Fresh seafood is always very popular at farmers’ markets, but navigating the rules around what is required for licenses/permits can be confusing for market managers. This is because most food safety issues at farmers’ markets are regulated by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) and the Department of Health and Human Service (for […]
Best Practices
“Vendors Wanted” Facebook Page
February 17, 2018 Categories
Markets that are seeking new vendors may post to our Facebook page, @MaineVendorsWanted. For best results, be sure to include the deadline for application, links to necessary materials, and information about where/when/how long the market takes place.
Making Your Market More Accessible to All
January 17, 2018 CategoriesAccessibility at the Market At the 2018 Maine Farmers’ Market Convention (1/11/18), Ketra Crosson, OTL, and Jill Johanning, AIA, gave a presentation about accessibility at farmers’ markets. Jill and Ketra discussed the importance of topics such as secure footing, providing “handicapped accessible” parking (when the permanent blue parking spaces may be obscured by the farmers’ […]
Plan B – when Credit/EBT devices fail
July 25, 2017 CategoriesPrepare for the Rainy Days! Here is a simple step that will save your market a lot of stress in the case of an EBT device error. This page will explain: How to order manual vouchers Why your market should have these How to use your manual vouchers Manual Vouchers Paper Vouchers can be used […]
Working the market info booth – a success story from Augusta
July 21, 2017 CategoriesA strong Maine Harvest Bucks program requires a good deal of effort, and often one person can make a major difference. This was the case for the Augusta Farmers’ Market at Mill Park, which first began offering SNAP nutrition incentives in 2014, and added an “info booth” (where SNAP and other transactions are processed) in […]
Donated Produce and Tax Deductions
June 14, 2017 CategoriesCharitable Donations of Produce and the Tax Implications By Kristin Krokowski (reprinted with permission) Over the years there has been a lot of confusion about charitable donations of farm and garden produce and how that relates to tax deductions. After all there is always some good cause to donate your excess produce to – the […]
Thinking about selling prepared foods?
August 31, 2016 CategoriesWe’ve been hearing from more people interested in selling prepared foods at markets. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has a helpful bulletin, Recipe to Market: How to Start a Specialty Food Business in Maine, with details about what is required for various types of foods, and links to excellent resources (including commercial kitchens that […]
Update your farmers’ market USDA listing by July 15
June 28, 2016 Categories
The USDA’s listing of farmers’ markets relies on market managers to update the listings, so this is one directory each market must update individually. With a lot of publicity coming down the pike for National Farmers’ Market Week (August 7-13, to be celebrated here as Maine Farmers’ Market Snapshot Week), now is the time to make […]
Common questions market managers encounter
June 24, 2016 CategoriesMany farmers’ markets set up in public parks, municipal parking lots, and other public spaces. There are a range of creative partnerships around the region, but sometimes misunderstandings arise, often due to misperceptions about the structure and operation of farmers’ markets. These are some common questions that come up in meetings between municipal officers and FMs, along […]
New Food Sampling Policy
May 16, 2016 CategoriesRonda Stone of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry recently issued this new policy to help ensure the safety of food samples at farmers’ markets: POLICY FOOD SAMPLING AT FARMERS’ MARKETS APRIL 13, 2016 This policy amends, updates and supersedes the previous policy “Sampling of Food Products at Farmers Markets” dated March 18, 2010. The […]