To download a pdf application form for vendors click here
Applications for reserved spaces are due April 13, 2010

MISSOULA FARMER'S MARKET REGULATIONS - 2010

The following regulations are in compliance with the City Ordinance 8.20 113051 Resolution H5176, the Management Agreement between the City and the Missoula Farmers' Market. Missoula City-County Health Department, and the bylaws of the Missoula Farmers' Market.

Changes for this year are highlighted in bold print

1. MARKET TIME:
   
   Saturdays 8:30 am to noon May 1st through October 23rd
   Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm July 6th through September 14th
   
   As a service to our market sellers and customers, anyone may purchase items from the coffee circle prior to the opening bell.  No other transactions are allowed before the opening bell.  On Saturdays the 12 o’clock bell indicates that vendors may bring their vehicles into the Market; the 12:25 bell indicates that vendors have 20 minutes to clear the Market.  Safety and smooth traffic flow at the close of the Market is essential and vendors must follow directions of the Market Master and assistants to help in this process.
   
   Vendors must be packed up and off the street by 12:45 pm on Saturday and 8:00 pm on Tuesday.  The City requires that the street must be open to traffic by 1:00 pm on Saturday and 8:15 pm on Tuesday.  Saturday hours of operation may be adjusted at the discretion of the Market Master.
   
   At the discretion of the Market Master, for reasons such as weather, parades, or other events the market start time may be advanced up to 30 minutes or delayed up to one hour.
   
    
2. ITEMS FOR SALE:  The Missoula Farmers’ Market is a PRODUCE MARKET.  The Market Board has authority over what may be sold at the Market and it reserves the right to inspect the source of produce. Under Market Authority and the Missoula City Ordinance, items must be grown or gathered by the vendor in Western Montana, except fruit for jams, jellies, and syrups can be obtained by the vendor from Western Montana growers.
   
   a.  PRODUCE: fresh vegetables and herbs, fresh or dried fruits.  No frozen or previously frozen fruits or vegetables.  All produce must be sold off tables, truck beds or tailgates.  Additional produce must be in boxes or baskets.  ALL VENDORS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE ENCLOSED MISSOULA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT RULES GOVERNING ALL FOOD PRODUCTS THAT MAY BE SOLD AT THE MARKET.  THIS INFORMATION INCLUDES LICENSING REQUIREMENTS.
   
   b.  ORGANIC PRODUCE: Vendors advertising their produce as organic must follow the strict regulations set out by the USDA (information available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOP).
   
   c.  NURSERY PLANTS: All plants from seed must be grown completely by the vendor.  All plants that are available as cuttings, roots, tubers, bulbs and plugs must be potted up and sold by the grower.  You cannot buy plants to resell at the market.
   
   d.   COMMERCIAL  BAKERIES may sell a variety of baked goods, subject to Health Department directives. All bakeries and caterers must supply Market Master with photocopy of license and must display another on their stands.  Food samples must be handled with disposable plastic or latex gloves or disposable utensils. The Missoula Farmer's Market encourages commercial bakeries to use Montana raised ingredients.
   
   e.  PROCESSED FOODS:  Any processed foods must be produced in accordance with the enclosed Health Department guidelines.  Cider and honey from an inspected and licensed processing plant are allowed. The fruit for cider must be grown in Western Montana.
   
   f.  CRAFT ITEMS may not be sold at the Market.
   
    
3. PARKING: PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE MARKET SPACE IS NOW IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.  IT HAS CONTROLLED ACCESS AND THE GATES WILL NOT BE OPENED BEFORE 6:30 AM ON SATURDAYS AND 4:45 PM ON TUESDAYS.   YOU CAN EXIT AT ANY TIME BUT THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER ACCESS TO THIS LOT AFTER 12:30 PM ON SATURDAYS AND 7:45 PM ON TUESDAYS.   On Saturday the first row of the parking lot, next to the sidewalk on Alder Street, is reserved parking for customers. Vendors may use this space for unloading until 8:15 am. All vendors’ cars and/or trucks must display a Missoula Farmers Market sticker. Stickers are available from the Market Master and must be displayed on the inside of the windshield. To increase badly needed customer parking, vendors are asked to use other parking areas away from the adjacent parking lot. On Tuesday evenings, Alder Street will be reserved for customer parking.
   
    
4. SET-UP:  For Saturday markets, vendors must set-up between 7 am and 8:15 am.  No vendor may set-up after 8:15 am.  Vendors may drive vehicles into the Market Place to unload until 8:00 am. Vendors are required to unload vehicles promptly and must remove vehicles immediately when unloaded and then return to complete set-up.
   
   For Tuesday markets, vendors must set-up between 5 pm and 5:30 pm.  Vendors may drive vehicles into the Market Place to unload.  Vendors are required to unload vehicles promptly and must remove vehicles immediately when unloaded but no later than 5:30 pm and then return to complete set-up.
   
    
5. SPACE DEFINITION: sellers must keep within 9’ from the curb. One space is 6’ wide exclusive of trucks.  Reserved spaces may not be sold or transferred to another party.  All bakeries and coffee vendors will be located in the circle area.
   
    
6. FIRE LANES: must be kept open at all times.
   
    
7. ANIMALS:  no pets, leashed or unleashed, except service animals, are allowed in the Market Place.
   
    
8. IDENTIFICATION: all sellers must display their name, address and telephone number in one inch letters on poster board or equivalent, visible and acceptable to the Market Master.  Signs must be displayed within the seller’s space.  All mushrooms, huckleberries, and eggs sold must bear identity information of the vendors on bags or cartons.
   
    
9. ATTENDANCE: The vendor is to remain for the entire market period unless the Market Master gives permission to leave after the fee payment.  The vendor, grower, producer, and market seller must be one and the same individual, husband and wife,  or co-owners of the  produce business. The ‘Vendor’ is the individual renting the market space.  A reserved-space vendor may not use a substitute for more than five markets in a season.  Extra absences may be arranged at the discretion of the Market Master.
   
    
10. FEES: Market Master determines fees, based on linear footage of frontage of the space occupied.  In order to facilitate fee collection, non-reserved or first-come, first served vendors must be at their space from 7:30 am on Saturday and 5:30 pm on Tuesday because the collection begins at that time. Fee schedule for non-reserved spaces  and trucks are given below.
    
     
11. CLEAN MARKET PLACE: Sellers are responsible for keeping and leaving their area clean, including the parking area where vendor vehicles are unloaded.  Market provides brooms and dustpans. To reduce litter, please provide a receptacle for trash generated at your stand.  Trash generated at the vendor’s stand must be taken home by the vendor.  Vendors are reminded that excess produce may be donated to the Missoula Food Bank.  A volunteer from the food bank is available to pick up produce at the end of each Saturday market.
    
     
12. CIVILITY: Vendors and market employees are expected to treat one another and their customers with civility and respect. Verbal or physical abuse is a violation of Missoula Farmers’ Market regulations.
    
     
13. RULES FOR RESERVED SPACES:  Reserved spaces are those which are assigned for the season and which can be carried over to the next season.  Applications for reserved space must be submitted by each vendor prior to the beginning of the market on the requested date.  Payment in the amount specified in the application form must accompany the application.  No vendor will be allowed more than three spaces.  The Farmers’ Market Board will have the sole discretion to deny assignment of applications if it appears to the Board that any vendor is attempting to circumvent the space limitation by having others obtain spaces for the sale of goods produced by them.  The Board may delegate its discretion in this regard to the Market Master.  Assignment of reserved spaces is at the discretion of the board. Vendors who had reserved spaces during the preceding year will be given priority for spaces and selection of locations for available spaces the next year.  Such priority is limited to the vendor and may not be assigned or otherwise transferred to another.  The right to use a reserved space is limited to the assigned vendors and may not be used by any other persons under any kind of arrangement except as noted in Regulation No. 9.  If the reserved space vendor does not occupy the vendor’s space by 8:00 am on Saturday, the Market Master may assign the space to a first-come, first-served vendor.  Unless excused by the Board for good cause, any reserved space vendor who does not use their assigned space for a season shall lose any priority rights for assignment of a reserved space. A vendor may request a reserved space after the start of the market season by submitting a completed application form along with payment. IF a space is available it will be assigned by the Reserved Space Commmittee. The vendor should submit full payment, however the Reserved Space Committee may elect to pro-rate the fee and refund a portion of the payment to the vendor. Tuesday evening markets have no reserved spaces.
    
     
14. RULES FOR NON-RESERVED SPACES:  The Market Master assigns non-reserved spaces on a first-come, first-served basis.  Vendors without a reserved space must consult the Market Master about where to set up. No vendor will be allowed more than three spaces.  The Market Master has the final word in all disputes over space.  It is a violation for any vendor to save or secure a space for a later arriving vendor. Non-reserved space vendors attending ten markets may attend a subsequent market free of charge upon presentation of receipts.
    
    TRUCKS: Trucks are allowed only in truck spaces.  A truck space is no more than 25 feet long.  A vendor may not use a truck space in combination with any other space at the same market.  Vendors selling from a truck must notify the Market Master the day before the market they plan to attend.  A vendor may only use a second truck space after all vendors wanting a truck space have been accommodated.  At the option of the Market Master, trucks may be parked end to end or side by side.  No tables are allowed off the back of trucks.
     
     
15. DISREGARD OF MARKET RULES: These regulations are enforced to promote welfare and safety of sellers and shoppers alike.  If notified of an infraction by the Market Master, the vendor must correct it.  Disregard of these rules will lead to expulsion from the Market.    
    
    a. A first violation will result in a violation notice being issued.
    
    b. A second notice will result in exclusion from the following Saturday Market.
    
    c. A third notice will result in exclusion from the Market for the rest of the season.
    
    d. Violation notices are cumulative from year to year for a period up to three years.  A fourth notice may result in permanent exclusion from the Market and will require the vendor to petition the Market Board for reinstatement.
    
    e. Appeals of any Missoula Farmers’ Market violation notice may be made in writing to the Board.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: call Mel Parker, Market Master 777-2636

FEE SCHEDULE FOR UNRESERVED SPACES FOR 2010

SATURDAY MARKETS:

Minimum of $5.00 for tables less than 6 feet wide

$1.00/foot up to 6 feet frontage, totaling $6.00

Second six feet at $1.00/foot (12 ft = $12.00)

Third six feet at $2.50/foot (18 ft = $21.00)

Truck fee $2.00/foot.

TUESDAY MARKETS:

Minimum of $5.00 for tables less than 6 feet wide

Additional space will be $1.0/foot

Truck fee $1.50/foot.