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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question

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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Beth Spaugh <lists AT rhomestead.com>, Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question
  • Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:01:05 -0400


On Jun 26, 2007, at 11:42 AM, Beth Spaugh wrote:

We have two producer-only markets on private property with no government
involvement. The ones on government property tend to be told to allow
resellers, flea market types, etc, especially if they are friends/related to
a politician. We pay rent, insurance, etc, but are pleased with the freedom.

We set up on village property (Main Street sidewalk, with our vehicles in parking spaces by each stand) with the village's permission. They've never tried to tell us how to set our market rules. We allow locally grown or made only ("local" defined as our county and immediately adjacent counties); you can bring up to 40% of other people's stuff but it has to meet the same locally grown or made standard. As you have to have 60% your own this keeps out resellers, but lets people bring something from their neighbors who don't come to the market.

Our only other regular government involvement is the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program coupons; this comes through NYState. Sometimes Cooperative Extension will set up and hand out nutrition info and samples; maybe once a season. And NYS Ag and Markets shows up once in a while, like it or not; they send anonymous people in as customers, to check whether what's for sale is legal according to the health laws, and whether anyone's taking the FMNP coupons improperly.

We're organized as a cooperative. We collect fees to pay for insurance and advertising. Duties are divided up among the membership; while some people don't do anything but show up at market and pay their fees, so far enough people have been willing to take on what needs to get done so that we can function. Of course, we run things fairly simply, so there's not as much to get done as some markets have.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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