Vendor Policies & Rates

The FFM, LLC, expects vendors to recognize that the Market is the entity which enables their individual businesses to succeed. Therefore, if the Market is to thrive, everyone who does business at the Market needs to follow the same practices. The following amended Rules and Regulations of the Flint Farmers’ Market represent an attempt to recognize, a) that unique business and personal differences exist within the market, b) that individual vendors deserve the right to maintain their integrity as private entrepreneurs, but, c) that the overall success of the Market demands that certain procedures be followed by all for the “good of the Market.”

Amendments

The management team reserves the right to amend these Rules and Regulations at any time. Amendments will be made in writing and will become effective immediately. Application All applicants are subject to a background check by the Michigan State Police prior to acceptance in the market. All vendors must complete and sign an application update annually upon renewing their lease.

Attendance

All businesses are allowed to be closed 7 days (2.3 weeks if taken in a row) when the market is open in a calendar year. Market office needs to be notified if you will not be open. If it is a pre-planned absence, a sign needs to be placed at your space to give your customers notice 2 weeks in advance. And the market office needs to know 2 weeks in advance. Once you pass the 7 days a $100 fine will be added to your rent for every day over 7 that you miss. This includes emergencies and vacations.

Attendance – Tardiness: All businesses need to have someone in the market 9 am to 5 pm. Attendance will be taken at 9:30 am and again at 4:30 pm. If you are not open and have not notified a member of the market staff absence will be noted and taken into consideration when contracts are issued for the upcoming year. You will be in jeopardy of receiving a contract if your tardiness is deemed excessive.

Cleanliness

At the end of each market day vendors are expected to clean their entire area. Vegetable matter, papers and boxes must be removed. Outside vendors must remove everything, including tents, tables/chairs, trash, etc.

Specifically

• Inside: sweep behind the counter and clean the display tables. Vacuum or brush tables if needed.
• Outside: clean the display tables and sweep under them. Sweep your parking area.

All vendors are expected to break down their own cardboard and deposit it in the cardboard compactor. Wooden and wire produce crates must be removed from the market by the vendor. Deposit of these containers in the dumpsters is prohibited.

No grease may be poured into any drain, inside or outside. Vendors using the market washtubs must clean the tubs after use.

Violation of these cleaning and disposal regulations will, after a verbal and/or written warning, result in a $50 fine.

The Loading dock area is for EVERYONE to use in a TEMPORARY capacity. Unless you have arranged permission from market management your deliveries cannot stay on the docks for more than 48 hours.

Closing

All vendors, both inside and outside, must have cleaned their space and vacated the market no later than one hour after closing. This means 6pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays.

Dispute Settlement

In the event that a conflict should arise between management and a vendor which is unable to be amicably resolved within the boundaries of the contract, these Rules and Regulations, Vendor Concern and/or Violation Forms, or common practice, a vendor may challenge the decision of management by completing a Dispute of Ruling form. This written document will go before a representative of the Management Team, a representative of the Vendors, and the President of the Flint Farmers’ Market, LLC. This group will make a recommendation to the President of the Flint Farmers’ Market, LLC, after which his decision will be binding and final.

Emergencies and First Aid

All vendors are required to have in their possession a basic first aid kit. If an injury occurs that requires further care, please call 911 first and then notify the management office. There are vendors trained in trauma and CPR at 6 points in the market. Make sure you know where your closest one is in case of emergency.

Event/Market Rentals

Please be courteous to event staff and guests at the event. Remember you are representing the entire market. When guests ask you questions or need assistance entering the building please kindly direct them in the right direction or to a security or event staff person. When the market is rented after hours the lights will be TURNED OFF one hour after the market closes.

General Guidelines

Discourtesy to patrons or other vendors, obscene language, shouting or hawking of wares will not be tolerated.

If necessary, a Vendor Concern or Transparency Violation Form should be filed. It is expected, however, that these issues will be handled immediately in a mature fashion and contained as much as possible so as not to disrupt the market experience for our customers.

• Merchandise stored in the market building or on the premises is done at the risk of the vendor.
• No physical alterations may be made to any space without approval of the Market manager.

Gift Certificates

All market vendors are eligible to accept the official Flint Farmers’ Market $5 gift certificates. All certificates are in $5 increments and no change is to be given. Once you have redeemed them place your name on the back of the card and turn them in to the market office. Checks will be written at the end of each month and distributed to all vendors who are CURRENT on their rent. Not current – no gift cert check.

Holidays

From time to time, a market day will fall on a holiday. The decision to open or close will be made by management. This also includes market days that may fall on a day immediately preceding or following a major holiday.

Hours

Market Hours:
Tuesdays and Thursdays – 9:00am to 5:00pm EST.
Saturdays – 9:00am to 5:00pm EST.

Illegal Substances

There is a ZERO tolerance for drugs on this property. Do not come to the market under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Do not keep drugs or alcohol on your person or in your vendor space or vehicle. Do not receive or distribute substances ON THIS PROPERTY. If you are found to be doing any of these things you will immediately be asked to leave the market and risk losing your business space here at the market.

Inclement Weather

If the City of Flint, Genesee County offices and U of M Flint are closed due to snow or ice, the market will be closed. If the market is open, but conditions in your area are too dangerous for you to get here, simply notify market management. Please watch for updates on the Remind group text and/or FFM Market Vendor Facebook group page.

Insurance

Vendors are required to have signed the general market insurance waiver or to hold a current $500,000 liability policy. It is the responsibility of the vendor to keep the market office copy up to date.

Licenses

All vendors are required to display the appropriate MDA, Health Department, and/or Sales Tax licenses, and to have the required insurance ($500,000 Liability). Daily vendors are required to carry the same appropriate licenses.

New Employees

Please make sure to be diligent for your new employees on getting them a parking permit and their emergency contact info to the office and letting them know where your business generally parks. Also make sure you are signed up on the remind app and facebook vendor page (if you have facebook).

Non-disparagement

Vendors and/or their agents and employees shall not disparage, demean or make negative comments about, in any form or fashion, other vendors or their products or spaces, market staff or the Market itself. Conduct meant to harm someone’s reputation and/or business will not be tolerated. This includes all social media outlets.

Parking

Everyone working in the market should have a FFM Parking sticker in their lower front passenger window. All workers should have safe parking on the street, behind the market or in an adjacent lot. Please make sure that you are not parking in the customer portion of the lot except in an emergency situation. Please be diligent in alerting new workers to their parking options. At any point if you feel unsafe ask a member of the security team to walk you to your vehicle.

Prices and Points of Origin – Transparency

All products must carry signage indicating their origin. “Homegrown” means the seller grew the product. “Michigan” means grown (not packaged) in Michigan. Other points of product origin are acceptable, but signage must be truthful. This specifically applies to PRODUCE, meat and poultry inside and outside.

The Flint Farmers’ Market understands that many growers also broker some products at some point during a season. Our goal at the market is not to eliminate this practice, but to ensure that our customers understand which products are grown and which products are brokered. Products not grown in Michigan must be clearly marked as to their point of origin. “Homegrown” means grown on the seller’s farm, not a neighbor’s or relative’s. Michigan grown means Michigan grown.

Products

It is expected that, wherever possible, vendors will grow or make the products they sell, and that during the Michigan growing season, products will be Michigan grown. Before coming onto the Flint Farmers’ Market, vendors must submit a Proposed Product List of every item they intend to sell, whether the item is grown or brokered. Sale of item(s) not listed on their Approved Product List, at any time during the season, is prohibited.

We reserve the right to encourage brokering vendors to provide alternative products if we have an excess of the product on the market brought by growers. (i.e. no brokering blueberries in August during peak blueberry season)

SNAP (Bridge Card), Double Up Food Bucks, WIC, Project FRESH

Project Fresh, Senior Project Fresh, and Head Start Coupons may be accepted by eligible vendors. They are turned in to the market office and redeemed periodically. Vendors wishing to accept Bridge Cards must have their own ACS machines and pay a phone line usage fee. Most vendors accepting credit or debit use Square or a similar smart phone app. Double Up Food Bucks are accepted at the Flint market; customers must obtain a DUFB rewards card and vendors lease a wireless machine to process the cards. Bridge Card receipts are deposited directly into the vendor’s bank account. DUFB receipts are redeemed from the market office every two weeks.

Signage

Your sign must be tasteful and removable and CANNOT obstruct the view of your neighbor’s spaces. Preferably signs will be parallel to the aisles not perpendicular to them. Please be mindful that all business need to be seen from both directions.

Storage

Cold and Dry Storage may be available for vendors. Rates will be based on type of storage required an individual product needs. All storage is made available through the Flint Food Works and on a first come first served basis. Space is limited.

All Inside Vendors

All vendors are required to return a product list, signed contract, liability insurance or signed waiver, and the appropriate licenses.

The holder of an inside contract will be expected to pay every month, including those winter months when he/she may be on leave. Invoices are distributed on the first of every month. Payment is due on the 5th of the month for that month. A $50 LATE FEE will be applied after the 5th. Please make arrangements to get your payment to a member of the market staff, don’t rely on someone to remind you the payment is due. A late fee will be assessed on the 6th of the month or the next working market day.

A stall inside the market building will vary in size depending upon the requirements of each individual vendor. Assignment of stalls will be at the discretion of management based on diversity of products and the best interests of the Market. In order to request an open space or a move to a new space, a vendor or potential vendor must make a formal request to market management.

PLEASE NOTE: Vendors may only set up in their contracted area unless they have permission of the manager to do otherwise. No vendor may set up or expand into any aisles without permission from management.