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FORWARD FARMERS MARKET VENDOR RULES AND REGULATIONS

Welcome to Fort Washington Forward, Inc.’s first Farmers Market season! We are a new non-profit organization, founded by Fort Washington residents, who want to enhance the quality of living here by offering healthy, fresh-picked foods, flowers and plants grown by local farmers. Our Farmers Market will feature a modern, eclectic collection of farmers, artists, and craftspeople in an inviting atmosphere. Fort Washington Forward, Inc. (FWF) also welcomes the Cottage Food makers and bakers, those who produce on-farm home-processed and home-baked foods such as jams & jellies, home-canned produce, and honey!

 

FWF is required to have a Prince George’s County Farmers Market permit, and so are our farm and cottage food vendors. If you sell at other Farmers Markets, you may already be able to sell with us, too! All farm products must be raised or grazed in Maryland, as local (within 100-miles), and regional (within 200-miles) of the Forward Farmers Market.

 

We will highlight the amazing local talent by offering vendor space to area craftspeople and makers. Do you bake at home using local ingredients? Do you paint or sculpt, make jewelry or stained glass items? Love making soaps & candles? Are you a woodworker, metalworker or blacksmith? Come join us for our monthly market days, on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays, at Potomac Landing Elementary School for May and June! We will kick off the summer at Allentown Splashpark for the months of July - November every 1st and 3rd Sunday! 

 

The 2023 Forward Farmers Market will be held monthly from May - November. The Market will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendors have one-hour before and after the sales period to set-up and clean-up their vendor spaces. Forward Farmers Market is providing space only (no equipment or tents/umbrellas/canopies provided) in a fun Market atmosphere! Our vendor space rental is $30 per 10’ x 10’ space per market day! Vendors form 2022 Market will receive a discounted rate of $20 per 10' x 10' space. If paying by check, payment can be made to “Fort Washington Forward, Inc.” Please add “Farmers Market Vendor fee” to the memo line. Payments may also be made online with debit/credit card.

 

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT VENDOR APPLICATION IS March 31, 2023.

 

Please review the Rules of FWF Farmers Market. By submitting your application, you agree to these rules and are stating that you have or will apply for a valid Prince George’s County Farmers Market Vendor’s Permit for 2023, if applicable. You agree that Fort Washington Forward has the right to take and publish photos and images from our Farmers Market on our Social Media Platforms. You agree that you will only sell products that are approved for Farmers Markets under regulations of the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Prince George’s County. You acknowledge that the Farmers Market Manager and the Farmers Market Committee have the right and authority to review and reject any and all items being offered for sale that we deem unsafe, do not meet USDA regs for food safety, or Farmers Market product qualifications.

 

Vendor Expectations / Guidelines: APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2023
 

  • Permits and Licensing: It is the responsibility of every Farm, Cottage Food or Food Truck vendor to acquire necessary permits and abide by county, state and federal regulations. If permits are required by Prince George’s County to sell your product, vendors must submit copies of their permits with their vendor application, or no later than April 28, 2023.
     

  • All items must be locally or regionally handmade, assembled, grown, raised or prepared by the Vendor. Local products are within 100 miles of the Forward Farmers Market, regional are within 200 miles. ALL farm products must be grown, raised, made or assembled in Maryland.
     

  • Farm vendors may offer fresh local fruits and vegetables, meats and eggs, & plants grown or raised on their farm or farms within 100-miles of Forward Farmers Market. Live plants and cut flowers must be grown or arranged by the vendor. Maryland products up to 200-miles from Forward Farmers Market should be labeled “regional.”

  • Local Egg vendors MUST obtain a Maryland Egg Law Certification before eggs can be sold. Eggs will be transported and sold per all federal, state, & local regulations.
     

  • “Cottage foods” must be prepared by the vendor to qualify, and must comply with all applicable regulations. All Cottage Foods must be labeled with the name & address of the maker and all ingredients listed.
     

  • Arts & Craft vendors, Booksellers and Face painters will offer for sale only products they create. Our vendors of unique or original works must be local or regional residents. No items which are offensive to the community’s taste standards will be permitted for sale, at the discretion of the Market Manager or Forward Farmers Market Committee.
     

  • Vendors may arrange for customer pre-ordering through the Fort Washington Forward website (contact admin@fwforward.org to make arrangements). All pre-orders via www.fwforward.org website must be available for pick-up at the Farmers Market and are subject to processing fees.
     

  • The Market Manager or Forward Farmers Market Committee will assign vendor spaces in order of applications received with the exception of Farmers and Cottage Food vendors, who will be given priority placement due to the nature of their products. The Market Manager will be available to discuss special needs of vendors, but is the final decision-making authority.
     

  • All vendors will provide their own equipment and Shade Structures (tents, umbrellas, canopies) no larger than 10 ft x 10 ft maximum. Each tent leg must be tethered with 24 lb weights. Shade structures must be in good condition and may not present a hazard to visitors, other vendors or staff. All tents must meet current Fire Safety standards of NFPA-701 Fire Resistant Requirements. Generators are not permitted this year.
     

  • If you need additional space, you may rent additional 10’ x 10’ vendor space at $30 ea. Please indicate on your Vendor Application how much space you require so we may accommodate your needs.
     

  • Forward Farmers Market is open from 9 am to 1 pm. All vendors should arrive no earlier than one hour prior, and be unloaded and set up by 9 a.m. All vendors must have spaces cleaned up and off-site by one hour after the 1 pm closing of the Forward Farmers Market. If, for any reason, the open or close times are adjusted, the Market Manager and Farmers Market Committee will notify vendors, who will still have one hour for set-up and clean-up after the adjusted times.
     

  • Vendor signage must relate to your products or business & its operations only.
     

  • If your products create trash, you are required to have a trash receptacle. You must remove all trash from the vendor space & surrounds.
     

  • Vendors are responsible for collecting and reporting appropriate Maryland Sales tax.
     

  • No commercially manufactured or sold items such as clothing, mass produced toys, accessories, or novelties, etc, are allowed for sale or resale.
     

  • All items for sale are subject for review for approval by the Market Manager and/or Farmers Market Committee.
     

  • Firearms are prohibited. There will be no sales of firearms, look-alikes or parts. These are prohibited items.
     

  • Tobacco use and sales are prohibited.
     

  • Sales of open beverages containing alcohol are prohibited.
     

  • All vendor absences will be noted. Those who fail to provide 4 day’s notice for absence may be removed from the qualified vendor list and replaced, at the discretion of the Market Manager or the Farmers Market Committee. Partial refund (50%) of vendor fees.
     

  • All vendors are required to have a $500,000 general liability Certificate of Insurance listing Fort Washington Forward as an additional insured. Policy information is required. (Artisans: This can be a rider on your homeowner’s policy.)
     

General Rules/Guidelines:

 

  • Force Majeure: This is a Rain or Shine event. No refunds will be provided because of weather, change of plans, illness, etc. The Market Manager reserves the right to cancel the Farmers Market at any time when the event shall be impracticable or impossible by a Force Majeure event beyond the control of FWF. In the event of advance cancellation, the Farmers Market Committee will attempt contact with our vendors to notify as soon as reasonably possible. If conditions outside FWF’s control forces cancellation, any previously paid vendor fees will be applied to the next Farmers Market season.
     

  • Forward Farmers Market does not have a Food Services Facilities permit this season. Frozen items must be appropriately packed in ice and kept frozen throughout the Market day by the vendors. Tents, Canopies, tables are not provided.
     

  • FWF and Forward Farmers Market are not responsible for damage, loss or theft of items.
     

  • Accidents/Injuries: Any accident or injury must be reported immediately to the Farmers Market Manager. All Forward Farmers Market participants attend the event at their own risk. FWF and Forward Farmers Market are not liable for injury to person or property.
     

  • Indemnification: The Fort Washington Forward’s Forward Farmers Market is a community and family event. We strive to create an event which reflects the spirit of the community. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the FWF, its officers, directors, volunteers, and sponsors from any and all claims, damages, losses and expenses, including, but not limited to, attorneys fees, property damages, personal injuries, loss or taxes related to the Farmers Market, unless such loss or injury is the direct result of negligence on the part of FWF, its officers, directors, volunteers or sponsors assume no liability for loss of or damage to vendors’ property.
     

  • If there is a dispute between parties that cannot be resolved after 30 calendar days of notice given, the parties shall proceed with non-binding mediation to be paid equally by each party for an independent 3rd party mediator, preferably a retired judge of Prince George’s County (MD) Circuit Court. If mediation does not resolve the issue then both parties shall proceed with binding arbitration in the same manner as the non-binding mediation to resolve the issues. The binding arbitration shall be final with no appealable rights thereof.

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