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Purpose:
The Dandridge Main Street Farmers Market
operates under the Dandridge Community Trust as a venture
between it, local farmers, UT Agricultural Extension, the Town
of Dandridge, and the public to provide a location in historic
Dandridge where Jefferson County and contiguous county growers
can sell their farm/garden produced items to consumers during
the growing season.
Eligibility:
A farmer or gardener located within
Jefferson County or the contiguous counties of Cocke, Grainger,
Hamblen, Knox or Sevier that grows his or her own farm items is
eligible to apply.
No reselling of items is allowed; all
products must come from the applicant’s lands or kitchens. An
applicant can also be a small group of farmers or gardeners who
band together to stock a booth with products from their lands.
Local food vendors may apply to sell
refreshments. These food vendors will be required to satisfy all
town requirements regarding business licenses, sales tax, and
health and USDA and TN Department of Agriculture regulations.
No
children 16 years of age or younger will be allowed to be in
charge of a booth unless a parent or guardian is in attendance.
On a space available
basis, community groups, clubs, and similar non profits, may
apply to have a market space for sale of refreshments,
fundraiser items, and other similar goods provided the items for
sale are in the spirit of the market and its purpose.
Approval Process:
All applications must be completely filled
out and mailed to:
DCT Farmers Market
P. O. Box 1382
Dandridge TN 37725
They can also be completed and emailed to
bagarrow@hotmail.com
Each application will be reviewed by the
market operating committee and any questions asked must be fully
answered by the applicant. The UT Agricultural Extension Agent
will schedule a visit with you prior to acceptance of your
application in order to determine that you are capable of
growing the items you intend to sell that are listed on your
application. The agent may also schedule a visit should
the question arise about the orgin of your items for sale.
All applicants must agree to abide by the
regulations of the Town of Dandridge, Jefferson County, the TN
Department of Agriculture and the USDA. If approved, you will be
notified in writing (or by email) of your booth number and the
market dates for which you are accepted. Spaces are limited so
if accepted and all spaces are full, you will be placed on a
waiting list. If accepted and you are not going to be able to
participate every market day, you must call the Market Manager
at least one week in advance of the date you can’t attend.
The Market Manager’s phone number is
865-368-9097 (a cell phone- if no answer please leave a
message). Those on the waiting list will be called in the order
accepted to determine if they can fill a spot in your absence.
It is important to keep the market as full of vendors as
possible to offer a range of items and choice of products to the
customer.
Liability:
All applicants by submitting an application
assume liability for the any damage caused resulting from the
sale of their products. By signing your application you also
agree to hold harmless the Town of Dandridge and the Dandridge
Main Street Farmers Market/Dandridge Community Trust from any
all liability resulting from a sale of your product to a
consumer, or from any action resulting from your participation
in the market.
Display and Sale of Products:
All accepted applicants agree to provide an
attractive, clean and tidy display of their items for sale and
arrive at the market well in advance of the opening hour in
order to be ready to sell at the designated time. Depending on
the market layout, lyou may be able to have one vehicle per
vendor on site; any other vehicles must be parked in the
Jefferson County Courthouse parking lot. If the market
grows and there is no on-site space, all vehicles will be
required to park in the courthouse parking lot. Once
unloaded, no vehicles will be allowed in the market during
market hours and all vendor vehicles are required to park in the
nearby courthouse parking lot.
No vendor can sell in advance of posted
market hours. 2010 hours are 8 a.m. until 12 noon.
During market hours, one street parking
space will be available for resupplying your booth and all
vendors will share that space.
It is required that each vendor stay
through the market’s close. If you sell out early, you may
place a sign on you booth so stating. This is a safety
requirement.
To the extent of its ability, the market
will endeavor to provide a tent to cover /shade your display.
Tables, table coverings, display baskets, etc. are to be
supplied by you. Signage is to detail the items to be sold
and their price. Each vendor shall have at least one sign posted
at its booth that lists the vendor name, address, and phone
number. We will also hold a space on the street available for
customer loading and unloading so that elderly persons or other
persons do not have to haul heavy produce to their car.
All sales and monies will be handled by you
or your designee as the market will not have funds on hand for
such purposes.
Any scales used in the course of your sales
must have a current inspection sticker from the TN Dept. of
Agriculture. Items may be sold by some by some other
measure than weight; e.g. by the bag, handful, etc.
Any
meat sold or orders taken for meat sales must be processed in a
USDA Inspected Facility. Meats sold onsite must have a
Dept. of Agriculture stamp (this rule does not apply to poultry
sold at the market; however, it has to also be processed by a
USDA inspected facility.
At the end of each market day, each seller
is required to clean up any trash produced by it or its buyers
and to leave their booth area clean. Additionally, in order to
keep track of the market’s success, each vendor must respond to
short survey listing the items sold and the total gross revenue
earned. That survey form will also have a space where you can
commit to returning the following week. Your comments and
suggestions will also be solicited.
Consumers may also be asked to fill out a
survey of their thoughts and suggestions as well.
The market supports sustainability and will
encourage consumers to bring their own bags in which to carry
their purchases. However, be prepared that not all consumers
will bring bags and you will need to supply some packaging.
Items to be Supplied by the Market:
The Dandridge Main Street Farmers Market
will supply tents to shade the booths to the extent it has funds
to do so, as well as a porta-potty and trash cans to maintain a
clean and sanitary location. A first aid kit will be on hand but
any costs of injury or illness will be the responsibility of
those affected. The market will also pay for signage and other
promotional materials to advertise the market to help make it a
success.
The market has access to electricity and if
you need electrical power you need to bring outdoor rated
extension cords and make sure they are taped down so as not to
constitute a safety hazard.
Market Hours:
The market will operate on Saturdays from 9
AM until 1 PM at the parking lot at the corner of Meeting and
Gay Streets (Hwy 92 and US Hwy 25/70 intersection at the yellow
blinking caution light), one block north of the Jefferson County
Courthouse. The market will be begin June 12 and plans to
run as long as the growing conditions allow—usually through art
of October.
Fees:
For market year 2010, the following fees
apply:
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All booths pay $5/market day; fee collected
at market close.
- If paid a month in advance, you can reserve a space and pay a
reduced fee ($16 for four weeks).
- Spaces must be reserved by Wednesday at 5 p.m. for the
following market Saturday. Space will be made available on
a first come, first serve basis.
- If you do not reserve your space by 5 p.m. on Wednesday prior
to the market Saturday, the fee is $10 per market day.
Pets:
Pets must remain under the control of
their owner and will not be allowed off a leash or in some other
appropriate restraint. The Market Manager reserves the
right to ask an owner to remove their pet from the market place.
No animal will be brought to the market for sale, unless it is
by a humane society or some other similar organizaton.
Smoke Free:
The Dandridge Main Street Farmers Market is
a smoke free environment.
Other Rules:
There shall be no whining at the market
except to the Market Manager (the onsite representative of the
Market Operating Committee). The Market Manager will arbitrate
any on-site disputes, answer questions, and be a resource for
the sellers and consumers. Any on-site decision made by the
Market Manager will be final.
Any vendor who the Market Manager
determines is out of compliance with these rules will first
receive a written warning from the Market Manager detailing the
problem (s). If the problem is not corrected quickly and
appropriately, the vendor will be asked to leave the market and
not be allowed to return unless remedial measures are undertaken
and approved by the Market Operating Committee. The Market
Manager has the authority to make on-site decisions to maintain
the orderly functioning of the market.
Any outstanding complaints can be brought
to the attention of the Market Operating Committee for further
resolution. The Market Operating Committee is composed of a
representative of the Dandridge Community Trust, the UT
Agricultural Extension Agent, a consumer representative, and
several farmers. It may be reached by calling (865) 397-7420
ext. 17, or (865) 368-9097 (a cell phone).
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