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Back to home page | Open Market Rules as printable file Pittsfield Farmers' MarketMarket Rules--- Revised and Adopted for the 2017+ Season ---These Market Rules are to be followed by all those who participate in the Pittsfield 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. There is a April 15 deadline for joining the market. Joiners after this date may not get their farms listed in the market's promotional brochure and have a higher annual dues. Acceptance of all new members into the market is pending a vote by existing members. From April to October, a new applicant will be voted upon within one week of receiving a completed application. From November to March, applications will be voted on by April 1st. Applicants will be notified immediately upon completion of the vote.
2. LOCATION AND TIMES: The location of the Pittsfield Farmers' Market is on Town of Pittsfield property at Hathorn Park, at the corner of Somerset Avenue and Central Street, along the post fence. The market will be officially open on Mondays from 2–6 pm, the first Monday in May to the last Monday in October. Days and times of attendance are up to each member, but regular attendance is good for your business since customers learn to expect you at market.
3. DUES: The dues come in two parts, annual and daily. Annual Dues: A non-refundable annual dues of $25 is payable with your application if mailed before April 15, or $35 if after April 15. Checks may be made payable to "Pittsfield Farmers' Market" and mailed to the Market Treasurer Tom Roberts, 27 Organic Farm Rd., Pittsfield ME 04967. Daily Dues: For each day a member attends market, a Daily Dues of $3.00 will be collected by the Market Master. The monies collected are for market expenses, primarily insurance and market promotion.
4. HANDICRAFTS, PROCESSED FOOD, SCALES: Handicrafts and like items may be sold provided that they are made by the member and approved by the membership. 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. A state Scale Inspector may visit the market during the season to check the accuracy of your scales.
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 farmers and not with peddlers, market member must sell only products they themselves grow or make. Buying products for resale at market will not be allowed, with two exceptions: 1) from another member attending market that day; or 2) to fill a market void if agreed to by all members attending the market. "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. Farm visits by member volunteers will be made as needed to assure a member's production of what is being offered for sale, and to familiarize ourselves with each other's operations. Please include a map and/or directions to your farm on the back of the application form.
6. SIGNS: All members will have signs that display their name (or farm name) and town in a prominent manner every day they are at market. All members will have signs displaying prices of items offered for sale.
7. SETTING UP AT MARKET: General: All displays should be neat and tasteful. Only one vehicle per member allowed to set up at one time. Setup 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 next members 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 an 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 co-operation at such times is appreciated. No overnight Parking is allowed by market members in the locations used for setup. Any disabled vehicle must be removed from the immediate setup area by the end of the market day.
8. 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 co-operative manner toward other members. 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 and how you treat customers.
9. ALCOHOL: Consumption of alcoholic beverages by members at the market is prohibited.
10. 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.
11. HAWKING: No "hawking", or calling out to attract buyers to your goods, is permitted.
These rules have been adapted from the rules of other markets where they have been developed in co-operation with many farmers' market members for over a decade. Their purpose is to keep the high standards our members and customers have come to expect. |