Vendor Application

1. The Certified Farmers' Market operates in compliance with the Direct Marketing Act. Each grower is inspected by the Agricultural Commissioner's office of the county that they produce in.
2. All growers wishing to sell their crops directly to the public must contact the manager/ coordinator prior to participation for approval.
3. Vendors must clean up their assigned spaces before leaving and must provide their own refuse containers. City trash containers are not to be used for vendor debris.
4. It is the responsibility of growers to be familiar with all rules and regulations pertaining to the Direct Marketing Act and all other governing agencies pertaining to this event.
5. Certified producers must conform to California Code of Regulations Title 3. Food and Agriculture Division 3, Economics Chapter 1. Fruit and Vegetable Standardization Subchapter 4. Fresh Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables Article 6.5 Direct Marketing codes   AND   All agricultural products, when sold or offered for sale at a certified farmers' market shall comply with all applicable requirements of articles 1 (beginning with section 27500), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, and 15 of chapter 4 (California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law), division 22, of the California Health and Safety Code, and chapters 1 (beginning with section 26000), 2, 4, 5, and 8 (California Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law), division 21, of the California Health and Safety Code.
6. Certified producers may sample products only if they are in compliance with the San Bernardino county Environmental Health Dept.
7. Certified producers may sell for two other certified producers in a 12 month period. It is their responsibility to follow all laws pertaining to this requirement. CP must have 50% of their own production available at point of sale. Must be separated on table and posted.
8. Prices are to be clearly marked. Tables are to be covered. Produce cannot be placed on bare wood tables and must look attractive at all times. Canopies and fixtures are to be securely fastened at all times as to not cause harm to consumers or other vendors.
9. All closed or sealed container, bags, jars, etc. must be labeled with a name, address, and phone number with minimum weight clearly visible. Processed foods must also include ingredients on the label. Person's selling processed foods, such as baked goods must also obtain a health permit for the HDFM location.
10. Scales must be in compliance with the Department of Weights and Measure. Scales are sealed, calibrated, and tagged annually. Only a certified scale may be used, and must be in plain sight to the consumer.
11. Growers are to pay designated percentage of each week’s gross totals (this means before gas, employee pay, bags, food etc.) as space fee. This is to be collected at the end of the day. With complete sales and given to the management with the load slip completely and accurately filled out. Refusal to fill load slip out will result in a violation and fine due and payable by the producer, and shall be marked fused to fill out correctly.
12. Any grower suspected of buying wholesale and reselling will be reported to the Agricultural Commissioner office and The Integrity Task Force in Sacramento.
13. Growers with multiple locations may be asked to show proof of ownership or lease of land with producer's name listed as tenant or insured. Growers employees are to provide employee records.
14. Certified Producer's Certificate is to clearly be posted at every market.
15. High Desert Famers Market and its governing body and its designated agents shall implement and enforce all rules and regulations pertaining to the operation of a certified farmers’ market in a fair and equitable manner.

1. Food service vendors, including restaurants located within the perimeter of the event, may set up additional outside seating to expand their services area as long as the expanded seating area does not affect neighboring vendors or merchants and a five foot clear walkway is maintained for the public safety.
2. Participating restaurants will be subject to the same application and review process as all other food service vendors.
3. All food service vendors must have adequate trash containers for refuse as indicated by the market manager/coordinator.
4. Hand-washing facilities approved by the San Bernardino County Health Department must be provided within 100 yards of the temporary food facilities.
5. Food service equipment shall be equipped with tight-fitting closures to prevent the entrance of insects.
6. All condiments are to be individually wrapped or dispensed from sanitary pour, pump, or squeeze type devices.
7. All food service vendors must comply with requirements imposed by the San Bernardino County Environmental Health Department.
8. Barbecues: Within the perimeter of the event each with reserved space assigned. In order to retain the reserved space, all barbecues must adhere to the following rules:
1. The grill surface area may not exceed forty square feet.
2. Food must be kept at least two feet off the ground.
3. Barbecue operation must be kept within the space assigned.
4. At all times, the barbecue is to be surrounded by barriers set five feet away to protect pedestrians from flames, The barriers must be easy to move to provide emergency vehicle access. (This may require temporary placement of barriers on sidewalk areas.) Only standard starting fluid may be used. Each barbecue must have an approved fire extinguisher on site (minimum of a 2A-lOC, currently serviced). Propane usage must be pre-approved by the Bear Valley Fire Department. No wood will be allowed to be used as fuel.
5. Barbecue areas must be kept neat and clean at all times. Foods that are cooked on the barbecue must be dispensed directly from the barbecue unit to the customer, using sanitary utensils. No food preparation may take place outdoors except the cooking of foods on the barbecue and the application of condiments to the foods barbecued

*Applies to pre-approved vendors ONLY *

*Vendor map reflects MONTHLY participants – week-to-week are removed from map*

*If you do not reserve a space, you need to wait until 7:30AM for a non-reserved space*

• Pay Monthly – on the first market day of the month. Won’t need to reserve unless NOT attending
• Prepaid fee pays the space for that month ONLY – DOES NOT roll over if not occupied

• Call or Email – NO LATER than MONDAY 8:00 PM (for Apple Valley location); NO Later than FRIDAY 8:00 PM (Big Bear Location)
• Include your FULL name, previous attendance date and the location

*Management will contact you to assign space numbers.

**Both OPTIONS require to be set –up / unloaded BY 7:00 AM in assigned space (unless special arrangements have been previously made with management) We will fill the empty space by 7:30 AM with vendors waiting to set up (including the pre-paid monthly spaces) Vacant spaces reflect poorly on the overall appearance of the marketplace.

CONTACT THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS INFORMATION – NOT OUR PRIVATE NUMBERS; Email for the quickest response please.

Email: contact@highdesertfarmersmarket.com

Call or Text: 760-247-3769

Website: highdesertfarmersmarket.com; (Our social media pages are for marketing ONLY)

There are never guarantees in owning your own business, and there are elements and things we can’t control, however, we can maximize our opportunities by doing a few simple and free activities every week to increase our chances of a successful week.

• Communicate with ALL your friends and acquaintances, a day before, about what you are doing on market days. Invite them to come out for a look, and if they could, do the same with their circle of people they know (i.e. “Please pass the word along”). (Ask them for their “support”, this makes them feel appreciated and wanted) Use your phone contacts, computer contacts, Facebook, etc. Just this simple jester reminds people that we are here. The biggest comment we get from people is they simply forget about the market. SO REMIND THEM! BE FRIENDLY 🙂
• Be prepared and organized; and do this the day before the market. (This means having your vehicle loaded, having plenty of $1 and $5 dollar bills for change, cash in hand for space fee, etc.) There is nothing worse than not sleeping because you are worried about forgetting something. And a tired vendor is a non-functional, grumpy one. Customers sense that you are just not up to wanting to serve them as a customer, and they will move on! Not having change or a tired grumpy attitude can cause LOST SALES for your business.
• Be approachable and customer friendly; no one wants to feel as if they are bothering or interrupting you in your comfortable chair behind your book. Get on your feet and greet when customers are around. Say hello and smile at them, even if they don’t make eye contact at first. Be pleasant and positive, no matter what drama you’re dealing with. Be professional and treat them as you would a friend. Everything you do is to make the experience for the CUSTOMER a happy and stress free one. This is how you’ll keep them coming back to visit again! Repeat business is GOOD business!
• Keeping up appearances. Make your display easy on the eyes and attractive. Keep your space and the surrounding area CLEAN and free of trash at all times, including the end of the market. THIS IS MANDATORY FOR ALL VENDORS THROUGHOUT THE DURATION AND BEFORE LEAVING THE MARKETS! Make their parking as convenient as possible. YES, this means park as far away from the market as possible, so customers can park closer to the market.
• Marketing and Advertising; this is not just the market promoters job!!! Advertising is the most important job of each business owner. You cannot get customers if no one knows you exist!
  • If every vendor emails and texts their customer and friends 1x per week that will be thousands of reminders to potential customers.
  • If every vendor posts to Facebook or Instagram 4x a week that would create 100,000+ advertising hits and more potential customers.
    • Join Facebook as a business (this is a farmers market requirement)
      • Join groups such as ‘High Desert Deals’, ‘Victor Valley 411’, and MORE!
      • Advertise on the High Desert Farmers Market/ Big Bear Farmers Market Page.
      • Post photos and useful information, such as recipes, health tips, etc.
      • This is FREE Advertising Folks!
  • It is YOUR job, to market and promote yourself.

Join our social media accounts:
Facebook page
Instagram

You can post and tag us from your own page. However, you can also request to post to our page and then Shannon will publish it.

Kerri Santoro: The Boss Lady – owner/General Manager

Michelle Creget: Always smiling – Manager

Eileen Lee: Holds down the info booth – Assistant manager

Shannon Spini: Social Media and Web marketing manager

Gayland: Maintenance : makes us look good

Richard: Security – keeps us safe

Participant is not an employee, subcontractor, or otherwise agent of the High Desert Farmers Market, Big Bear Farmers market, Big Bear Convention Center, BruSuz, Inc., Juan and Janice Vasquez or Hillside Flower Growers . Participant status is as an occupant of ground space and is, therefore, not a tenant, licensee, or other form of permissive user.

Neither HDFM/BBFM their employees or management, their agents, employees, elected officials and volunteers, is responsible for theft, injury or damage to property belonging to persons participating in the HDFM/BBFM. It is agreed to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the HDFM/BBFM, as well as all agents, management, employees and its agents, etc. assigns from and against all injuries, whether personal or real, claims, damages, losses, judqements, liabilities, expenses and other costs including litigation and attorney's fees arising out of, resulting from or in connection with my participation in the High Desert Farmers Market/Big Bear Farmers Market.

I hereby state that I have read, understand, and agree to follow all Rules, regulation, standards and procedures outlined in the High Desert Farmers Market/Big Bear Famrers Market documents. I also understand that failure to conform to said rules may result in the PRIVILEGE of my participation in the fair being revoked. I have read and agree to the terms of the General Release.