Farmer's Market Resource Manual 2013 - Alaska Department of

268 Pages·2013·17.04 MB·English

2011

Developing a Farmers Market:
Your Guide to a Successful
Alaskan Market
Developed and compiled by:
Alaska Division of Agriculture
and
UAF Cooperative Extension

with input from the
Division of Environmental Health

Cover Photos: Courtesy of Alaska Division of Agriculture,
South Anchorage Farmers Market 2008, Patricia O’Neil
Produce Photos, Amy Pettit & Rachel Kenley
Table of Contents
Market Research Tab
i. Market Research – Pre Market Analysis
1. Appendix A: Farmers Market Coalition: Sample Consumer Survey
2. Appendix B: Farmers Market Coalition: Sample Business Survey
ii. Market Research- Intra Market Analysis
1. Appendix C: Oregon State University, Extension Service: Dot Surveys
2. Appendix D: Oregon State University, Extension Service: Tools for Rapid Market
Assessments
Market Location Tab
i. Site Considerations
1. Appendix E: Farmers Market Coalition: Choosing a Location
2. Appendix F: New Mexico Farmers Market: Site Considerations
Legal Considerations Tab
i. Legal Issues
ii. Zoning Requirements and Permits
iii. Insurance
iv. Road Sign Law
1. Appendix G: Alaska State Laws on Road Signs
v. Music
1. Appendix H: Farmers Market Coalition: Can we play Copyrighted Music at our Market?
Developing the Market Tab
1. Appendix I: USDA Marketing Services: Starting a Market - PowerPoint
ii. Management Organization
1. Appendix J: Oregon State University, Extension Service: Understanding the Link Between
Farmers Market Size and Management Organization
iii. Time and Season
Market Rules Tab
1. Appendix K: Wasilla City Market: Sample Rules WCM
2. Appendix L: Anchorage Market & Festival: Sample Rules AM&F
3. Appendix M: Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG): Understanding Farmers’ Market
Rules
Budget, Vendor Selection Tab
1. Appendix N: Pacific Grove Farmers Market - Sample Budget
ii. Vendor Sourcing
iii. Selecting Vendors
1. Appendix O: Tanana Valley Farmers Market Sample Application
2. Appendix P: Fayetteville Farmers Market Membership Applications
iv. Vendor Arrangement
v. Signage on Market Day
1. Appendix G: Alaska State Laws on Road Signs
vi. Marketing
vii. Community Buy-in and Contribution
viii. Special Events
ix. Market Sponsors
EBT Machines Tab
1. Appendix Q: Spenard Farmers Market: Food Assistance Vendor Handbook 2011
1. Manager Resources
Vendor Marketing Info Tab
i. Creating a Vendor Space
ii. Vendor Signage
iii. Customer Service
iv. Market Experience
v. Marketing YOUR Market
vi. Pricing
1. Appendix T: Pricing for Profit
vii. Observe Other Vendors and Markets
Weights & Measures Tab
2. Appendix U: Alaska Weights and Measures
3. Appendix V: List of Scale Companies
Food Safety on the Farm Tab
i. Food Safety/Health Requirements
ii. Types of Hazards
1. Biological Hazards
2. Physical Hazards
3. Chemical Hazards
4. Appendix W: Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Growers Guide
iii. Food Safety in the Field
iv. Harvest, Handling and Transportation Process
Food Safety Permitting Tab
i. Food Safety at the Public Market
1. Appendix X: Cottage Food Exemptions
ii. Farmers Market Practices Requiring Regulatory Oversight
1. Eggs
a. Appendix Y: Shell Egg Requirements
b. Safe Egg Handling for Small Egg Laying Flocks and Operations
2. Meat
3. Milk
a. Appendix Z: Raw Milk Fact Sheet
iii. Permitting Process Camaraderie
1. Appendix AA: Municipality of Anchorage, Temp Food Service Permit
2. State Temporary Food Service Application
3. State Checklist for Setting up a Temporary Food Service
4. State Temporary Food Service Fees
iv. Farmers Market Practices Not Requiring Regulatory Oversight
1. Vendor Resources
Farmers Markets Introduction • What type of product do you provide?
• What days are most appealing?
Farmers markets can be fun, exciting, busy plac-
• Is “this” site an appropriate location?
es that draw in members of the community
As a manager, providing market times when
while providing services and outlets to help meet
consumers are able to attend and when vendors
community needs and wants. There are many
are available to be present, is imperative. We
similarities among farmers markets, such as
have provided links to sample surveys on the
their events, organization, layout, and format:
Resources page and a printed version behind the
although, there are many differences among
“Market Research” tab.
farmers markets as well. The most important
Market Research-Intra Market Analysis
influence on a farmers market is the community,
Good marketing practices encourage markets to
and community influence is what makes each
continually evaluate the market throughout the
market unique. Successful markets tend to re-
season, from the stand point of the consumers,
spond to community input and provide the ser-
community, market management and if applica-
vices and functions the community wishes to
ble, the sponsors. Managers are encouraged to
see, especially in places as diverse as Alaska.
evaluate the market’s seasons and times, product
This manual provides information based on ex-
availability and supply, time of product availabil-
tensive exposure to farmer markets throughout
ity, effectiveness of events, and community in-
the state, on various types of research done
volvement. Review the rules and regulations of
about farmers markets, and on surveys taken at
the market, to see if there were complaints from
farmers markets. All of the information in this
vendors or consumers. Evaluate the flow of traf-
manual should be useful to creating and main-
fic and market facilities. Evaluate customer traf-
taining a successful market, however, it does not
fic, and if it is not steady, try increasing promo-
contain every piece of useful or pertinent infor-
tional efforts, special events, or new vendors.
mation possible. The manual is meant as a tool,
Oregon State University Extension Service con-
but should also open a dialog among experi-
ducted an untraditional survey, called the “dot
enced farmers market managers and vendors in
survey” (Appendix C) at several farmers mar-
order to fine-tune the contained information as
kets, which provided valuable input from a large
it pertains to Alaska, and to include additional
number of market goers. The purpose of the
information that may be useful. Expect to re-
survey format was to engage as many market
ceive updates and additions to this manual as it
goers as possible with minimal man power, re-
changes, and feel free to make any suggestions as
sulting in an unobtrusive self-service market
to how it can be improved for future use.
survey.
Market Research Tab
Due to low pressure, many participated in the
Market Research-Pre Market Analysis
four question survey. They found that partici-
It is strongly suggested that prior to organizing a
pants were interested in the results and would
market a person should conduct at least two sur-
often go back to the board to see how others
veys including a consumer survey (Appendix A)
were answering. It maintained true survey ano-
and a local business survey (Appendix B). If you
nymity, which encouraged honest responses.
wanted to develop a sample survey for vendors
The surveys provided the markets with valuable
some sample questions might be:
information, even though the survey was limited
• Who would be interested in attending the
to close-ended questions. We encourage man-
market as a vendor?
agers to consider such an approach for their
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market, to gain insight into their customers and • Anchorage: 343-8380, Code Question Hot-
community. OSU Extension Services has a spe- line
cial report (Appendix D) on how to conduct http://www.muni.org/Departments/OCPD/
Plan-
customer counts and surveys, or what they call
ning/zoning/selfHelp/Pages/SH_ZoningBuil
Rapid Market Assessments.
ding.aspx
Market Location Tab • Fairbanks:
Site Considerations http://co.fairbanks.ak.us/CommunityPla
Once deciding that the community is in favor of nning/, 459-1260, Community Planning
having a farmers market, it is important to • Juneau:
choose a location carefully. Additional consid- http://www.juneau.org/cddftp/divisions.
erations include space for ample parking (dis- php, 586-0715, Community Development
cussed under zoning requirements), restrooms, Department
garbage cans, and socializing (Appendix E & F). • Kenai Peninsula Borough:
Managers may want to consider a “pet” area, if http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/plannin
animals are not desired within the market, or gdept/, 714-2200, Planning Department
provide a pet area to tie dogs up. • Mat-Su Borough:
Legal Considerations Tab http://www.matsugov.us/planning/, 745-
Legal Issues 9556, Planning Department
Insurance
It is important to address legal issues, and take
all aspects of the law into account when begin- Indentifying liability insurance providers for
ning a market. The location will determine what farmers markets in Alaska has proven challeng-
local laws and zoning permits will apply to the ing. So far we only identified two sources of lia-
market. In some locations, such as within a mu- bility insurance for farmers markets (listed be-
nicipality, zoning permits and health/food safety low) with Valley Insurance specifically advertis-
laws will need to be researched. Legal considera- ing to insure “your Agritourism Operation.”
tions for market managers include: zoning per- Both are listed below.
mits, insurance, road sign laws, and music copy- • Valley Insurance Services LLC (an inde-
right permissions. pendent insurance agent/broker) 907-746-
Zoning Requirements and Permits 7374 Email: [email protected] or
Each borough has specific planning and zoning [email protected]
requirements, and a manager from each market • Country Insurance & Financial Services –
needs to contact the borough planning and zon- agents/offices throughout Alaska
ing departments before beginning a market. The mention of these companies is not an en-
Some boroughs have specific requirements for dorsement and should be considered a starting
farmers markets that may not be included in or point for further investigation.
may differ from general requirements. Do not Another consideration for the market manager
ignore the importance of ensuring that there is regarding insurance is to decide whether or not
an adequate parking area! Here is the contact to require participating vendors to have product
information for some of the larger boroughs, but liability insurance, a requirement that is prac-
only use the website for general guidance. Call ticed by some markets in the Continental U.S.
the planning department to get specifics before Road Sign Law
proceeding! Alaska state law (Appendix G) maintains that
signs cannot be signs set on state roads. Munic-
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ipalities and boroughs may have additional laws. selling. It is important, however, to consider
As a manager, it is important to research local days of the week and operation times carefully,
signage laws prior to the first market day, in or- and to keep those days and times as consistent as
der to ensure the market is in total compliance. possible. Make sure to give consideration to
Music Copyright Permissions when people in the community are most availa-
There are laws regulating copyrighted music: ble to attend the market, and vendors are availa-
therefore, it is important to make sure the mar- ble to sell their products. Feel free, however, to
ket has permission (Appendix H) to play copy- change opening times and/or days to reflect the
righted music. Many individuals are unaware of habits of the customers. For example, if the mar-
copyrighted music being an issue at farmers ket opens at 9am, and no customers show up
markets, but it an issue that has recently been until after 10am, it may be useful to open an
brought to the forefront in other states and hour later and close an hour later. Or if your
therefore is worth mentioning specifically. market is only open on Fridays, but a cruise ship
Developing the Market Tab docks on Thursdays, you may want to add
Thursday to the schedule to be open for two
There are a number of items to consider when
days, or consider Thursdays as your only day of
forming a farmers market (Appendix I). Items
operation.
to include: management organization, time and
Market Rules Tab
season for market operation, market rules, mar-
ket fees and budget, vendor sourcing and selec- Establishment of market rules and regulations is
tion, market arrangement, market signage, ad- strongly encouraged prior to recruiting market
vertising the market, and community involve- vendors. It is important to establish at least
ment. minimal guidelines regarding market fees, mar-
Management Organization ket operation times, and method of vendor stall
Management organization varies greatly among assignment, as well as providing some general
farmers markets in Alaska, and it changes as information that will help vendors understand
markets grow. Oregon State Extension Service what is expected of them, such as set-up and
conducted a study on the link between market break-down times after the market.
size and management organization, which indi- Although some larger markets have succeeded in
cated that as markets become larger, manage- establishing expansive and strict rules, vendors
ment changes and often grows to include a full- in general are likely to accept rules they under-
time manager. There are three typical manage- stand and agree with. Here are two samples of
ment types: volunteer management, paid part- Alaska market rules that are currently used:
time, and a paid full-time manager. For more (Appendix K and L).
information about the survey or different man- It is wise to consider contracts for participating
agement styles and how they change, consult vendors that outline both the market rules and
Appendix J. what is expected of the vendor. It can be very
Time and Season valuable in resolving disputes, and in the event
Conducting community surveys is one way to of contract termination for the vendor. The
select the best days, times, and season(s) to oper- Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG) has put
ate a farmers market. In general, Alaskan farm- together, “Understanding Farmers’ Market
ers markets begin operation late in the spring Rules” (Appendix M), which includes infor-
and continue until after harvest in the fall, as mation on dispute resolution and penalties, and
that is when there is fresh produce available for on contract termination.
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Budget, Vendor Selection Tab ous vendors have available. It would not make
sense to have ten vendors selling the same prod-
Establish vendor fees so participants can consid-
uct, instead having a wide range and variety of
er cost when deciding on the appropriate farm-
products would encourage a better customer
ers market for their participation. Create a
base for the market.
budget prior to establishing fees to make sure
In determining which vendors to choose for the
everything will be paid for (Appendix N). Spe-
market, consider at least one (more is better)
cifically consider:
• Rent who can be an “anchor vendor”, which is a ven-
dor who is always at the market and has enough
• Insurance
of their product(s) to sustain sales through the
• Permits/Licenses
entire market session. Ask yourself if there is a
• Advertising/Promotion
vendor who you know will draw significant
• Legal Fees
numbers of customers and traffic?
• Utilities
Vendor Arrangement
• Clean up Costs
Research on transforming sites into a gathering
• Office Supplies/Equipment
place has been conducted, and was put into a
• Manager’s Salary if applicable
PowerPoint presentation, which can be used as a
There are various methods for determining ven-
tool when developing your market.
dor fees at Alaska markets. Some markets have
(http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/powerpoint/
two operational times and days in a week, and
creatingcommunities.ppt). Arranging a market
vendors who attend both days are given a dis-
is an art and there are some general guidelines
count on a second day. Some markets charge an
for moderating flow of business and ease of
annual fee to participate, as well as a fee for each
movement. Ensure that vendors have space to
day a vendor participates in the market. The
park their vehicles nearby, for replenishing
vendor fee for each market varies depending on
product. See sample arrangements provided
each market.
under the “Market Rules” and “Developing a
Vendor Sourcing
Market” tabs.
It is apparent that vendors are sourced through
Studies show that having a specific entrance and
many venues. Alaska is a little different in that
exit generates a traffic flow that is beneficial for
many of our market managers are producers and
vendors and for the market. A specific entrance
those who attend their market are their neigh-
and exit helps direct traffic and encourages cus-
bors. For those who are solely managers and do
tomers to view each vendor. When markets
not know where to source producers, we reco-
conduct customer counts, it allows for more ac-
mmend talking with Cooperative Extension Ser-
curate counts. Coordinating traffic flow has
vices or the Alaska Farmers Market Association.
proven beneficial to many outside markets, alt-
Also, the Alaska Division of Agriculture com-
hough not widely practiced in Alaska.
piles an Alaska Grown Source Book, identifying
Consider strategically placing your anchor ven-
producers and products grown.
dors throughout the market, so customers
Selecting Vendors
browse the entire market. You can identify simi-
Once potential vendors are identified, a manager
lar strategies at work in grocery stores, where
needs to decide which vendors should attend
milk is strategically placed at the back of the
their market. Both Appendix O and Appendix P
store, so customers have to walk by other items
provide more information on this topic. One
to get the milk. This is a successful marketing
consideration is the types of products the vari-
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strategy that you should also consider when ar- are drawing in. If and when promotions occur
ranging vendors at the market. Overall, what we at the market or a local business, both benefit.
encourage most is ensuring that your market is Historically these business relationships have
arranged so that it has a smooth and unrestrict- been successful and beneficial. You may consid-
ed flow. er credit unions and banks in the vicinity of your
Signage on Market Day market, because they are required to donate to
Signage is one of the most important methods of community activities and have proven to be val-
advertising a market, and often draws in the uable sponsors in Alaska
largest number of people (compared to other Special Events
types of advertisement). Both the sign and the Holding special events is an excellent way to
placement of the sign are very important. Make bring additional customers into the market.
sure to research signage laws (Appendix G) prior Some possible events include: musical events,
to the first market day, to ensure sign compli- cooking demonstrations, gardening classes, arts
ance, and take a look at the guideline for vendor and craft, Children’s Day Games, making veggie
signs before creating signs for the market. critters, and times when select vendors offer spe-
Marketing cials on products (like buy one get one free).
Road signs are the most effective method of Some special events also raise money for local
marketing for farmers markets. Besides road charities and organizations. Special events ulti-
signs, traditional media such as local newspa- mately build a sense of community and draw in
pers, e-newsletters, internet and social media additional customers, particularly new custom-
(like Facebook), and even television are all addi- ers.
tional ways to advertise successfully. Be proac- Market Sponsors
tive about getting the word out and building a While market sponsors are not common in
strong customer base for the market. Also, en- Alaska, there are some markets that are provided
courage participating vendors to help advertise funding assistance from market sponsors. Spon-
their market, after all, everyone benefits. sors might offer rent-free space for markets,
Community Buy-In and Contribution fund market insurance, host events, or offer fi-
Wherever markets are located, it is important nancial or other donations of items that are
that they benefit the community. When local needed for the market. An additional benefit to
businesses benefit from the market traffic, it cre- sponsors is increased foot traffic, and/or in-
ates a symbiotic relationship. Additionally if creased advertising for their business.
managers can develop community buy-in, there
EBT Machines Tab
may be community members who will donate
Federally funded food supplement programs
financially, or be a sponsor of the market, by
such as Women, Infants, Children (WIC), Sup-
providing space for vendors to setup their
plemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP
booths.
– formerly food stamps) and Senior Farmers
Market managers may consider drawing in
Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) encourage
community members by holding events at the
their clients to go to farmers markets for nutri-
market. This is an excellent way to connect with
tious food. USDA is pioneering the use of Elec-
consumers. Some managers view it as develop-
tronic Balance Transfer (EBT) and offers a how-
ing symbiotic relationships, where local busi-
to handbook for more guidance on EBT ac-
nesses can benefit from the market and the mar-
ceptance. In Alaska, WIC and SFMNP benefits
ket benefits from consumers the local businesses
are not yet offered electronically, only as paper
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