New Paltz Open Air Market
2024 MARKET GUIDELINES
Mission:
The mission of the New Paltz Open Air Market is to provide the community with access to a diverse array of healthy, local, and sustainably grown and produced products; to educate the community about the benefits of local and sustainable agriculture to personal health, the community, the environment, and the local economy; and to support local producers by offering them a retail outlet for their products.
Market Manager:
The New Paltz Open Air Market will be managed by the Market Manager who will be supported by the Market Board. The Market Board will be made up of three volunteers with market management experience.
The NPOAM will operate under the following principles:
- Locally grown, locally made, farmer grown: Priority will be given to farmers within a 40 mile radius of New Paltz, New York. If a farmer runs out of a specific item, and a neighboring farmer who meets all other program requirements can provide that item, the contracted vendor may re-sell this product only with advance notice to the Market Manager.
- Value-added products: First priority is given to producers who make items out of their own farm-grown produce. Vendors who make items out of locally-grown products that they have purchased will be allowed as second priority in order to give diversity to the Market.
- Organic, Sustainable, Chemical-Free: A goal of the NPOAM is to promote food and sustainable growing practices. Vendors must answer any questions regarding practices, ingredients, and suppliers factually. To keep with the NPOAM principles, priority will be given to farmers and vendors who sell products grown with sustainable practices, free from chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
- Freshness, Quality, Cleanliness: Produce and other goods must be as fresh as possible, thoroughly cleaned, and of the highest quality. The Market Manager reserves the right to require the vendor to remove from display any items that are of inferior freshness, quality, or cleanliness.
- Supporting Local Businesses: A goal of the NPOAM is to promote our local brick and mortar businesses and create more economic viability in downtown New Paltz. To keep with this goal, we will not be accepting vendors who sell items that would create competition with, or draw business away from already existing businesses.
- Supporting Community Organizations: Non-profit or community organizations are invited to participate in the NPOAM. Organizations may not offer items or services for sale (other than memberships).
Roles
Market Manager:
- Establish an operations plan and operating budget for the Market
- Recruit and communicate with vendors to ensure all are familiar with the rules and have a fair opportunity to participate
- Run social media platforms, and website updates.
- Establish and enforce rules and regulations, ensuring the market and all participants are in compliance with State and local law, and to ensure that all concerned are adequately insured
- Ensure smooth and safe operation of the Market
- Establish and collect Market fees
- Determine and arrange the Market’s operational schedule and special activities
- Conduct promotional program for the Market
- In the event that a concern or dispute occurs, please direct all grievances to the Market Manager and/or Market Board
Market Manager Contact:NPOpenAirMarket@gmail.com
Vendors:
- Vendors are required to bring their own table, tent and tent weights to each market and are responsible for unloading, setting up and breaking down their stall on their own. Inform Market Manager if assistance is needed on finding where to get the right supplies.
Logistics
Operating Schedule:
- The NPOAM will run SUNDAYS 10am to 3pm from June 2nd to October 27th.
- Setup will begin as early as 8:30am and breakdown will end no later than 3:30pm
- Booth must be completely set up and ready to sell by 9:45am. If vendors fail to be timely they could be subject to penalty by the market manager or market board.
- Vendors who park in the lot must be mindful of and held responsible for parking regulations.
Location:
- The NPOAM is located in the heart of the Village of New Paltz, 45 Main Street, New Paltz (parking lot of the Post Office).
Parking:
- Paid parking is in effect in the village on Sundays beginning at 1pm - do not get a ticket! If you want your customers to park and walk to our market, you must also be willing to park and walk to our market! :)
- The Village Hall parking lot has been designated for vendors and we are allowed to park in front of the DPW garage bays if all the other free parking spots are filled.
- Village Hall is located at 25 Plattekill Ave, a short walk from the corner of Main Street and Chestnut Street. There are also a few spots next to the post office that are available to us on Sundays.
Leave No Trace:
- The New Paltz Open Air Market location should be left as it is found or cleaner. Bring a broom and dustpan or necessary materials to clean up garbage around the tent. If your business produces waste, you must take that waste with you when you leave and discard it properly. Please recycle and compost when able.
- All items brought in must be carried away.
Payment and Booth details:
- The 2024 vendor fee is $30 per market. Fees are to be paid at the first market of the month, for the number of markets in that month (ie. $120 for months with 4 Saturdays, $150 for months with 5 Saturdays).
- Booth size is 10’x10’. Vendors who request and are granted a double booth space will pay $60 a market. Vendors must bring their own tents and set up.
- Repeated late or non-payment will result in vendor termination at the discretion of the Market Manager. There will be no refunds for non-attendance.
- Cash is accepted and checks can be made out to New Paltz Open Air Market.
- Booth space assignments are at the discretion of the Market Manager and may change on a week to week basis.
Plastic Bags:
- Plastic bags are BANNED in the Village of New Paltz. The NPOAM is not exempt from this local law. Please bring paper bags, sell reusable bags or give customers boxes.
Signage:
- All vendors are required to display an attractive sign with the name and location of the farm or business in a clear and visible location.
- All items must be labeled, priced properly, and clearly understandable.
- Vendors are encouraged to have business cards, brochures, recipes, or other educational material available for the customers.
Vendor Participation:
- Vendors may participate at the invitation of the Market Board only. Vendor selection is limited, and determined by product category, and growing and production practices according to the NPOAM principles. Vendors will need to submit a new application each year to participate.
- Vendor participation in the NPOAM will be limited to available space and to the needs of the market in accordance with applicable law and its mission statement, in the good faith discretion of the Market Board.
- Applications may be denied and Vendors may be terminated by the Market Board at any time and for any reason, consistent with the mission statement of the Market.
Attendance:
- The NPOAM operates rain or shine.
- Vendors are expected to attend all dates for which they have committed, unless the Market has been canceled by the Market Manager. In case of cancellation, the Market Manager will contact each vendor by 7:30 a.m. the day of the canceled Market using the contact information provided to the Market Manager by such vendor. Please be sure to provide correct contact information, including alternate phone numbers or email addresses. Please check your emails on market mornings.
- In the event that a vendor cannot attend the Market in the case of an emergency, the vendor should notify the Market Manager as soon as possible and no later than 12pm (NOON) the day before the market.
- Failure to attend scheduled Market Days without proper notice given to the Market Manager will be considered an unauthorized no-show. After an unauthorized no-show, the NPOAM has the right to terminate the vendor’s participation in the Market.
Insurance:
- Each vendor must carry his/her own liability insurance of $1,000,000 and must have an insurance certificate on file with the market manager before they are allowed to come to the market.
- The insurance certificate must list the following as certificate holders:
- Village of New Paltz, 25 Plattekill Ave., New Paltz, NY 12561
- Town of New Paltz, 1 Clearwater Rd, New Paltz, NY 12561
- Partease Productions, LLC, 2 Pencil Hill Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561
Product Guidelines
- Vendors may only bring to the Market and sell items that have been approved by the Market Manager through the Application Form. Revisions are permitted throughout the year by completing the application form and only through approval by the Market Board.
- Vendors with organic produce must provide proof of certification, and display such certification for the public to review.
- Site Visits of farms and production facilities: All vendors shall allow the Market Manager and/or members of the Market Board to inspect their production facilities at any time, with or without notice, to ascertain that products sold are being grown or otherwise produced on-site so as to maintain the integrity of a producer-only or growers’ market.
The following products are permitted for sale at the NPOAM:
- Locally grown or produced vegetables, fruit, grains, baked goods, cheese, dried or cured meats, eggs, preserves, mushrooms, maple products, honey, herbs, plants, and flowers, wine, spirits, crafts. Other items will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be made from locally and sustainably grown material.
- Food Products and Baked Goods: All prepared and processed food products displayed and presented for sale should be produced by the vendor from scratch in an approved facility and should contain predominantly self or locally grown ingredients. All products should be packaged and labeled in accordance with New York State regulations. Commercially prepared mixes, pastry shells, crusts, fillings, fresh, canned or frozen fruit, or vegetable ingredients that are not from predominantly local ingredients are forbidden.
- Plants: Must be grown by the vendor on land owned or operated by the vendor. Vendors should be registered with Cooperative Extension and, if applicable, have the appropriate nursery license on display.
- Art and Crafts: Must be made by the vendor or someone that the vendor knows and works with personally.
- Music: There can be one musician per market that plays from 11am-2pm.
Adherence to Laws
Vendors are individually responsible for conforming to all applicable Local, State and Federal laws & regulations including but not limited to:
- Vendors selling taxable items should display a valid New York State Certificate of Authority.
- Vendors selling nursery and greenhouse items should display a valid New York State Nursery License.
- Vendors selling by weight should have County approved scales.
- Vendors selling processed foods, prepared foods, and other perishable items must do so in compliance with requirements of the New York State Department of Health and/or the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
- Vendors selling by volume should use standard size containers such as pint, quart, etc.
- Vendors must comply with the plastic bag ban in New Paltz.
The above rules and regulations are subject to change by the Market Manager and Market Board at any time.