VENDOR GUIDELINES:

1. Vendor Requirements:

In accordance with our mission statement, the BWFM exclusively showcases food and agricultural products. Any exception is subject to case­‐by­‐case consideration based on the sustainability, locality and production of each product. 

Any accepted vendor must receive approval from the Market Manager before adding additional products.

1. Products Requirements:

Agricultural goods: The BWFM gives top priority to raw or processed farm products that were grown or raised by the vendor. Examples include vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, dairy products, nuts, honey, mushrooms and herbs.      

Self-processed, value-added goods: The BWFM also prioritizes value-added products that were locally-grown or locally-raised by the applicant or by another vendor. For food items, top priority will be given to those who consistently use significant amounts of local ingredients. Examples include canning, baking, cooking, curing and/or drying. For non-food items, priority will be given to those items derived from farm products grown by the applicant or by another vendor. Examples include wool, milk soaps, herbal products or beeswax products. If you need assistance sourcing locally­‐grown or locally-raised ingredients, please let us know and we will be happy to connect you! 

Non-agricultural crafts: While vendors of crafts and non‐food items are welcome to apply, please note that there is only space for a maximum of ONE non-agricultural craft vendor per market. All non-agricultural craft products must be handmade by the applicant and related to food in some capacity. Examples include ceramic bowls, wooden cutting boards or handmade garden tools. 

Non-profits and food-related businesses: Other non-profits and food-related businesses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Market Manager to learn more.

1. Health Department and Sanitation Requirements: 

Forms and Licenses: Vendors are responsible for completing and obtaining the necessary forms, licenses, permits, certificates and/or inspections from the Gallatin City-County Health Department or from the State of Montana. All vendors are required to provide the Market Manager a copy of these completed forms and to have these forms present at their market stand each week. Please know that these forms can take many weeks to process, so plan accordingly. Accepted vendors will not be able to participate without the appropriate forms.

a. Raw, whole agricultural foods such as fresh fruits and fresh veggies do not need a license or permit to sell at the farmers’ market as long as these fruits and veggies have NOT been cooked, canned, combined, cut, blanched, etc.

b. Some processed foods -- such as syrup, dried herbs, certain baked goods that aren’t subject to spoilage, nuts and nut mixes, etc. -- can be sold at the farmers’ market without a state license but they do require a “Farmers’ Market Application” through the Gallatin City-County Health Department.  Returning vendors, please note the new label requirements for these items. Visit healthygallatin.org for a complete list of foods that require this application. If a vendor already has a cottage food license, they do not need to fill out this local “Farmers’ Market Application.”

c. Some processed foods -- such as pickles, sauerkraut, vinegars, herb oils, salsa, pesto, freezer jams, poultry, meat, dairy products, etc.  -- do require a state license. Vendors are required to obtain the necessary license(s) and to acquaint themselves with all the relevant health codes.

d. Egg vendors are required to abide by all state, local and market guidelines. While the sale of farm eggs does not require a state license, the eggs must be clean, free of crack, and stored in clean cartons at ≤ 45°F. Cartons must be labeled with the producer’s name, address and phone number. 

e. Local law prevents the sale of any food products with CBD oil at farmers’ markets. CBD oil is not allowed in food or dietary supplements by Montana law regardless of the Cannabis source. 

COVID-19: Vendors are required to follow all of the rules regarding COVID-19 given by the state, the county and by the Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market. These guidelines are extremely important for maintaining the health and well-being of our community and they must be followed without exception. Due to the evolving nature of this situation, these guidelines may change often. Vendors are responsible for staying up-to-date and for communicating with the market manager. The Market Manager is responsible for understanding the current guidelines and for guaranteeing that all customers and all vendors are compliant

Sanitation: The Bozeman Winter Farmers' Market provides multiple hand-washing stations at the County Fairgrounds. For other food-handling and sanitation standards, please visit healthygallatin.org.

Gallatin City-County Health Department: The information provided above is not exhaustive. For the most up-to-date information regarding permits, licenses, sanitation requirements and COViD-19, please call the local health department at (406) 582-3120 or visit healthygallatin.org. 

1. Insurance:

The BWFM strongly recommends that vendors have the appropriate liability insurance for their given circumstance. 

1. Sustainability Requirement:

The BWFM is moving towards a full zero-waste market. While the farmers’ market does not yet require that vendors use compostable items and eliminate single-use plastic, we highly encourage it. 

In order to facilitate this transition, the market partners with a local commercial composting company to have composting containers on site. The market will also provide signage for all vendors that use compostable items to educate customers. To purchase compostable items, please visit eco-montana.com.

MARKET OPERATIONS:

1. Non-discrimination policy:

The BWFM welcomes customers and vendors of any race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, political belief or any other characteristic. Failure by customers or vendors to comply with our non-discrimination policy will result in one-year suspension from the BWFM.

1. 2024 - 2025 Market Season:

Every Saturday 9am-12pm from October 5, 2024- May 24, 2025

*select Saturdays will be canceled due to fairgrounds scheduling conflicts with warnings to the vendors

1. Market Location and Hours of Operation: 

Each market takes place at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds at 901 N. Black Ave. All markets are at the Fairgrounds Exhibit Building 4 except for 12/2 and 4/20, which will be held in Exhibit building 1. 

Public shopping begins at 9am and ends at noon. Vendors may begin setting up at 7:45am and they must be fully set up by 9am. Vendors must stay at the market during the entire three hours of operation, as early departures are disruptive.   

1. Vendor Fees: 

For vendors paying weekly, payment is due by cash, check, or credit card at the end of each market. Please make all checks payable to Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market or BWFM.

1. Cancellation Policy: 

All vendors, whether paid in advance or paying per market, are required to notify the Market Manager at least one full week in advance if they are unable to attend a market for which they are scheduled. There is no charge for cancellations made at least one week in advance. 

Every vendor is eligible for one “free and forgiven” late cancellation. After that, any cancellation made within one week of the scheduled market date will result in a 100% charge of that booth space.

If a vendor fails to properly notify the Market Manager three times within a given season that they cannot attend a scheduled market, their booth space will be awarded to someone on the waitlist for the remainder of the season.

Refunds are not given if there is a market cancellation due to weather.

1. Booth Assignments: 

Booth assignments are subject to change as necessary to accommodate new vendors, new sanitation guidelines and to spread out vendors with similar offerings. 

For vendors who pay in advance of the market season, the BWFM will make every effort to keep a permanent booth assignment available to them. 

Please note that vendors may not give their space away and only the Market Manager can reassign spaces. 

For this market season, we are allowing a discounted fee upfront to reserve your booth space for the season (the fee is also dependent on table size). This fee will likely be split into two payments. 

If you prefer to pay per market, there will be a more strict cancellation policy. 

1. Walk-in Policy: 

The market cannot accept walk-ins from unscheduled vendors who arrive unannounced to the market. Vendors who have an approved application on file may send a request at any time for inclusion in any market, but they must receive confirmation before attending.   

1. Customer Payment Methods: 

Vendors must come prepared with the cash or coins they need to make proper change. The Market Manager will not exchange bills or coins.

Please  direct  any  questions  about  the  Market  Guidelines  to:   wintermarketbozeman@gmail.com  

Thank you and we look forward to receiving your application.