Fairfield Farmers' Market
Market Rules
[In effect for the 2000 season, and will be revised for the 2001 season.]


These market Rules are to be followed by all those who participate in the Fairfield
Farmers' Market.

1. ELIGIBILITY: All farmers, gardeners, bakers and cooks who produce what they offer for
sale are eligible for membership in the market.

	No one will be accepted into the market without a completed application and payment
of annual dues.

	For the 2000 season there is no deadline for joining the market. However,
applications received after May 5th may not get their farms listed in the market
promotional brochure.


2. LOCATION AND TIMES: The Fairfield Farmers' market will be located at the community
center parking lot. The market will be officially open on Wednesdays from 2 - 6 pm. and
on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. between May 24th and October 25. Days and times of
attendance are up to each member, but regular attendance is good for your business, and
the market as a whole.

3. DUES: Dues come in two parts, annual and daily. These funds are collected to cover
market expenses, such as advertising.

	Annual Dues: A non-refundable annual dues of $25.00 is payable with your application.

	Daily Dues: For each day a member attends market, Daily Dues will be collected. Weekday
dues are $3.00; Saturday dues are $5.00.

4. HANDICRAFTS, PROCESSED FOOD, SCALES:
	Handicrafts and like items may be sold, provided that the major portion of the
member's display is farm product.

	Non-vending displays will be individually reviewed and permitted by permission of
the Market Steering Committee, provided the display meets the market purpose as stated
in the Market By-laws.

	All producers of home processed items such as maple syrup, honey, jams, jellies,
relishes, baked goods and home canned goods are required by Maine law to obtain the
proper licenses from the Maine Department of Agriculture. Licenses must be displayed at
the vendor's stand.

	A state Scale Inspector may visit the market during the season to check the
accuracy of your scales.

	Individual farmers are responsible for obtaining approval to accept WIC and food
stamps.

5. NO BUY RULE: In order to assure the freshest and highest quality produce at the
farmers' market, and to assure customers they are dealing directly with the farmer and
not with peddlers, market members must sell only products they themselves grow or make.
The stand may be staffed with an employee provided the person is a regular employee of
the farm and on the farm payroll. Buying products for resale at market will not be
allowed. "Ghost" members (growers who themselves do not attend, but join the market for
the sole purpose of supplying another market member) are not allowed. Items offered for
sale must be fresh and of high quality. Remember, You Are The Farmers' Market, and the
reputation and success of the market and of your farm depend upon what you offer for
sale.

	Farm visits will be made as needed to assure a member's production of what is being
offered for sale. Please include a map and/or directions to your farm on the back of the
application.

6. SIGNS: All farmers will have signs that display their name and address in a prominent
manner every day they are at market.

7. SETTING UP AT MARKET
	General: All displays should be neat and tasteful. Only one vehicle per member is
allowed to set up at one time. Set up is on a first come first serve basis.

	Customer Walkways: Maintenance by members of a clear walkway for customers to move
from one vendor to another without obstruction is important and will be enforced by the
market manager.

	Spacing of vehicles: Members must park their vehicles in a safe and space efficient
manner. Generally it works best to leave enough space between your setup and the
adjacent stand so that customers do not become confused as to whose goods are whose. An
exception to this is when two members wish to set up one large display for any reason,
such as sharing a canopy. There is no maximum allowed distance between members, but
remember that many customers often will not want to walk the extra distance to a lone
display.

	Space Restrictions: From time to time during the season, space restrictions may
require the market manager to direct that less space than usual be taken up by each
member. This will most often be due to an anticipated exceptionally high attendance by
members, such as in late August or early September. Your cooperation at such times is
appreciated.

	No Overnight Parking is allowed by market members in the locations used for set up.
Any disabled vehicle must be removed from the immediate setup area by the end of the
market day.

8. PRODUCT REPRESENTATION: Any attempt to mislabel items for sale will be considered an
attempt to defraud the public, and may result in barring from the market.
Non-satisfactory items returned by consumers must be refunded or exchanged by the
vendor.

9. PRESENTATION: Members should present themselves in an appropriate manner, dress and
state of cleanliness. Shirts must be worn. The market manager may mention to members if
their appearance or manner could be deemed offensive to customers. Members should behave
in a cooperative manner towards other members. Bathroom facilities are available at the
community center.

10. ALCOHOL: Consumption of alcoholic beverages by members at the market is prohibited.

11. PICKING UP: General cleanliness of the market area is everyone's responsibility. It
assures customers a pleasant place to shop, and keeps us on good terms with the town.
This includes picking up your own area while selling and making certain the area is
clean before you leave.

12. PRODUCT DUMPING AND HAWKING: Predatory pricing, or pricing products far below the
cost to produce them will not be allowed. Competition is good for everyone, but throat
cutting could destroy the entire market. Please take the time to know your production
costs and set your prices at a fair market value. The market association will attempt to
have current supermarket produce prices available each week to help guide vendors. No
hawking or calling out to attract buyers is permitted.

13. VIOLATION OF THE RULES: Upon determination that a market rule(s) has(have) been
violated, the offender will be given a verbal warning. Further violations will be
brought before the market steering committee, who, after due consideration, may enforce
corrective action or cancel the offender's membership to the market, with forfeiture of
dues. Any Member may, and should inform the market manager of any failure to comply with
the market rules.

14. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: These rules may be temporarily modified to address
unanticipated circumstances not herein covered. Any modification will be made only after
a majority vote of the full membership (polling by phone is permissible) , and shall
state the reason and the specific duration of the modification.


	
These rules have been adapted from the rules of other markets, where they have
been developed in cooperation with many farmers' market members for over a decade. Their
purpose is to minimize disputes between vendors and keep the high standards our members
and customers have come to expect.