2025 Market Rules and Regulations
The mission of the Eastern Randolph Farmers Market is to provide a venue where local farmers, producers, crafters and artisans come together to provide a variety of fresh produce and related products directly to the consumer.
MARKET OPENING AND CLOSING
Saturdays from May – August | Opening Day: May 3rd and Final Day: August 23rd
Saturday’s: (Sale Time) 9:00am-2:00pm (Set-up) 8:00am
*On Saturday, May 24th, our vendor hours will be 9-5pm as Millstone Creek Orchards hosts a special 21st Anniversary event (Party @ The Pond) featuring live music, hayrides, games, and more.
Each vendor must leave his or her selling area clean and in orderly condition. All refused and unsold goods must be removed from the market area by the vendor. All boxes and trash from each vendor must be removed and transported by the vendor. Onsite trash disposal is not provided.
FEES
Application fee: $10 nonrefundable fee
Season pass (covers all weekends): $140 - due at time of application
Allows participation in every weekend of the market for a maximum of 17 market days.
Provides vendors with a dedicated space each week and priority placement in the front circle for maximum visibility.
Daily pass: $15/day - paid weekly
For vendors who are only able to attend a few market days, we have the option to pay per date attended.
Please understand that submitting an application does not guarantee vendor acceptance. If you do not qualify per the Farmers Market guidelines, we'd love for you to join our Summer Outdoor Markets hosted once a month from May-August.
WEATHER
Markets will be held rain or shine. In the event of closure due to severe weather, the market manager will contact the vendors by email or text message.
BOOTHS/ FACILITIES
Vendors who have confirmed their attendance should arrive at 8:00 am for setup. Any vendors not checked in by 8:35am will forfeit their space.
Vendor spaces will be assigned day of based on seasonal or daily market status. Our season pass vendors, those committing to sell their items the entire market season, will be given dedicated spaces. Our daily pass vendors will receive space on a first come, first serve basis. Daily pass vendors are individuals who cannot commit to the full season because of other obligations or supply reasons.
Vendors must supply their own tents, tables, chairs, etc.
Vendors may not leave prior to closing time. Rare exceptions are to be at the discretion of the market manager.
All vendors must have a sign clearly showing their name.
ALLOWED VENDORS AND PRODUCTS
Market Manager’s Discretion
Acceptance of vendors will be at the discretion of the Market Manager. Acceptance is based on quality of the product(s) and the relevance of the product(s) to the overall diversification and mission of the Market. All products must be local (within a 60 mile radius) and handmade or home grown.
Producers Only Market
The Eastern Randolph Farmers Market is a producers-only farmers market, which means that vendors must grow, produce, bake, raise, or craft their products by hand. Farmers who wish to sell must submit an application to the Market manager that certifies that they grow their own produce and/or proteins and it’s locally grown/produced.
Each vendor in the market must be directly involved with and be knowledgeable about the production of the produce or products being sold at the market and exemplify originality to ensure the integrity of our market.
Members must reside and produce the items they sell within a 60-mile radius of Ramseur, NC. Members must also be the original producer of their items. No direct sales vendors are accepted and the resale of goods or items by third parties is prohibited.
The producer’s name must be clearly displayed in each booth.
Farm and Garden Vendors
Includes fresh produce, herbs, plants, flowers, and nursery stock. Vendors must grow 100% of the produce/plants they sell.
Food Vendors
Includes baked goods, jams, jellies, honey, eggs, meats, and dairy products. Vendors must prepare all products themselves, adhering to local health and safety regulations. Various products, including prepared foods, acidified foods, meats and eggs require different certifications and procedures. Before submitting your application, please review the state's guidelines and details below.
Meat/Dairy: Meat sellers are required to have a meat handlers license obtained from NCDA Division of Meat and Poultry. Dairy sellers are required to have a NCDA kitchen inspection. If you need more information on selling meat, eggs or poultry, click here. Please submit your additional necessary certifications by uploading below.
Prepared Foods (baked goods, breads, cookies, pies, jams/jellies, coffee, juices, granola, pasta): These items are required to be produced in a certified kitchen. Acidified foods such as pickles and relishes require FDA certification. Home based food businesses including baked goods, jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, salsas are permitted but require an NC Home Processing license through NC Dept. of Agriculture. Learn more here. Please submit your additional necessary certifications by uploading below.
Additional Details for Prepared Food Vendors:
The prepared food vendor shall use honest and obvious labeling on the product and in the space, describing the product, its contents, its source, and the preparer.
Vendors have two options for labeling:
Individually packaged single serving foods set out for self-service require a label on the package. A label must be affixed to the package bearing the common or usual name of the product, a declaration of ingredients in descending order of predominance, the name and complete address of the firm or party responsible for the manufacture of the product.
Baked goods sold in bulk and handed out directly to customers should have ingredient placards posted on bulk containers for customers to see.
Packaged foods are regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under the provisions of G.S. 106-121(13a) which defines “packaged” as any container or wrapping in which any consumer commodity is enclosed for use in the delivery or display of that consumer commodity to retail purchasers. Labels are required on packages set out for self-service, but are not required when someone hands out wrapped products ordered by a customer. Labels must bear the common or usual name of the product, declare ingredients in descending order of predominance, bear the name and complete address of the firm or party responsible for the manufacture of the product, and in some circumstances, net weight or quantity and nutritional information. Learn more here.
Vendors have two options for packaging baked goods:
Individually packaging these items in a NCDA approved or Health Department approved facility.
Selling from clean covered bulk containers that are only accessible by the vendor. Those who choose to sell from covered bulk containers must use one of the following acceptable methods to remove food from covered bulk containers: clean tongs or other utensils, single-use gloves, or single-use wax paper sheets.
The baked goods should then be placed in a clean, unused bag or container and handed to the customer, or single items can be directly handed to the customer in a single use wax paper sheet when appropriate. Consumers are not allowed to self-serve from covered bulk containers.
The prepared food vendor must provide documentation of compliance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations regarding such products. The prepared food application should include a list of ingredients for the item(s), and which of those are organic or bought from farmers within the Market Radius.
The Market manager may request samples of product and/or packaging as appropriate.
Craft Vendors:
Includes handmade and handcrafted items such as pottery, candles, woodworking, textiles, soaps, and jewelry. For products to be considered hand-crafted, the products must demonstrate a level of manual skills and originality, and the products cannot contain any type of industrial production.They must show evidence of a significant transformation of raw material into unique, finished goods.
Categories of Craft Vendors:
Artisan Crafters: Pottery, candles, woodworking, or similar crafts where raw materials (e.g., clay, wax, wood) are significantly transformed into a finished product by the vendor. They must demonstrate a high level of skill and creativity.
Assembly Crafters: Jewelry making, beading, wreath making, or other crafts where pre-manufactured components (e.g., beads, wires, florals) are assembled into a finished product. The items must reflect the vendor's personal creativity and craftsmanship. Products relying primarily on pre-made components (e.g., stringing beads, assembling pre-cut florals) should be of high quality and not mass-produced or made from kits.
Examples of unacceptable items would be, but not limited to: printed materials, t-shirts, photographs, ceramics or pottery from commercial molds, wood carvings using duplicating machines, kits in any form, and any other items, which clearly do not reflect originality of design and creativity.
Organic Producers:
All items sold as organic must meet the requirements of the National Organic Program. Members selling organic items must have a copy of their certification on file with the market manager as well as with them when selling at market. Only certified organic growers or artisans using certified organic ingredients may display signs using the word “organic” or any derivative word. Vendors must be clear about which parts of their products are organic.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION
Vendors must know, understand, and comply with all state and local certification requirements related to their products.
Vendors who sell organic products must submit their current USDA organic certification.
Vendors who sell meat must submit a copy of their NCDA&CS Meat and Poultry Inspection Division Handlers Form with their Vendor application. If a Vendor is applying under the NCDA poultry exemption, the Vendor must submit a certified exemption form with their Vendor application.
Vendors who sell dairy products for human consumption must submit a dairy license from NCDA&CS.
Vendors who sell raw milk and raw milk products must meet state regulations and must clearly label the products “Not for Human Consumption.”
Vendors who sell prepared food items, meat, cheese, and/or fish must meet state and local health inspection and certification requirements.
Vendors are prohibited from making any false or misleading claims about their products including bout origination, farming methods, or processing.
Each member shall provide file copies of any required public, county, or state inspections to the market manager.
VENDOR PRODUCT PRICING
Pricing of goods sold at the market is the sole responsibility of the individual vendor.
Prices must be posted for all items offered for sale. Price fixing, collusion, is illegal.
Fraudulent, dishonest, or deceptive merchandising or collusion to set prices among vendor may be grounds for forfeiture of the right to do business at the Market.
SANITATION
All vendors must adhere to sanitary procedures for selling produce and value-added items - clean space and sanitized space and materials. All vendors must dress appropriately. Vendors who provide samples and/or products that will result in waste material, such as cups, rinds, and corn cobs must provide containers for waste disposal. Please follow sanitary procedures when sampling.
PROHIBITED ITEMS
Smoking (except in designated area), alcoholic beverages, animals and firearms are not allowed.
Animals are not to be sold or given away at the market.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS
It is the responsibility of each vendor to abide by all state and federal regulations which govern the sampling, production, labeling, or safety of the product the vendor offers for sale at the market. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of the vendor’s booth. If you have any questions on this matter, please speak with the Market Manager, the NC Department of Agriculture Regulatory Services, or the Randolph County Health Department.
All prepared food items, meat, fish, and cheese sold must meet state and local health regulations including the inspection of the prepared food member’s kitchen(s) by NCDA health inspectors and/or the Department of Environmental Health and labeled in compliance with the regulations. Members must have a copy of all applicable inspections and certifications on file with the market manager, as well as with them when selling at market. No water or ice that comes into contact with meat or fish may be deposited or allowed to drain onto the market premises.
MARKET MANAGEMENT
The Market Manager’s job is to coordinate all of the weekly activities and to implement the market’s policies. The Market Manager also acts as a conduit of information between the vendors, customers and community partners. The Market Manager has complete authority to interpret and implement policies at the market site.
Quality control is one of the most important factors at the market. Routine inspections may be conducted. If your product is found unfit to sell at the Market, the Market Manager may ask you to discontinue sales of this item immediately. Vendors who repeatedly attempt to sell unfit items or produce may be asked to leave the market.
GRIEVANCE POLICY
Any vendor or customer with complaints regarding policy or implementation of policy can request a meeting with the Market Manager and will be contacted in a timely manner to schedule a meeting.
The submission of application for admission to the market serves as the vendor’s agreement to abide by the rules of the market, as established by the market’s governing body and enforced by the Market Manager. Violations of the rules of the market may be grounds for warnings, dismissal from the market, or both.
CHILDREN
Vendors who choose to bring children to the Market are asked to ensure that the children are monitored for safety and the conduct of the minors is appropriate and not disruptive to customers or other vendors.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Market Manager at erfm@millstonecreekorchards.com.