Proposed Senate bill influences rules for local farmer's market

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     A new bill, filed in late February, has influenced the way the local farmer’s market on the square will conduct business this year. Senate Bill 499 would require farmer’s markets to identify where the food being sold has come from. There have been issues, in some markets across the state, where wholesale produce purchased from another market was sold as locally grown. Baxter County Judge Mickey Pendergrass says a meeting held last week outlined the rules for this year’s farmer’s market and the bill’s concept will be incorporated into the rules for 2017.

     The legislation says a sign would have to be at least three inches by five inches and identify the approximate location where the produce was grown. In the local rules a sign will have to be at least eight inches by 11 inches.

     Applications for vendor space will need to be filed starting Tuesday and will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis with priority given to Baxter County residents. The cost for a permit is ten dollars for county residents and $30 for non-residents. Complete rules and the application can be found at baxtercounty.org.

     The farmer’s market will be held on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon. It is scheduled to open April first and close the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It will only be open on Saturdays during the months of October and November to prepare for elections which make the courthouse busy. There will be an exception the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and even though the rules say Saturday only in April, allowances for those who raise and sell early crops, such as greens, will be made for Wednesdays during that month.

     Pendergrass says the rules on parking off site have been re-enforced, including having a permit available to be shown if asked for. Enforcement of the rules was emphasized in last week’s meeting and everyone who applies agrees to go by them as written. All permitted spaces will be allocated to growers and vendors of produce and other farmer related products and, if spots are left, crafts and other permitted items will be assigned spaces.

     In addition Pendergrass says the county looks forward to this years market and for permit holders to offer their products to the general public. He encourages all who wish to purchase home grown products, to use in their daily menus, to visit the market.

     Also in last weeks meeting a speaker from the Area Agency on Aging, promoted the possibility for seniors to get vouchers to purchase farmers market produce. The Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program awards grants to provide low-income seniors coupons for produce. According to the Area Agency on Aging, an announcement on when those coupons will be available will occur in April or May.




   

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