At our market in a small town, produce vendors pay $15/wk and craft vendors pay $18 per week for a 10 x 10 space. You are not allowed to have a vehicle in the market, actually park a block away. The annual fee is $25. Our market runs from Mother's Day weekend through the second week in October, outside.

Last year we got to choose our desired space and it was ours if we were at market, if not, it could be used as a "fill in" space for drop in vendors.

The indoor ,year round market where we sell is $350 for 1 aprox 14 ft table. If we are not there our table will be rented by drop-ins for $24.00 /$12.00 (for 1/2).We have roll carts to bring our produce in the building and a walkin cooler avalable if we need it. This is for the Sat. Market only. Right now the tues / thurs market is free for all vendors

Another market I go to is totally free.

The Garlic Lady

Our Sat. market fees start at $13 with a cap at $30, the rest pay 10% of sales. We have about 33 Sat. markets a year so you do the math. Plus we pay a $75 membership, plus the city of Arcata requires that each farmer purchase a $40 sellers permit. The Sat. market is very full so spaces are given out by seniority. Our week day markets have a minimum fee of $8 and a maximum that I can't remember, everything inbetween is 10% of sales. It sounds like a lot but our growers organization employs a full 3 market managers and several helpers, to keep things running smoothly. We also do extensive advertising. Our fee structure is not fair to the smaller growers/vendors who end up paying 10% of their sales. All of the larger growers/vendors are making a minimum of $1500, many make much more on a typical Sat. With the cap at $30 they are paying just 5% or less. That is something we are working on but of course we have great resistance.

The market I go to is working on fees right now. Two years ago they charged $4 a year for a space than management changed (or I should say happened for the first time for this market) and the venue moved to a city owned parking lot and the fees went up 500% to $20 a year for a 12' x 10' space plus access to the weekday market.

In our second year we realized that $20 year per vendor does not cover the costs of running the market, and this is without a paid market manager so I think we will be doing another huge, in comparison, fee hike so that vendors are paying between $75 (for the small vendors) to $350 (for the big farms).

We also have a "Friend of the Market" program where customers/community members donate money and get a premium. last year they paid $30 for a really nice tote bag and that generated over $2000 for the market and does allow us to keep the fees as low as possible.

Ohiorganic, sounds like your market's been pretty darn cheap, wow! The increase is probably worthwhile so there's some extra money for promoting/advertising the market. We pay $21 a week for a stall, $30 for non-members, I can't remember what membership costs though.

We also sell "market baskets" (baskets to carry your purchases in) and carts at the market and they seem to do quite well. They're very nice colorful woven baskets of various sizes and also little carts with wheels (like a luggage cart with a basket) that do well with some of the older folks. I'd recommend the basket "fundraiser" for any market. BTW, our market is medium size, we have about 18-30 produce vendors in the winter on any given week and 40-50 (maybe a few more) in the summer, also 10-20 non-produce (fresh bread, wine, pottery, tamales (mmmm), bagels). City of Chico is about 70,ooo folks give or take

Our market charges a $50 one time filing fee. Then each year you must pay a membership fee of $100 for each 10 x 10 booth and you are permitted to have two of them. Each week you pay a gate fee of $20 per space. Our fees were raised this year to help cover the cost of a paid market manager. We have two spaces so we pay $200 up front and then $40 per day to set up. We also have to purchase a sellers permit from the health department and that costs $30. If you sell any processed food you also need a grocer's permit and that price is $27. Our market has its own liability insurance, but if you sell any processed food you are required to carry your own product liability insurance.

I think our fees are fine for the meduim to large growers but unfortunately it will knock many of the small growers out this year. :(

davepays...I'd be curious to know where you purchase the rolling carts...they sound great!

Hi, We pay only 20.00 a year membership fee and 6% of daily gross. I think it is a killer deal! We should really charge a higher membership fee, crafters pay 8% of daily gross and do not serve on the board of directors or any committees, They do have their own craft manager to co-ordinate things though.

We pay $60 year per space (size of two parking spaces) which is a great deal. We run June-September. HOWEVER, the cost of our market is offset by corporate sponsors. Our market committee usually finds two or three corporate sponsers a year and allows them a small area at the market to show off whatever they have (product or service). For a couple of years it was the local Cadillac dealership. They were given the size of one space and allowed to bring one car each week. They had a big sign saying they were our corporate sponsor. They had a sales representative there with literature and business cards. He was not allowed to "hard sell", only answer questions when asked. Then last year one of our sponsors was a local hospital. They were allowed a space where they offered various free screenings, could hand out pamphlets and promotional goodies. It showed local support as well as offset our vendor costs.
I think if it's carefully monitored, it's a great program. In smaller rural communities it could be a local farm machinery dealer (showing support for the local agricultural efforts), a CO-OP, a member-owned utility company, insurance company, etc.
Hope this is helpful!
DD

I sold in 5 markets over the last 10 yrs and the size and location were part of the fees. smaller towns let you have the vehicle, larger towns needed the space for set up of vendors, so we unloaded then parked the car elsewhere. THe last two that I was associated with were both in neighboring towns in the suburbs next to each other. One was run by a committee of private people and charge $150.yr or $20/week, the other was run by the town parks division (I think) and charge $50/yr and $10/week. Both ran from end May until early/mid Sept. and you forfeited your place in not there by 7am. The biggest difference though was the people. In the private one - the yuppie crowd wanted to get the vendors and look good themselves for serving the community good. The other was concerned with the vendors making money - always came round to see if the week was going well; Happy vendors make a happy market, and people will come: they had the regional firehouse chilli cook off, chef of the week, music each week, WIC etc etc. Much more family oriented and much more fun.
Just goes to reinforce - scout out the markets before you sing up with one.

It has risen from $8.00 a week to $12.00 over the last decade and there are no membership fees. You get about 8 feet of frontage and I forget the depth, but the space is about as deep as you need. We can park our trucks to the back or side of the space and work out of it. One can also buy a season ticket and that reduces the rent to about $10 a week and reserves your space. No season ticket, you get put where they want you to.

There are two buildings if you need to set up in a building. Baked goods and meats usually end up there.

Other small villages and towns nearby have markets as well, and they are cheaper. I think it's a great deal at my regular market and can't understand why a vendor would balk at that rent. We have a paid manager and attendance is good.

Some lots have electric and water access, and the manager will try to get you near one if you need it, no extra cost.

Permits are required depending on your product. I display a nursery permit and food vendors must display their permits. Inspectors do show up and that is great, as it assures the clientele what they are buying is safe and good, only fresh off the farm.

I am starting a Market. Would anyone be so kind as to forward me any forms regarding fees, sign-up/registration,
licensing, rules/regs, actually anthing you feel would be relevant?

I will take such information and incorporate into my own market's package.
ANY & ALL adivce would be so truly appreciated. I am working on a tight schedule, so ASAP ;-)) would be great!!!

Send to : GayleLynSmith@aol.com my state is MICGIGAN

I sell at a flea market because I sell garden crafts as well as live plants. At the nicer but smaller farmers market I would be placed over in the craft area which is overlooked by the customers. And I work late on Fridays so getting up extra early on Saturday doesn't put me a customer friendly mood. The flea market is huge but plants are not the main reason folks are shopping. Both are well managed and attended.

I may have some of these facts wrong but as far as I know: the flea market is $18 per space (which is a parking space in the fairgrounds parking lot). It runs year round except Oct for the state fair and is only on weekends. It opens at 9am and closes at 5pm. If you want a permanent space you pay the same but you pay two weeks in advance and you pay a membership fee of around $150 (you get to come in the night before to set up, drop-ins don't).

At the Farmers Market you pay $10 for a similar space but under a permanent roof. It is also open year round and during the week though there are few customers on weekdays. Drop-ins have to be in line at 5am on weekends to secure a space. Customers start showing up around 6:30.

I am looking at getting into selling at farmers markets and possibly joining a new market that opened close by (this will be their second year).

$40 per weekend, no membership fee and no % of sales, they provide a 10Â x 10Â canopy, 6Â Banquet Table, Table Front Covering, weekly market update advertising and website advertising. You do have to have liability insurance.

The kicker is you have to put down half when you sign up and pay the other half 14 days before your scheduled dates begin. Basically you have to pay for your anticipated season before you even sell one item. Is this common?

Charles

With our Local Market it is $5.00 per week or $30.00 for "the year" about 6 months. Very cheap but we only have about 12 venders at the most.
Paws
P.S. My first post here. Great forum!!

it is not the fees that i mind it is the lack of organization at my market that bothers me. the site just has very little room and it is hard to get the truck in and to set up. There is a big empty lot next door but they do not want to use it. Markets are a lot of work and our downtown is faltering more and more each day. So i will wait and see how it goes this year but i am having a trailer built , enclosed, big windows that open to awnings and shelves that attach once there. i am talking to a few local busineses that have high volume and looking at parking there twice a week on aregular basis, atest run last year was excellent, i sole 200 lbs of tomatoes inm 2 hours.

have to reduce labor and get things under control.

Mark