2024 Market Policy and Regulations
Hours
The market will be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. every Saturday beginning the first Saturday in June and continuing through the first Saturday in October.
Location
The location of the Prosser Farmers Market (PFM) is 1328 Sommers Ave, Prosser, WA 99350, between the Prosser City Park and the Prosser Public Library.
Information
The Prosser Farmers Market is under the direction of Historic Downtown Prosser. The PFM contact information is:
Rita Brown, Market Manager
1230 Bennett Ave., Prosser, WA 99350
(509) 788-8032 Mobile
manager@prosserfarmersmarket.com
Deadlines
All vendor applications are due by March 29th, 2024 for priority consideration. After March 29th, applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Vendors will be notified of their acceptance by April 12th, 2024 via email.
Vendor Categories
All vendors must be in compliance with the WSFMA Roots Guidelines, a complete definition can be found at https://wafarmersmarkets.org/wsfma-rootsmemberguidelines/. Vendor categories are as follows:
VENDOR TYPE
FARMER
Vendors who grow, raise, and harvest 100% of the agricultural products that they sell at farmers' markets. All products are grown, raised, and harvested in Washington State (or in specified bordering counties).
and/or
Vendors who sell processed/value-added products made with ingredients that they raised, grew, or caught and processed, including seafood and alcoholic beverages. All products are grown, raised, and harvested in Washington State (or in specified bordering counties).
PROCESSOR
Vendors who sell value-added food or other processed agricultural products with ingredients that the vendor did not raise, grow or catch. All products are grown, raised, and harvested in Washington State (or in specified bordering counties).
Alcoholic beverage vendors who do not grow the main ingredients for their beer, wine, cider, or mead are Processors.
Seafood vendors who add value to a raw product that they did not catch, harvest, or farm are Processors.
PREPARED FOOD
Vendors who sell foods for immediate consumption; also known as ready-to-eatfoods.
ARTISAN / CRAFTER
Vendors who sell hand-made items using materials from Washington State.
THE PROSSER FARMERS MARKET DOES NOT ALLOW RESELLERS.
Reseller
Vendors who sell agricultural products that they did not raise or grow. Reselling includes selling any raw, unprocessed farm products that were purchased, traded, or bartered. All products that are resold must be grown, raised, and harvested in Washington State (or in specified bordering counties).
Inappropriate merchandise – The Market Manager reserves the right to request any vendor to remove products or merchandise that is deemed unacceptable, inappropriate, and in violation of market rules/mission statement. The vendor may request a meeting with the Market Manager and Market Committee to appeal this decision.
Products – All products must be GROWN, RAISED, OR PRODUCED BY THE VENDOR. Products allowed to be sold at the market include fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, nursery, eggs, meats, and other agricultural/horticultural products, quality handicrafts, processed or value-added food products, and prepared foods. Reselling is not allowed. The Market Manager reserves the right to determine the best number of vendors per product category to benefit all vendors in line with the mission of the Prosser Farmers Market.
A. Produce - The Prosser Farmers Market is for farm-fresh, locally grown products, intended for direct sales to the end consumer. Produce should be insect-free, fresh, and in compliance with standard food safety practices. Only the highest quality produce will be allowed for sale at the market.
B. Processor/Value-Added Products – Products such as jams, jellies, salsa, BBQ sauce, for example, are allowed. All value-added products must be in compliance with all permits, licenses, and labeling requirements for that product.
C. Bedding & Landscape Plants, Flowers, and Herbs – Horticulture plants requiring a nursery license must be grown by the vendor from seed, cuttings, bulbs, or plant divisions and must be in compliance with all permits and licenses.
D. Prepared Foods – Prepared foods that are ready-to-eat must be produced by the vendor from raw ingredients. Food items must be prepared in an approved, certified facility and in compliance with Benton-Franklin Health District requirements. The Market Manager must be supplied with copies of current licenses, permits, and health cards (Food Workers/Food Handler).
E. Handicraft Items – These must be pre-approved by the Market Manager. Vendors are responsible for the collection and filing of sales tax.
VENDOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Certificate of Liability – Upon being accepted into the Prosser Farmers Market, vendors will provide a copy of their current Certificate of Liability Insurance naming the Prosser Farmers Market as Certificate Holder at the appropriate location. All Market Days will be at the location of 1328 Sommers Ave., Prosser, WA 99350.
Health Code Requirements – Vendors are required to comply with all state (e.g., WSDA) and local health code requirements (e.g., Benton-Franklin Health Department), including those for sampling and food demonstrations.
Vendors must also provide copies to the Prosser Farmers Market of any permits and licenses applicable to the sale of their products e.g., organic certification, nursery licenses, certified commercial kitchen, etc.
Scale requirements – Any vendor selling produce or other agricultural products by weight, must have a certified, authorized scale, and a small-scale endorsement on their business license. For more information, please review https://wafarmersmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/WSDA-FarmersMarketScales- 2021.pdf
Vendor Attendance – Vendors who cannot attend on a market day please contact the Market Manager 48 hours prior to the market day. Vendors who do not call at least 24 hours before the market will be charged their “stall(s) space fee” for that market day and will be payable at the following market.
Set-up time – Set-up time for vendors is 7-8 am. Vendors must arrive no later than 7:30am. No cars are allowed in the market area after 7:30 am unless it has been permitted by the Market Manager/Market Committee. A late fee of $10 will be charged after the second late notice. Vendors must be ready to sell at 8 am.
Take-down time – Take down time at the end of operating hours, 12pm. Canopies must remain up until the end of the market. All areas must be cleared out and cleaned by one hour after the market closes.
Products Sell Out – Vendors who sell-out before the market closes should post a sign informing customers that they have sold-out, and must remain at the market until the market is over. This is also for safety reasons.
Booth Site – No tables, products, boxes, signs, or any part of the sales booth will be outside of the vendor’s space limits. Vendors are required to keep their sales spaces attractive and clear of debris during the market and clean up thoroughly following the market. Refuse and unsold products will be removed from the premises by the vendor. Spaces will be assigned with the goal of creating a competitive selection of products without overloading similar products so as to assist each vendor in a successful season. Seniority shall be considered and every effort will be made to accommodate vendors who wish to have the same space each Sunday.
Signage – Vendors will use proper signage with all required information such as the name of the farm, business or organization represented, product(s) being sold, price clearly marked, organic status, WIC, SNAP, Senior Farmers Market Benefits. Signs will be maintained in good quality. Sign Standards can be found at Signage- Standards-and-Organic-Integrity-at-FMs-2021.pdf (wafarmersmarkets.org). Spanish edition is available upon request.
Sales Tax – Vendors are responsible for the collection of any sales tax that is due. Please see https://wafarmersmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sales-Tax-at-Farmers-Markets-2022.pdf for guidance on which products require sales tax.
Vendor Conduct – Vendors will conduct themselves in a courteous and appropriate manner and interact with customers in a manner that reflects the mission state of the Prosser Farmers Market. Mission statement will be on display at the Prosser Farmers Market.
Sales Reporting – All vendors must report their gross sales of the market day to the Market Manager by the end of that market day. A sales reporting form will be provided and collected each market day. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential. The aggregated sales for the season by vendor category are required to be reported to the Washington State Famers Market Association (WSFMA); at no time are individual vendor sales shared with anyone other than PFM staff.
Canopies/Weights – All vendors are required to have a canopy. All canopies must be sufficiently and properly secured down at all times with proper weights (a minimum of 25 pounds per canopy leg) and ties. Weights must be attached appropriately to the canopy legs (weights merely placed on the bottom of the canopy legs will not be accepted). Any vendor that fails to secure their canopy will not be allowed to attend the market until the proper weights are applied. This is for the safety of our vendors, staff, and guests attending the market. Reference: https://wafarmersmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Canopy-Safety-101-2020.pdf
FEES
Yearly Membership – The yearly membership fee will be $40 per year due May 15. The yearly membership vendor fee is $25/market day. Vendors that only attend occasionally will pay dues of $35 per day. After the 4th market day, when their extra $10 has reached the $40 membership fee, the occasional vendor will pay $25/market day. Market Vendor Concession rental fee is $50 per Saturday.
Market Day Participation Fee –The Fee for each (10’ frontage) at the Prosser Farmers Market, $25-$50 per market day, shall be paid to the Market Manager between 10-11am.
Concession Stand Damage Deposit – $100 damages and cleaning fee will be charged to the person or persons renting concessions stands. The deposit shall be refunded at the end of the market season after the Market Manager has inspected the concessions stand and sees that there is no damage to the building, everything is cleared out that does not belong there, and everything is clean. Person or persons renting the concessions stand will be charged the normal Yearly Membership registration of $40. Concessions rental will be $50 per Saturday.