FARMED & FORGED MARKET
RULES & REGULATIONS

Regular Season 2024

Updated January 2024

RULES

BE RESPECTFUL
No harassing, aggressive, negative or disrespectful behavior with vendors, customers or market staff will be tolerated. Vendors are expected to act professionally and treat others with respect at all times, no exceptions. The market coordinator reserves the right to dismiss a vendor for the rest of the season for any behavior they deem unacceptable.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN TO VENDORS DISMISSED DUE TO BEHAVIOR.

  1. NO SMOKING
    Vaping, cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco are prohibited in the market area. Smokers must be eight feet outside of the market area.

  2. SET UP
    Set up occurs no earlier than specified set up time. Vendors are expected to be present the entire market. Vendors arriving less than 30 minutes before the market with no notice or approval will be asked to not participate that day. All vehicles must be out of the market area no later than 30 minutes before the start of the event.

  3. BREAK DOWN
    No tearing down prior to the market ending without prior approval. Vendors should do their best to be out within one hour after the market ends.

  4. KEEP IT CLEAN
    Vendors are responsible for picking up all of their belongings and waste. Food vendors must take their garbage to the dumpster and may not use the garbage cans in the market area to dispose of waste.

  5. NEW PRODUCTS
    New products must be approved by the Market Manager prior to sale. List all ingredients and ensure location origin labels are on products. New consumable products may need to be approved through the LaPorte County Health Department, reachable at 219-325-5563 or the Berrien County Health Department, reachable at (269) 684-2800

  6. HEALTH DEPARTMENT
    All applicable vendors are responsible for obtaining all necessary licenses and permits required by the LaPorte County Health Department and/or the Berrien County Health Department and adhering to their rules and regulations. Failure to do so will result in expulsion from the market.

  7. ANIMALS
    Well-behaved dogs are allowed at the Market as long as they remain on leash and are cleaned up after. However, vendors selling consumable products may NOT bring any animal with them or allow animals behind their booths.

  8. VENDOR PAYMENT & FEES
    Failure to make payment and/or submit your insurance information by the due date without prior approval from market staff will result in a $25 late fee. Failure to make payment and/or submit your insurance information after 1 week of your due date will result in losing your space. Your late fee will stay attached to your account indefinitely and must be paid before you apply to participate in another event hosted by The Collective.

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

TIMES & HOURS OF OPERATIONS

La Porte

The market will run on Sundays from May 26 through September 29, 2024, 11a-2p CST. All vendors are expected to stay through the duration unless they receive approval from the Market Manager to leave.

  • Set up starts at 9a CST (vendors will not be permitted in the market area before this time).

  • Vendors must be at the market no later than 10:30a CST.

  • All vehicles must be out of the market area no later than 10:30a CST.

  • Vendors must be set up and be ready to sell by 11a CST.

  • Vendors arriving after 10:30a CST with no notice will be asked to not participate that day.

  • See attendance policy below for more details.

NOTE: Vendors may pull up to their booth space to unload but must move their vehicle out of the market area prior to setting up to keep the road clear for others to come through.

Tearing down prior to the end time of the market without the approval of the Market Manager may result in a vendor being asked to not return.

New Buffalo

The Market will run on Thursdays from May 30 through September 5, 2024, 5p - 8p EST. All vendors are expected to stay through the duration unless they receive approval from the Market Manager to leave.

  • Set up starts at 3p EST (vendors will not be permitted in the market area before this time).

  • Vendors must be at the market no later than 4:30p EST

  • All vehicles must be out of the market area no later than 4:30p EST.

  • Vendors must be set up and be ready to sell by 5:00p EST.

  • Vendors arriving after 4:30 EST with no notice will be asked to not participate that day.

  • See attendance policy below for more details.

NOTE: Vendors may pull up near the market to unload but must move their vehicle out of the loading area prior to setting up to keep the road clear for others to come through.

Tearing down prior to the end time of the market without the approval of the Market Manager may result in a vendor being asked to not return.

ELIGIBILITY TO SELL

A vendor is any person selling articles for human consumption such as fruits, vegetables, edible grains, nuts and berries, apiary products, etc., or items such as potted/cut plants or flowers, soap, jewelry, art, candles, etc. The Market Manager must approve ALL products.

ALL VENDORS MUST CARRY INSURANCE
Lessee will maintain and show proof of liability insurance in a minimum amount of $1,000,000 aggregate, $500,000 per occurrence and The Collective further held harmless and named as an additional insured for any act or occurrence resulting from the vendor, its employees, agents or assigns. A copy of the policy shall be provided to The Collective.

The Collective Events, Inc
PO Box 762
Westville, IN 46391

NOTE- Vendors selling consumable food and beverage items must also list The City of La Porte and/or The City of New Buffalo as additionally insured.

La Porte
The City of La Porte
801 Michigan Ave
La Porte, IN 46350

New Buffalo
The City of New Buffalo
224 West Buffalo St
New Buffalo, MI 49117

If this information is not provided by the due date, a $25 late fee will be applied to the vendor’s account.

NOTE - The Collective Events, Inc. must be listed as additionally insured on ALL policies

SELLING REGULATIONS

All raw food (meat, cheese, fruit, eggs, veggies, herbs, edible plant starts etc.) sold at the market must be harvested within a 100-mile radius of the city of La Porte and/or New Buffalo The source for all products MUST have a sign visibly displayed listing the location and business/farm the product was sourced from. Any further exemptions must be approved by the Market Manager prior to market. If a vendor refuses to disclose where a product came from or is not truthful about where a product came from, they will be automatically dismissed from the market. Transparency is top priority with products, and not being honest about where items come from will not be tolerated.

Fresh produce may be sold by the piece or by weight on a scale that is legal for trade and bears a current seal. The face of the scale must be visible to the buyer. Scales used in pre-packaging are not subject to state testing; however, produce so packed is subject to inspection to verify the accuracy of the claimed weight. Most produce is sold in volume containers or by the count. When produce is precut and wrapped, a label must be applied to the package to clearly indicate the complete business name and address of the packer or distributor. The label on prepackaged produce sold by weight must also show the commodity name, net weight, price per pound, total price and, if packed other than on the premises, the business name and address.

  • All fresh berries, cherries and other small fruit may be sold, if in bulk, in standard-sized containers such as quarts, pints, standard dry measure, etc. The fruit must be uniform in size or sold by the numerical count.

  • Melons may be sold by the count.

  • Corn may be sold by the half dozen or in multiples.

  • Root crops may be sold by the piece or by the bunch.

Any perishable items such as fresh fruit juice, cider, eggs, meat, etc., must be kept at a temperature of 40° F or below.

A general listing of products and specialty items must be submitted to the Market Manager prior to Market for their review. The Market Manager may individually determine whether certain "questionable" items may be sold at the Market.

The sale of fish, eggs, or dairy products shall be permitted as long as the vendor is in compliance with all state laws and/or local Health Department rules and regulations covering such products sold at the Market.

All baked goods and on-site prepared food vendors must have acquired all necessary licenses, permits, etc. prior to market season and furnish copies to the Market Manager by the due date / before entrance to the Market as a vendor. All vendors must be in compliance with all local Health Department Rules.

Product "dumping" below fair market value is prohibited except when product is identified to purchaser as being of inferior quality.

No unwholesome or spoiled articles may be offered for sale, such as cracked melons, overripe tomatoes, worm-infested corn, etc.

Certified organic growers must display certification. Items not certified as organic may NOT be labeled as such.

The collection of Indiana State sales tax is the responsibility of the seller.

Vendor spaces are not transferable. All vendors will be assigned a market space before the market starts. Vendor relocation may be approved at the discretion of the Market Manager.

VENDOR SET UP & DISPLAY

  • Sellers must furnish their own canopy tent, tables, chairs, drop-cloths, display arrangements and rain protection, etc. as they will not be supplied by the Market. Displays must look professional & polished. Floor length table coverings & canopies are required for all vendors.

  • The Market is open-air; no shelter is provided. All canopies, tents, umbrellas, etc., must always be securely anchored. Failure to do so is cause for expulsion. Minimum weight requirement is 100lbs.

  • Each seller must display a sign with name and hometown. Signage is also required for vendors accepting SNAP/WIC/Senior Citizen coupons.

  • Vehicles are NOT permitted in the market area during the market unless pre approved by the market manager.

  • Vendors who are required to have a handwashing station must bring it with them. Water is not available on site.

ATTENDANCE

Vendors are announced each week prior to the market. Thus, open communication between The Collective team and vendors is required and attendance is expected.

Vendor Call-Offs & Cancellations
If you need to call off or cancel, the Market Manager must be notified by the Thursday before the Market no later than 12p CST for La Porte and Monday bfore the market no later than 12p EST for New Buffalo. Any notifications given after that time for any reason will result in a $25 late cancellation fee that must be paid before attending the next market. No refunds or credits will be given in the event of cancellation. It is up to the discretion of the Market Manager to offer a one time warning for the first late call off.

Daily Vendors Only
If the vendor wishes to reschedule accepted & invoiced dates, we will allow one adjustment free of charge (only if it is within the cancelation period), after that, there is a $25 rescheduling fee per instance.

No call / no shows are unacceptable. Failure to let market staff know you will not be attending before the start of market set-up for any reason will result in a $100 no call / no show fee and may result in the vendor being asked to not return for the duration of the season. No refunds or credits will be given.

Tardiness
All vendors must be at the market with their vehicles removed from the market/loading area no later than 30 minutes prior to the market start time, and must be set up and ready to sell at the start of the market (unless otherwise approved by the market manager)

Vendors who arrive within 30 minutes of the start of the market will receive one warning. Late arrivals after the initial warning will result in a $25 late fee that will double with each occurrence following. Late fees must be paid PRIOR to the vendor returning to the market, and the late fee will remain on their account indefinitely until paid.

Example-
First late arrival - Warning
Second late arrival - $25 late fee
Third late arrival - $50 late fee
Fourth late arrival - $100 late fee
Fifth late arrival - $200 late fee

Vendors who arrive after the start of the market will NOT be permitted to set up.

Call Offs
Call offs must be done by Thursday at 12p CST before the market for La Porte and by Monday at 12p EST before the market for New Buffalo. Failure to give notice in time will result in a $25 fee.

No Call / No Shows
No call / no shows are unacceptable. Failure to let market staff know you will not be attending before the start of market set-up for any reason will automatically result in a $100 fee, and may result in the vendor being asked to not return for the duration of the season. No refunds or credits will be given.

NOTE- Late cancellations, rescheduling, arriving late, no call / no shows all cause more work, time & resources for our team to update marketing graphics, adjust vendor maps, track vendor attendance, etc. These fees have been implemented to help our team recoup these resources when instances like this arise.

CLEAN-UP

Vendors must remove all waste from their spaces and market areas before leaving for the day. Each vendor’s area must be kept free and clear of unsightly and dangerous debris. Vendors who fail to clean up will face possible suspension or expulsion from the Market.

REPORTING

All vendors are required to share their average sales for the month with the Market Manager as sales totals by category are a requirement to receive SNAP approval for the market. This information is confidential and individual vendor sales will never be shared.

WEATHER

The Market is a rain or shine event, and vendors are expected to attend every Market, barring severe weather.

Storms / Wind
In the event the forecast is showing a 50% or higher chance of severe weather (storms, strong winds), the decision to adjust the time, or cancel the Market will be made by the Market Manager by 8a CST the morning of the market. If there is a 75% chance or higher of severe weather by 8a CST the morning of, the market will automatically be canceled. Safety is our top priority.

Extreme Heat
If the heat index is anticipated to be 95 degrees or above, the market will run on shortened hours and the time slot may be shifted. If the heat index is anticipated to be 100 degrees or above, the market manager will make the decision to cancel or shorten the market. If the heat index is anticipated to be 105 degrees or above, the market will automatically be canceled.

Air Quality
If the air quality is deemed unsafe, the market team will make the decision to either shorten or cancel the market.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN FOR CANCELLATIONS DUE TO WEATHER.