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RULES & REGULATIONS

Purpose

The purpose of the Blackwell Farmers Market at St. Andrew United Methodist Church (BFM) is to provide fresh, high quality, local produce and food products from regional growers and small-scale farmers directly to the local consumer. BFM strives to support local agriculture and offer the community a source of quality, locally grown produce, scratch-made baked goods and foods, as well as a source of unique hand-crafted items made by area artisans.

 

Market Sponsorship and Location

St. Andrew United Methodist Church (Marietta) will be the hosting sponsor for the Blackwell Farmers Market and the Market will be located on the Church Property. Parking is plentiful and access is easy off of Canton Road.

 

Communication with the BFM Steering Committee and Market Manager will be through the St Andrew UMC Church Office and can be reached at:

 

St. Andrew UMC

3455 Canton Road

Marietta, GA 30066

Phone: 770-926-3488

Email: bfm@saumcmarietta.org

 

Hold-Harmless Clause and Insurance

All authorized vendors participating in the BFM shall be individually and severally responsible to the BFM for any loss, personal injury, death, and/or other damages that may occur as a result of the vendors' negligence or that of its agents and employees, and all vendors hereby agree to indemnify and hold the BFM and its representatives harmless from any loss, costs, damages and other expenses, including attorney's fees, suffered or incurred by the BFM by reason of the vendors' negligence or that of its agents and employees. Because no insurance is provided to participants in the BFM, each vendor must carry his/her own product liability insurance and must be prepared to present it to the BFM. Each vehicle must be covered by vehicle liability insurance to cover any vehicle related incidents. Proof of such insurance should accompany the application to the BFM. In addition, all vendors must provide a signed and dated copy of the Blackwell Farmers Market Hold Harmless Agreement: Indemnification and Release Form when submitting their application for participation.

General Rules for All Vendors

All Vendors shall familiarize themselves with and adhere to the following General Rules in order to participate in the BFM:

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  1. The market day operation of the BFM will be supervised by the on-site Market Manager. The Market Manager is responsible for:

    • Enforcing the Market Rules & Regulations.

    • Verifying that hard copies of all required vendor certificates and licenses have been obtained and properly stored on-premises.

    • Collecting any donations.

    • Supervising the Market support volunteers and providing the instructions for setting-up and tearing-down the market, including vendor set-up locations, loading and unloading of vendor wares, proper parking of both vendor and customer vehicles, and proper clean-up and trash disposal.

    • Ensuring that the restroom facilities are open, clean and available for use one hour prior to the opening of the market selling period.

    • Making adjustments to the daily Market scheduled start-stop times, as-required, to accommodate unforeseen or emergency situations such as extreme weather events.

    • Overseeing the safety and welfare of all BFM participants including volunteers, vendors and customers.

  2. The Market Schedule, and BFM Application are provided in separate documents and are available from the Church Office or Market Manager.

  3. "Vendor" shall be defined as the producer of goods or items sold and shall include the spouse, siblings, children, parents and employees of the applicant who assist in the cultivation, production and/or sale of goods produced at the address listed on the application.

  4. Vendors and Community Table representatives must submit an application and a signed and dated Hold Harmless Agreement: Indemnification and Release form to the BFM Steering Committee for review and approval prior to joining BFM.

  5. Applications must be submitted to the St. Andrew UMC office 30 days prior to their desired start date with BFM. Vendors will be notified as to their acceptance or rejection no later than seven (7) days prior to their desired start date.

  6. Vendors must provide a list of items they intend to sell  throughout the market season when submitting their application.

  7. Space assignment is estimated at 12’ x 12’ based on a 10x10 or 12x12 canopy. Vendors will supply their own canopies, umbrellas, tables, display racks, chairs, etc. Vendors are responsible for setting up their space and keeping it clean.  Nothing shall extend in to the space of another vendor unless agreed upon by both parties.

  8. Nothing shall be displayed on the ground (with the exception of live plants) unless approved by the Market Manager. All pathways and areas in front the vendor display shall be kept clear so as to not obstruct or impede the flow of walking traffic as customers move through the market area.

  9.  All vendors shall clean up their area at the end of each market day. Vendors shall be responsible for the cleanliness of their space during market hours. All vendors shall bring trash bags and keep their space free of debris. Vendors shall not use the on-site trash receptacles for disposal of produce boxes and unsold produce. All trash and unsold produce shall be removed from the site by the vendor. If refuse is not properly disposed, the vendor will be subject to a fine as defined below in the section under FINES.

  10. Vendor set-up shall begin no more than one hour prior to the scheduled market opening. All vendors shall have their booths and displays completely set-up and ready to accept customers at the opening of the selling period and be clear of the vending area no later than one hour after the end of the selling period.

  11. No sales should occur before or after the scheduled selling period.

  12. No vehicles shall be in the market area during the selling period and shall be parked in designated parking areas as instructed by the Market Manager.

  13. All vendors are expected to clearly label all products, as necessary, in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal rules and regulations and prices should be clearly displayed.

  14. Each vendor will operate as an individual business entity and as such, each vendor is responsible for collecting his/her own sales taxes, where applicable. Whereas farmers selling their own produce directly to consumers are exempt from sales taxes, value-added producers (i.e., bakers, preserve-makers, crafters) may be required to pay sales tax and other taxes. Each vendor shall adhere to local, state and other applicable regulations as they pertain to said vendor.

  15. Behavior of vendors, their employees and associates and their interactions with customers will be in a professional manner that fosters a sense of market community, friendliness and camaraderie. Shouting and foul language is not permitted and verbal or physical threats or gestures are grounds for immediate ejection from the Market by the Market Manager with the possibility of permanent expulsion.

  16. No smoking, alcoholic beverages or drugs are permitted in the market area.

  17. All pets must be on a leash.

  18. Vendors are not permitted to have loud music, radios, or other artificial noise in the market area.

  19. Complaints of any kind against any vendor or participant shall be directed to the attention of the Market Manager. The Market Manager will seek to resolve the issue immediately and if the Market Manager is unable to do so, he/she will forward the complaint to the BFM Steering Committee for investigation and resolution.

  20. The Market Manager shall have the right to warn and/or suspend a vendor based on the Market Manager's personal observation of a violation of the Rules & Regulations.

  21. The Market will be held rain or shine. The Market will only be cancelled in the event of severe weather or other emergency. Vendors will be contacted by email in the event that the market is cancelled prior to the scheduled market day. The Market Manager retains the right to shut-down a Market at any time during the market day in the event of an unforeseen severe weather event or other emergency that could endanger participants if the Market was to remain open.

Additional Rules for Vendors of Produce, Plants and Specialty Foods

In addition to the General Rules listed above, Vendors of Produce, Plants and Specialty Foods shall familiarize themselves and adhere to the following rules:

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  1. All Produce, Plants and Specialty Foods vendors must provide the BFM Steering Committee, in advance, with copies of all required state and local licenses and certifications necessary to verify that the vendor is properly qualified and certified to sell their associated items. Hard copies of all licenses and certifications will be held on-site per the BFM Steering Committee instructions to support any audits or health inspections. For example, Vendors who wish to sell eggs and/or dairy must provide a copy of their current Georgia Department of Agriculture certifications.

  2. Vendors intending to sell prepared and packaged food stuffs for resale must provide a copy of their current Georgia Department of Agriculture Food Sales Establishment License. The Cottage Food License is accepted. Open flame cooking is not permitted.

  3. Products offered at BFM should be of the highest quality within the rules and regulations established by the Georgia Department of Agriculture such as, but not limited to, cleanliness, spoilage and product damage.

  4. All vendors participating in the BFM shall comply with the sanitary rules and regulations of the County and State Health Departments.

  5. All food must be properly displayed, fresh and grown and/or prepared in accordance with all local, state and federal regulations.

  6. Pricing of goods is enforced by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and shall be done by volume or piece and not by weight.

Fines

A fine of $25 will be assessed to any BFM participant that does not clean up their area at the end of each market day and properly dispose of all trash and unsold produce as described in this document or, if in the opinion of the Market Manager, has blatantly violated any of the BFM Rules & Regulations or Bylaws.

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