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Becoming a Vendor
To Be A Vendor You Must Go By These Guidelines Below
READ CAREFULLY
2011 Lancaster Farmer’s Market Association ‘Rules & Regulations’
Name of Organization: The name of the organization shall be known as the LANCASTER FARMER’S MARKET ASSOCIATION, also known as LFMA.
Objectives and Purpose: The LFMA is a non-profit organization. Our purpose is to improve the production and marketing of locally produced products, and to stimulate public interest in the use and consumption of these products by offering them to the public.
Laws Governing the Market
We are a self-governed market. All vendors are expected to abide by all laws, ordinances, and regulations of the United States, the State of Ohio, Fairfield County, and the City of Lancaster. This includes the Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 901:3-6, which governs Farmer’s Markets. All vendors are subject to inspection and approval by the Fairfield County Health Department, and Weights and Measures Department. These laws govern each vendor and our market for the protection of the association, customers, and all vendors.
Members are responsible for their own application to accept vouchers/coupons from the Ohio Seniors Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, if a vendor chooses to participate.
Illegal substances and materials will not be permitted on the market premises. Any vendor possessing any of these items at the market will be subject to immediate and automatic expulsion from the association. Appropriate behavior is expected from all of our members, at all times.
**LFMA ‘One strike and you’re out’ policy is as follows: after one warning related to any infringement of the ‘Rules and Regulations’ you will be asked to leave.
Location of LFMA:
The Lancaster Farmer’s Market is located on North Broad Street, Lancaster, OH. between Main and Wheeling streets.
This block is barricaded from traffic for our market.
2011 Market Dates and Hours:
Saturday Market: Saturday, April 30, through Saturday, October 29
Wednesday Market: Wednesday, May 4, through Wednesday, September 28
Hours: Saturdays: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 10a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
2011 Alternate Site and Dates of Operation:
The LFMA will have alternate site dates for two Saturdays in 2011-hours of operation are the same.
Saturday, June 19 (Gus Macker Basketball Tournament), & Saturday, July 30 (Lancaster Festival)
Alternate Site:
The Happy Penguin, Lancaster (across from OUL)1531 Granville Pike (Rt. 37), Lancaster, OH
NOTE: The 4th of July Parade will be held on Monday, July 4th, & will not affect the market
Membership
Any person engaged in producing local products, who agrees to abide by the ‘Rules and Regulations’ set forth by the LFMA, may become a paid member upon approval by the elected officers, and offer their products for sale.
a) Membership status shall be extended to a dues paid members’ spouse and their minor children, however there is only one voting privilege per paid membership.
b) Membership dues are as follows:
• Yearly membership fee of $125.00, due in full by April 15 of the new year
• Late yearly membership fee of $ 175.00, if paid after April 15 of the new year
c) LFMA membership limit is 55 vendors
d) Vendor/Member ‘Product List and Contact Info Form’ and ‘LFMA Rules and Regulations’ will both be signed and submitted by each vendor/member concurrently with yearly membership payment, whether paid by April 15, or thereafter. The ‘Product List & Contact Info Form’ states that you may include a ‘Bio’- about who you are and what you do-this is optional, and may be used for LFMA advertising purposes. Do not provide this information if you prefer your contact information to remain private to members only.
e) Joint memberships must be in one name. The ‘Product List & Contact Info Form’ must list that name/contact info/products. Joint vendors will sell their goods from within their 10’x10’ space.
f) Each paid member will be covered by the LFMA’s liability insurance.
Vendor Spaces:
a) Membership fees provide one 10’ x 10’ space
b) Members may pay an extra $10.00 per foot to extend the curb length of their space,
as space allows.
c) ‘Daily Vendors’ are permitted only upon payment of the yearly LFMA membership fee.
d) Vendor Spaces: vendor spaces will be agreed upon, assigned and marked on the first Saturday market of the season.
e) Wednesday vendor spaces are the same as on Saturday (vendors use their same spaces)
Vendor/Member Responsibilities:
1. Street/Traffic barrier installation: Participation in the set-up, break down, and proper storage of street/traffic barriers is mandatory for all vendors. Each vendor is responsible to sign up for¬¬¬¬ 2 full days of set-up, break down, and storage of barriers. If you are only available for before or after the market set-up/break down you will be responsible to get another vendor to fill in for you. Alternatively, you may opt to pay for your 2 days of set-up and tear down @ $5.00 per day, or $10.00 per season. Funds are to be paid to the Treasurer.
2. Space Signage: Each vendor shall display signage which states the name of the producer/seller. Visible, displayed business cards are acceptable for this purpose. Information available to customers must include vendors’ name/business name/farm name, address and/or telephone number.
3. Processed Products Labeling: All processed products including but limited to canned and jarred items, baked goods, honey, animal products, etc… must be labeled in compliance with Fairfield County Department of Health labeling requirements.
4. Cleaning up your space: Vendors are responsible for removing all unsold products and cleaning up their space after each market. This includes your cigarette butts and all trash. Any vendor failing to clean up will be subject to a $25.00 fine and may be asked not to return.
5. Vendor Parking: Each vendor may be restricted to parking one vehicle if space is limited when the market is full. This will be up to the
discretion of officers.
General Market Rules Regarding Vendor Products:
The LFMA shall be available to persons or non-profit organizations interested in selling locally produced products. Items offered for sale shall include fruits and vegetables, other produce, honey, jams and jelly, baked goods, processed meat, plants, cut flowers, body care products, additional cottage & licensed foods, coffee, and 100% farm related, home-made crafts of good quality and taste. All produce, fruits and vegetables must be 100% grown by the vendor. The LFMA encourages the sale of locally-grown produce. No farm auction items are to be sold. No flea market items or live animals are to be sold. All persons/organizations must qualify as LFMA members in order to participate.
a) Vendors who are members as of January 27, 2011 are entered into our association’s ‘Grandfather Clause’, and may continue selling products they have sold prior to this date.
b) New Vendors: must offer products which are 100% home-produced
2011 Elected Officers
*Our President, Vice President, Secretary, & Treasurer will be responsible for enforcing vendor compliance with all applicable Fairfield County Health Department codes, and all additional codes that apply to our market. Officers of the LFMA reserve the right to randomly
inspect the vendors’ premises.
1. President: Dave Stuart Serves a 1-year term; the President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the association, and shall endorse official documents issued or published by the association. The President shall preside at all meetings of the association and all committees. The President shall be responsible for carrying out the Market rules and policies of the association. The President shall vote only when there is a tied vote among members.
2. Vice President: Tammy Arnold Serves a 1-year term; the Vice President, in the absence of, or upon resignation of, the President, shall assume all the powers and duties of the President until a special election is held. The Vice President shall be the overseer of all committees, and be responsible for carrying out the Market rules and policies.
3. Secretary: Grace Weaver Serves a 1-year term; shall keep a record of business discussed during all market meetings; distributes minutes from market meetings to those members who request them; shall conduct the official correspondence of the association. Some involvement with advertising.
4. Treasurer: Sherry Brady Serves a 1-year term; shall maintain correct accounts of all financial transactions of the association; will provide a monthly record at the end of each month of the associations’ financial statement. This statement will be available to all members during the year, upon request. The books of account shall at all times be open to inspection by any member. A financial review of all accounts shall be completed by the end of the calendar year.
5. Grievance Committee- 5 members: Tim Arnold, Laura Cowen, Larry Gerlach, Jim King, and Rob Hartley: Serve a 1-year term; shall hear and decide all filed grievances.
6. Customer Service Representatives-two members: Ruth Stuart & Pam McIlwain: Serve a 1-year term; responsible for addressing customer questions and concerns.
‘Rules and Regulations’ Committee continued Below
7.‘Rules and Regulations’ Committee: (President Dave Stuart, Vice President Tammy Arnold, Secretary Grace Weaver, Treasurer Sherry Brady), members
Tim Arnold, Laura Cowen, Ralph Hugus, Paul Saum, and Pam McIlwain. Serve a 1-year term; The purpose of the ‘Rules and Regulations’ Committee will be to take under consideration and re-format/re-write those motions that may have a major impact on the general association membership, and as a result of those considerations undertake any or all of the following:
1. Present its’ views and opinions to the membership prior to a vote on the motion in question.
2. Make the determination whether the votes required for passage shall be that of either the members in attendance or of the total association.
a) The President will vote only when there is a tied vote among members.
b) The President or any member of the ‘Rules and Regulations’ Committee may intervene during the discussion stage of any motion which has been seconded and table that discussion until the next regularly scheduled meeting if the outcome of passing the motion does not meet the criteria as set forth in 2., above.
Filing a Grievance:
a) $20.00 fee to file a grievance, payable to LFMA
b) Grievances must be in written form, along with valid evidence, and may be submitted to any member of the Grievance Committee.
c) All Grievances will be kept confidential by each member of the Grievance Committee
d) All 5 Grievance Committee members will hear each grievance by each individual party concerned (without other parties present) in order to preserve confidentiality.
e) Grievances will be not be heard or decided during market hours.
f) In the case of a Grievance Committee member filing a grievance, the President or Vice President will replace that committee member.
g) Grievance Committee findings are final.
h) $20.00 fee will be refunded if the Grievance Committee decision is in your favor…if it isn’t in your favor the $20.00 will be forfeited, and deposited into the LFMA Treasury.
Member Meetings:
a) Off-season: membership meetings will be held once-monthly, starting in December, and continue into the new year until the start of the market season
b) Special committee meetings will be held as needed, with all primary officers attending.
c) Any member who disagrees with a decision of a committee or elected officer may present his/her opinion at a regularly scheduled meeting.
General Elections:
a) Nomination or self-nomination is required to run for an elected position
b) Each nominee is given time to discuss their qualifications, ideas, intentions, etc… prior to the member vote.
c) Elections for the new market season will be held in January of the new market season
d) Any member is eligible to run for office. A member wishing to run for the office of President must have been a member in good standing for at least one year.
e) Voting for elected positions will be by private ballot, unless attending members vote to accept a raise of hands, instead.
f) Marketing, collecting of ballots, counting of ballots, and announcements of new officers during the election meeting will be the responsibility of the Secretary.
g) The current President will only vote if there is a tie.
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Treasury:
1. Proceeds from annual membership fees shall be used to pay operating and advertising expenses of the market throughout the season. Should the association dissolve or become inoperative, remaining monies shall be donated to a good cause agreed upon by the majority membership.
2. A checking account will be established in the association’s name. The President and Treasurer have authorization to sign checks.
3. Any expense which has not been budgeted, and will result in an amount due in excess of $300.00 must have a majority vote from the association. It is agreed that it is the responsibility of the market President and Treasurer to notify membership of this expense and initiate a membership vote.
‘Rules and Regulations’ Amendments:
1. ‘Rules and Regulations’ written by the primary officers, the ‘Rules and Regulations’ Committee and approved by a majority vote at association meetings shall be in effect unless amended.
2. Any of the ‘Rules and Regulations’ may be amended at a regular association meeting, and changed by a 75% attending membership vote.
Let’s have a fun, peaceful and profitable market season!!
If You Feel You Would Like to Participate
In This Market And Become A Vendor
Please Feel Free To Contact Us.
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