How to Become Part of a Farmers' Market
A change occurred in culinary arts in the early 21st century that shifted focus away from cuisine nouveau and fusion cuisine to a farm-to-table approach to cooking, commonly referred to as the “slow-food movement.” The popularity of farmers’ markets increased in tandem with the emergence of the slow-food movement and introduced the benefits of whole foods and their traceability – the means to track where your food came from down to the plot of land from which it grew. Becoming a part of a farmers’ market involves conforming to the guidelines established for your area and going through an application process.
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Instructions
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Determine which classification best describes your offerings. Most farmers’ markets provide more than seasonal produce. In addition to farmers, it is not uncommon for markets to feature restaurants that specialize in locally sourced produce, entertainment vendors, cheese artisans and fishmongers.
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Attain a Certified Producers Certificate, or CPC, and a Certified Farmers Market Certificate, or CFMC, from the Department of Food and Agriculture branch of your state, municipality or county. CPC and CFMC applications query the size of your operation, its location, number of employees and other relevant information describing your business entity.
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Collect the documentation that represents your operation and present it to the farmers’ market administration with your application. Accepted forms of documentation commonly include the CPC and CFMC for your municipality, a health permit issued by the health department, a Board of Equalization permit and other certifications and licenses specific to your area.
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Submit your application to the farmers’ market. Farmers’ market applications request information concerning your farm’s history, your farming philosophy, soil management, crop management and diversity management.
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Pay your fees to the operator of the farmers’ market after approval. The fee structure depends on your operation. For instance, most markets charge farmers between 4 and 5 percent of gross daily sales. Other types of vendors, such as chefs, restaurants, entertainers and retailers vary according to the area, but expect daily fees that range from $125 to $500 dollars per day, as of the date of publication.
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