Rules and Regulations
2024
1. The market season begins on the last Saturday in April each year and ends on the last Saturday before Thanksgiving (in 2024, April 27th to October 12th). The winter market is from October 19, 2024 to April 26, 2025.
2. The market hours are Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
3. The aim of the market is to sell homemade or homegrown products created by the producer. ‘Homemade’ means products must have no less than 50 percent home-made content. No products, produce or crafts are to be bought then resold by the vendor. No used goods may be sold.
4. Payment for the market is due at the beginning of the market season or, for day and drop in vendors, at the beginning of each market day.
5. All vendors must be in their stall by 7:45 a.m. or their stall may be given to another vendor for that day. No vendor will be admitted to the Market after 8:15 a.m. unless special permission has been granted by the market day manager or administration. Earlier arrival is strongly recommended to facilitate easy setting up of the Market. VENDORS ARE NOT TO SET UP UNTIL AFTER THE ROPES ARE IN POSITION.
6. If a vendor is occasionally unable to attend the market themselves, they may have a member of their family or staff work at the stall. The market must be informed of this prior to that market day.
7. On occasions, vendors may be allowed to share booth space. This will be allowed through a ruling of the board on a case-by-case basis and is not a given. Both vendors will pay 75 percent of the total booth cost. (A total of 1.5 of the vendor fee rather than simply double the fee.)
8. No Vendor is to begin to dismantle their stall until after the close of the Market. Occasional exceptions may be made to vendors who have received approval from the Market Manager.
Should a vendor find themselves sold out prior to the end of the Market the use of a ‘sold out’ sign is recommended.
9. Those holding a commercial vending license or conducting a store front operation (exclusive of farm gate sales and home-based businesses) are NOT permitted to sell at the market.
Persons operating a franchise business are not permitted to sell at the Armstrong Farmers’ Market. A franchise operator is defined as a person acting as an agent/vendor for another company’s product or brand.
10. Vendors selling at the Armstrong market must reside in the Shuswap or Okanagan. At the discretion of the Market Board vendors from outside those areas may be allowed provided they do not compete with a vendor from within those areas.
11. The market year runs from 12 A.M. prior to the first market day and ends a year from that time.
12. The name of the Vendor, their address and phone number must be clearly displayed in the vendors’ booth. A business card will suffice.
13. Live animals (including fowl) may be sold outdoors if restrained and kept 100 feet away from food products.
14. All baking must be prepackaged or well covered and handled with tongs or gloves. A Food Safe Certificate is required for low-risk food by the vendor (see Guideline for the Sale of Foods at Temporary Food Markets (http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Guidelines). A copy of this must be provided to the market manager at the time of application and be available at each booth.
15. Vendor food concessions are allowed provided that the main item on the menu is made by the vendor selling the product. All items to be sold by a vendor concession must be listed on the application form.
16. Vendors selling high risk food (see Guideline for the Sale of Foods at Temporary Food Markets: http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Guidelines) and vendor concessions must have a letter of approval from the Interior Health Officer. This letter must be displayed at the concession and a copy must be filed with the market administration along with a copy of the vendors’ food safe certificate.
17. Vendors selling by weight must employ the use of scales certified in accordance with provisions of the ‘Weights and Measures Act’ Canada.
18. Alcohol vendors must have an authorization from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).
19. The Armstrong Farmers’ Market is not responsible for collecting or remitting taxes.
20. Each vendor/producer sells at his/her own risk regarding marketing boards. All products for
sale need to meet the laws, regulations and rules as specified by Federal, Provincial and
Municipal bodies, local health authorities, the Armstrong Farmers’ Market and the certifying
Body (if any) the vendor belongs to. It is the responsibility of the vendor to understand and
comply with said regulations. It is also up to the vendor to know and comply with provincial and
federal tax requirements and to have all documentation available to the Armstrong Farmers’
Market Board upon request.
21. The Armstrong Farmers’ Market reserves the right to limit the sale of any commodity, the
distribution of literature, political or religious material or any article deemed not in the best
interests of the market. The decision of the Market Board of Directors is final.
22. Vendors may be subject to a home visit by market directors to verify that all products being
sold are produced or made by the vendor.
23. The market day manager is hired to collect fees and enforce rules and regulations of the
market. Should a vendor disagree with the manager they are asked to respect the atmosphere
of the market and QUIETLY approach a board member with their complaint. Complaint forms
are available from the market manager or a specified member of the Board of Directors.
24. Vendors experiencing difficulty with customers, health officials, market volunteers or another
vendor at the market should promptly but quietly refer the matter to the Market Day Manager.
25. Complaints regarding a vendor or their product/inventory must be presented in writing. Such
a challenge of a vendors’ inventory must be submitted to the market administration or Board of
Directors and the challenged vendor is required to respond in writing within 10 days. Failure to
do so will result in a determination that the challenge is valid. Such a determination may result
in the removal of the vendor from the Armstrong Farmers’ Market at the discretion of the Board
of Directors. Such a ruling is final.
26. Vendors deemed to have filed a malicious challenge of another vendor may be formally
reprimanded by the Board of Directors or removed from the Armstrong Farmer’s Market
altogether at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
27. Only vendors who are certified as organic growers and who can produce the certification
can advertise their products as organic.
28. Weights must be used on tents at all times. Minimum weight required is 9 Kg (20 Lbs) for
EACH leg of the tent. Vendors are responsible for damage caused by their booth or items in it.
(Canopies may also be anchored to a vehicle. This qualifies as weights for two corners if
secured to the vehicle at two corners.) If you arrive without weights, we will supply them one time. If it happens again, you will be required to go home and get your weights.
29. Generators must be no louder than 65 decibels.
30. All signage (for example, sandwich boards) must be approved by the market manager and
may not encroach into the main area of the market.
31. Consumption of alcohol (other than from licensed vendors) or smoking is NOT permitted
within 100 feet of any vendor stall.
32. The market is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged articles.
33. Vendors are responsible for leaving their area clean.
34. Non-profit groups are invited to attend the market three days during the season to advertise
their work, display posters and brochures as well fundraise. They may, however, only sell
merchandise on ONE of these occasions. Coordination of these visits is the responsibility of the
market administration.
35. Vendors are reminded their neighbors have paid for their own space and should not
trespass uninvited on another vendors’ booth.
36. The Armstrong Farmers’ Market is a place of business and a public forum. Polite and
professional behavior as well as fair and honest business practices are expected.
These rules and regulations were updated and approved in winter of 2024.
Market Contact Information:
info@armstrongfarmersmarket.ca
Post Office Box 682, Armstrong. V0E 1B0
Market manager (Arnold Hoogenboom):
Please phone, text or email before 4:00pm Friday evening before a market if not sooner.
info@armstrongfarmersmarket.ca or phone or text (preferably) to 250-307-8336.
No calls Friday after 8:00pm or Saturday morning please.
Glossary of Terms
Board of Directors: The group overseeing governance of the Market. This group is comprised
of a President, Treasurer, and a maximum of seven (7) board members all of whom are
members of the Armstrong Farmers’ Market Society. Elected positions are for a two-year term.
The election takes place at the Annual General Meeting once a calendar year.
Market Manager: A person contracted by the Board of Directors to oversee the physical
operation of the market on the day of the market. The Market Manager has the authority to
make decisions for the wellbeing of the Market and the implementation of all rules and
regulations of the Armstrong Farmers’ Market.
Day Vendor: A person wishing to set up and sell at the Armstrong Farmers’ Market who
chooses to pay the daily rate as specified on the registration form. Day vendors will move
around at the market as needed to fill empty spots and should not expect to have the same
booth location from week to week.
Seasonal Vendor: A person wishing to set up a stall and sell at the Armstrong Farmers’ Market
who chooses to pay the seasonal rate as specified on the registration form. They may qualify to
become a Designated Stall Holder once they have met certain requirements (see Designated
Stall Holder). Until designated, their placement at the Market is at the discretion of the Market
Manager.
Designated Stall Holder: A person who has attended a minimum of 20 markets per year.
Those who have attended the market the longest have priority. Designated Vendors who fail to
advise the Market Manager if they are unable to attend the market three times in a season will
lose the right to their designated stall.
Family: Father, Mother, spouse, son, daughter, brother, or sister of the person who
signed the registration form for that season of the Armstrong Farmers’ Market.
For a downloadable version of the 2024 Rules & Regulations that you can save and print, please click here.