Watauga County Farmers' Market

1. Market opens first Saturday in May and continues through the last Saturday in October. Market will be open on Wednesdays from mid-June through mid-September.

2. Membership is open to the following counties: Watauga, Wilkes, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, and Johnson(TN). Produce growers from other counties will be allowed non-voting membership on a case by case basis, by written application to the board.

3.

• a. Priority of admission to the market is given to growers.
• b. All craft items by any Market Vendor will be juried as per The Guidelines for Crafts.

4.

• a. 60% of all produce (i.e. fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs) sold at the market must be homegrown by the member.
• b. 100% of all plants (cut flowers, shrubs,rooted material) sold at the market must be homegrown by the member.
• c. 100% of all processed foods (jams, bakery items) sold at the market must be homemade by the member.
• d. 100% of all crafts sold at the market must be handcrafted by the member.

5. No commercial truckers are allowed.

6. All pre-manufactured, non-craft items must be pre-approved by the board on a case by case basis.

7.

• a. Unless grandfathered prior to 1998, no member will have more than one (1) permanent space anywhere. Spaces not filled by 7:30am may be rented out by the manager at his/her discretion unless space holder calls ahead.
• b. each vendor will be limited to either a vehicle or trailer at their approved vendor space with no vehicles or trailers in the vending space, which is the 10x10 space.

8. Reserved space assignment is based on seniority. Seniority is defined by the number of years of membership and fully paid rent. If there is a tie, it will be further determined by the number of weeks attending.

9. Reserved space from the previous season is automatically reassigned for the new season if:

• a. the vendor was in attendance for 17 weeks during the previous season, and
• b. paid for the assigned space for the entire season whether in attendance or not.

10. Vendors are responsible for cleaning their spaces each time. It is not the manager's responsibility. Trash cans located in walkways are for customer use only - absolutely not to be used by vendors. Spaces in need of cleaning will be charged "double" their rent.

11. All prepared food must be in compliance with North Carolina state laws. Compliance forms must be on file with the manager.

12. The manager, with a Board member present, has the right to ask any vendor who brings inferior quality items or behaves in a disruptive manner to leave the market.

13. No pets are allowed at the market with the exception of service animals.

14. Nothing is to be tied to the shed posts on a permanent basis, or left tied or locked there between markets.

15. Annual membership fee is $65.00, unless the both the season's rent and membership fee are paid in full at signup, if so the fee would be reduced to $50.00. Each business may purchase one membership per year. Weekly fees are $6.00 under the sheds and $5.00 in the open. Rent on Wednesdays is $3.00. All new members are on probationary status for the first season.

16. All suggestions, complaints, comments must be presented in writing to the Board of Directors, signed by the member with their name, address and telephone number.

17. Vendors may not smoke in their or any other vendor area.

18. Wednesday market spaces are unassigned unless you reserve them prior to the start of the Wednesday market season. If you have reserved a space, you must call/email the manager prior to any absence. Failure to do so will cancel your reserved space for the remainder of the Wednesday season.

For further information contact manager:

• Karen Bauman
• 828-297-1914
• Watauga County Farmers' Market, PO Box 2177, Boone, NC 28607.