepared Food Vendors:

    • Non-farm vendors must make the product they wish to sell.  Selections will be made on the basis of quality, originality, and space availability.

    • The prepared food vendor shall use honest and obvious labeling on the product and in the space, describing the product, its contents, its source, and the preparer.

    • Vendors have two options for labeling:

      • Individually packaged single serving foods set out for self-service require a label on the package. A label must be affixed to the package bearing the common or usual name of the product, a declaration of ingredients in descending order of predominance, the name and complete address of the firm or party responsible for the manufacture of the product.

      • Baked goods sold in bulk and handed out directly to customers should have ingredient placards posted on bulk containers for customers to see.

      • Packaged foods are regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under the provisions of G.S. 106-121(13a) which defines “packaged” as any container or wrapping in which any consumer commodity is enclosed for use in the delivery or display of that consumer commodity to retail purchasers. Labels are required on packages set out for self-service, but are not required when someone hands out wrapped products ordered by a customer. Labels must bear the common or usual name of the product, declare ingredients in descending order of predominance, bear the name and complete address of the firm or party responsible for the manufacture of the product, and in some circumstances, net weight or quantity and nutritional information. Learn more here.

    • Vendors have two options for packaging baked goods:

      • Individually packaging these items in a NCDA approved or Health Department approved facility.

      • Selling from clean covered bulk containers that are only accessible by the vendor. Those who choose to sell from covered bulk containers must use one of the following acceptable methods to remove food from covered bulk containers: clean tongs or other utensils, single-use gloves, or single-use wax paper sheets.

      • The baked goods should then be placed in a clean, unused bag or container and handed to the customer, or single items can be directly handed to the customer in a single use wax paper sheet when appropriate. Consumers are not allowed to self-serve from covered bulk containers.

    • The prepared food vendor must provide documentation of compliance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations regarding such products. The prepared food application should include a list of ingredients for the item(s), and which of those are organic or bought from farmers within the Market Radius.

    • The Market manager may request samples of product and/or packaging as appropriate.

  • Craft Vendors:

    • All crafts must be hand crafted by the vendor or a member of the vendors farm or craft unit.

    • Crafts must be the product of a home or cottage type industry using an intermediate type technology rather than an industrial type production.

    • For products to be considered hand-crafted, the products must show evidence of manual skills and not a type of industrial production. Examples of unacceptable items would be, but not limited to: postcards, printed materials, photographs, ceramics or pottery from commercial molds, wood carvings using duplicating machines, kits in any form, and any other items, which clearly do not reflect originality of design.

  • Organic Producers:

    • All items sold as organic must meet the requirements of the National Organic Program. Members selling organic items must have a copy of their certification on file with the market manager as well as with them when selling at market. Only certified organic growers or artisans using certified organic ingredients may display signs using the word “organic” or any derivative word. Vendors must be clear about which parts of their products are organic.

PRODUCT CERTIFICATION

  • Vendors must know, understand, and comply with all state and local certification requirements related to their products.

  • Vendors who sell organic products must submit their current USDA organic certification.

  • Vendors who sell meat must submit a copy of their NCDA&CS Meat and Poultry Inspection Division Handlers Form with their Vendor application. If a Vendor is applying under the NCDA poultry exemption, the Vendor must submit a certified exemption form with their Vendor application.

  • Vendors who sell dairy products for human consumption must submit a dairy license from NCDA&CS.

  • Vendors who sell raw milk and raw milk products must meet state regulations and must clearly label the products “Not for Human Consumption.”

  • Vendors who sell prepared food items, meat, cheese, and/or fish must meet state and local health inspection and certification requirements.

  • Vendors are prohibited from making any false or misleading claims about their products including bout origination, farming methods, or processing.

  • Each member shall provide file copies of any required public, county, or state inspections to the market manager.

VENDOR PRODUCT PRICING

  • Pricing of goods sold at the market is the sole responsibility of the individual vendor.  

  • Prices must be posted for all items offered for sale. Price fixing, collusion, is illegal.

  • Fraudulent, dishonest, or deceptive merchandising or collusion to set prices among vendor may be grounds for forfeiture of the right to do business at the Market. 

SANITATION

  • All vendors must adhere to sanitary procedures for selling produce and value-added items - clean space and sanitized space and materials. All vendors must dress appropriately. Shoes and shirts are required. Vendors who provide samples and/or products that will result in waste material, such as cups, rinds, and corn cobs must provide containers for waste disposal. Please follow sanitary procedures when sampling.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

  • Smoking (except in designated area), alcoholic beverages, animals and firearms are not allowed. 

  • Animals are not to be sold or given away at the market with the exception of compost worms.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS

  • It is the responsibility of each vendor to abide by all state and federal regulations which govern the sampling, production, labeling, or safety of the product the vendor offers for sale at the market. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of the vendor’s booth. If you have any questions on this matter, please speak with the Market Manager, the NC Department of Agriculture Regulatory Services, or the Randolph County Health Department.

  • All prepared food items, meat, fish, and cheese sold must meet state and local health regulations including the inspection of the prepared food member’s kitchen(s) by NCDA health inspectors and/or the Department of Environmental Health and labeled in compliance with the regulations. Members must have a copy of all applicable inspections and certifications on file with the market manager, as well as with them when selling at market. No water or ice that comes into contact with meat or fish may be deposited or allowed to drain onto the market premises.

MARKET MANAGEMENT

  • The Market Manager’s job is to coordinate all of the weekly activities and to implement the market’s policies. The Market Manager also acts as a conduit of information between the vendors, customers and community partners. The Market Manager has complete authority to interpret and implement policies at the market site.

  • Quality control is one of the most important factors at the market. Routine inspections may be conducted. If your product is found unfit to sell at the Market, the Market Manager may ask you to discontinue sales of this item immediately. Vendors who repeatedly attempt to sell unfit items or produce may be asked to leave the market.

GRIEVANCE POLICY

  • Any vendor or customer with complaints regarding policy or implementation of policy can request a meeting with the Market Manager and will be contacted in a timely manner to schedule a meeting.

  • The submission of application for admission to the market serves as the vendor’s agreement to abide by the rules of the market, as established by the market’s governing body and enforced by the Market Manager. Violations of the rules of the market may be grounds for warnings, dismissal from the market, or both.

 CHILDREN

  • Vendors who choose to bring children to the Market are asked to ensure that the conduct of the minors is appropriate and not disruptive to customers or other vendors.

QUESTIONS

  • If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Market Manager at erfm@millstonecreekorchards.com.