Farmer's Market?

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
I got 20.5 million articles when I typed in "Spongebob". What does that mean?

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Wow, you guys have a lot of rules and regulations regarding egg sales, etc.! ... As farm as I know, our local farmers markets are open freely, no fees, you just come and sell after registering with them. At the closest one it is free, just provide your own tent and table, I'm not sure of the Stirling one, but I'm certain it's the same.

We're going in the spring taking eggs, and hobby farm products. The "Comfort Country," is a huge thing here, it's their marketing plan for the three major communities, Madoc, Marmora, Tweed, and Stirling, and it's all about making the farming life available to the regular joe, and giving the rest of Ontario a good look at Hastings County. We're still a very rural/farming area, and the area is making sure it is going to stay that way

I don't believe there are any regulations that affect small producers regarding taking eggs to market, Meat yes... you have to be government approved or something, but I don't believe you need to be with eggs, though I'm not entirely sure!

 

[greyfields]

In Oregon, you can sell off your premises without a license at farm markets. It's different from State to State (and possibly Province to Province). I could go off and say my State sucks; but I know it' s helluva lot easier for me to sell chicken meat in Washington than it is in Oregon. So, it generally balances out.

 

[maplesky7]

There are many things we each do from day to day that are not one hundred percent "green."

We each have had or will have a negative impact upon the earth yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

There ARE things within our power that can change IF we are willing to make those changes.

Do what you can and live the way you feel led.

 

[maplesky7]

Here in N. IL. produce such as melons have to be on a table or a tarp....because you can't just set it on the grass or ground....because of what have you, bird or dog...poo.

Can't cut open the melons and serve halved....

Want to sell honey...they need your apiary inspection certificate.

Want to sell eggs...need to keep them cooled at 40*.

Can't sell anything custard like because of heat and bacteria.

This one gets me....and no one follows.....after each sale you have to dip your hands in bleach water. NOT. We all keep hand sanitizer around to satisfy the market inspector but he only has come 1 time a year usually in the beginning.

Oh and now any baked...good has to list ingredients and SELLER'S name and number!!! I had a HUGE problem with this. They think since we live in a small town that it shouldn't be a big problem. They say it's pertinent so if any one were to get food poisoning they would be able to track it... I told them that I would leave a symbol on my packages and the head of the market would know my name and number. I am a mom with small children and a husband in Iraq....like I want strangers to know my personal information.

Do restaurants hand out their cooks names and numbers? No. You have a problem you go to the restaurant. I think it should be the same with this market too...it only has maybe 12-20 vendors at a given time.

 

[ole-crone]

Our rules are similar. I think our produce has to be a minimum of 6" off the ground - and that includes things in boxes. We live in a dairy farm community, I guess e coli could be more of a problem here than other places (but I think since those of us who live around cows are exposed to it so much, we probably are less likely to get it than the city kids).

We don't have to dip our hands in bleach but we are to have hand sanitizer on hand.

Utah recently passed a Cottage Industry rule which allows people to make 'safer' items at home (like cookies, etc). Since no one in the state quite understands who is responsible for enforcing it, the local health department has started just issuing signs that read "Made in an unapproved kitchen" or something similar.

That law wants name and location. I agree that there is no reason to have all of that info on it if you don't want to share. You can have it filed with the market management. We normally have that info in our applications.

 

[Bossroo]

Quote:
What about the person that provides such "safer " home baked "Alice B. Tocklas" cookies, brownies and such. When I was in college, unbeknown to us, they were served in parties and also sold to anyone that wanted to purchase it. More then a few of us were unsuspecting resipients of them and wondered what was going on afterwards. Today , LSD and other designer drugs are slipped into drinks etc. that can and do much mental and physical dammage. Also very illegal. On another note. My wife wins blue ribbons and best in show at the county and State fairs for her baked and canned goods. She sold fresh baked and canned goods at the sale for locally produced goods several times a year for hollidays. Enter big brother of the VERY LIBERAL, Democratic Peoples Republic town that we lived in, who demanded that each and every individual who sold edible products must carry individual liability Insurance to provide protection for themselves as well as the City. Her premium would have been TWICE of what she ever received for her goods. She no longer sells her handiwork (that she had a sold out standing order for every year ).

 

[becky3086]

Humm, all very interesting. I have never even been to a farmers market. Produce is sold in empty spots beside the road or parking lots. Some people have dogs with them, can't say that it ever bothered me. I wash everything I eat but I don't think I would pick any sticky fruits or vegetables.