FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Farmers markets are important marketplaces for local growers and producers, but they can also be vital community gathering places — offering nourishment, enjoyment, and educational experiences. The organizations, government services, and small businesses that serve the community can play a role in bringing more value to farmers markets, offering workshops or providing information on relevant topics like composting and vermiculture.

Market Fees

Setting up at Market

Market Requirements

Our goal is to foster markets with a diversity of locally grown and produced foods that are accessible to all segments of the population and unrivaled in quality and freshness. Failure to comply with the following requirements degrades the market and will jeopardize participation.

Community groups can:

Set up a table display and hand out literature.
501c3, 501c4, and 501c5 nonprofits and mutual aid groups can sell non-food items in order to raise money to support your group’s mission, as long as they do not compete with sales of similar products from other vendors at the market where they are scheduled.
Register people to vote.
Register people for SNAP, WIC, or other government aid programs.

Community groups cannot:

Solicit aggressively—no cornering customers, no shouting, no following customers beyond your table.
Sell food.
Campaign or canvass for political candidates.
For-profit LLC, sole proprietorship, and Corporate (including B or S) businesses where only a single individual, board of directors, or stockholders receive profits from the business activities may not sell anything.

Criteria We Consider

Your organization should be based in Rhode Island and its mission must focus on food, health, the environment, or community care and support.

Consideration will be given to how the civic group relates to our mission and goals for a given market, as well as the relationship of the civic group to the neighborhood and community of the market. Acceptance into the market is at the discretion of Farm Fresh Rhode Island.

Civic groups are expected to provide their own equipment. A table is required. Electricity will most likely not be available for your use. The market manager will determine the location of a civic group at the market.

The needs of our farm and food vendors take precedence over the needs of community groups at all times. Farm Fresh RI can approve an application for an informational display, but not for sales if it potentially interferes with vendor sales.

An application to attend a farmers market must be received two days in advance. A Farm Fresh RI staff member will promptly follow up with the group about the request.

We accept community group applications on a rolling basis. Please direct any questions to markets@farmfreshri.org