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Resources for Farmers and Vendors
Adapted from the Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets.
Resources for BFM Vendors
BFM Rules and Regulations - updated May 2024
Market Money Guide - updated 4/28/2024
2022 Thursday Market Profile - updated 4/18/2022
Vendor Meeting Presentation - updated May 2024
Meet the Requirements Checklist - Your application has been APPROVED, what is next? Here is a handy checklist to make sure you have all your required permits and license in connection with the sale of their products and the required by the market before your first day of market.
Checklist for a Successful First Day
Tips on How to be Successful at BFM
General Booth Presentation Guide
Washington State Plastic Bag Ban Flyer
What is “local”? - local sourcing information for prepared and processed food vendors.
Connect with Us! - ways to build your business through social networking.
General Resources for Farmers and Vendors
Insurance: liability and product liability insurance is required for all market vendors and farmers who sell anything edible. One resource listed on the WA State Farmers Market Association website is Campbell Risk Management.
Resource locator map: KCD has a resource locator website for food businesses, where you can search for commercial kitchens, cold storage, meat and poultry processors, etc.
Rules and safety: important info regarding canopies/tents at farmers markets. Also refer to the rules and regulations for further vendor requirements.
Washington Plastic Bag Ban: Plastic bags are a major contaminant in Washington’s recycling facilities, waterways, roadways, and environment. Washington's Plastic Bag Ban will reduce pollution by prohibiting single-use plastic carryout bags and charging a fee for acceptable bags in businesses beginning in October 2021. Download bag ban toolkit here.
Permits and Licenses for Farmers and Food Vendors:
Health Department Permits - information for farmers market vendors. See also: Temporary Food Establishments Guidelines.
If you are a farmer who wants to offer samples of your fruits & vegetables to customers at your booth, you'll need to submit an Application for Exemption. There is no cost for this, but you'll need your hand wash station set up at your market booth.
Food Handlers Permit (Food Worker Card) - You are a food worker if you work with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or with any surface where people put unwrapped food. This includes farmers who are offering samples of fresh produce to shoppers (and you will need a hand wash station at your booth if you are offering samples).
WA State LCB endorsement for selling/sampling wine and beer at Farmers Markets (if your beverage contains .05% alcohol or more, you must have endorsements from the Liquor & Cannabis Board). Note: CBD is not currently allowed as a food ingredient, under federal and state law.
City of Bellevue Business License (required if you have a physical location in the city of Bellevue, or your annual gross receipts in the city will exceed $2,000. Farms are exempt.)
Washington State business license (required of all Farmers Market farmers and vendors)
Washington State Department of Agriculture licenses, permits, and registrations (includes apiary registration, egg handlers license, nursery license, etc.)
WSDA Weights & Measures (by law all WA state businesses must register their scales for commercial use, and must only use scales that are certified NTEP/legal for trade). Registration is annual with a WA State Business License, $10 per scale. You can also view information on this handout from the WSDA, and this from WSFMA.
Sales Tax at Farmers Markets - general guide by the WSFMA
Raw milk production and sales requirements per the WSDA
Plant starts and nursery items: Licensing Requirements for the Sale of Plant Materials in WA State
Specialty Business Licenses (e.g., egg handler, nursery, alcohol, etc)
Seafood HACCP and also WSU's HACCP resources
Resources for Start-up Food Businesses:
City of Bellevue Fire Department - if your food business involves any type of flame or heating please review these fire safety regulations.
City of Bellevue Office of Economic Development - some free small business support and resources.
Farm King County also has a good info page for farm and food business requirements (scroll down for food business info).
Ventures: Information and Resources for start-up food businesses. La información del Ventures en español está aquí, y también sobre la cocina comercial.
21 Acres: Commercial kitchen rental for farmers to value-add. 21 Acres is a nonprofit agricultural and environmental learning center and living laboratory for green and sustainable building design. They focus on a whole system approach to solving issues around food availability, small-scale food economies, environmental preservation, and sustainability.
The Governor’s Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA) has a call center, consultants, and online resources that answer questions like: “How do I start a business in Washington” or “If I’m hiring employees for the first time, what do I have to do?” or "Is workers' comp required for business owners?” or “What permits and licenses do I need?” Visit the website for more info, including the Small Business Guide, the Regulatory Handbook and the Project Questionnaire.
Farming and Farm Business Resources:
Farm King County - a comprehensive web-based directory of farming resources that contains information relevant to starting, operating and growing a successful farm.
FDA Food Safety and Modernization Act
WSU Small Farms Resources and Programs
WSDA Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook - also known as the "Green Guide," this is the essential resource for farmers who want to sell at farmers markets, covering regulations for specific products (from shellfish to body care products to ready-to-eat foods), direct marketing strategies, information on orgs. that support small-scale ag. businesses, and more.
WSDA Small Farms and Direct Marketing Website
Organic certification in WA state
Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) is tailored for direct-market farmers producing food for their local communities. These farmers often find the Organic Certification heavier paperwork requirements are not a good fit for their small-scale operations, so CNG enables farms to get credit for their practices while offering accountability to their customers. CNG is a private non-profit organization that's not affiliated with the USDA's National Organic Program. CNG's certification approach is based on the participatory guarantee system (PGS) model that relies on peer reviews. This model minimizes paperwork and keeps certification dues affordable.
The Bread Lab at WSU
Kiss the Ground - The Kiss the Ground Farmland Program supports the growth of healthy soils on American farmlands by providing access to education and soil health services for farmers and ranchers.
Hmong American Farmers Association
Farm Aid's Farmer Resource Network
WAMeatUp - catalyzing collaboration and entrepreneurship along every link of the niche meat supply chain in Washington State.
Marketing and Display Resources:
Selling Successfully at a Farmers Market (guide from UNH Coop. Ext.)
New Farmer's Guide - Cultivating Success at Farmers Markets (from the Davis FM)
Federal Benefits Programs:
WIC and Senior FMNP info and application for growers
SNAP/EBT and the USDA handbook
Useful journals, publications and links:
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
Washington Young Farmers Coalition
Note: the internet is a wealth of information - use it to search on any topic you can think of ("how to sell at a farmers market" or "how to set up an attractive farm stall booth"). As always, though, make sure you are in compliance with our rules and regulations.
