our market does all new vendors and five random ones from the older returning vendors. I've never been visited yet, but I do know one man was put out of the market because of his visit. I guess he didn't even have a garden planted at all.

My market starting doing some visits this year, not everybody got visited. I'm not sure if I was visited or not, nobody called (common courtesy), but one of my neighbors said there was someone looking around. To be, poking around someone's place without that person knowing could be tresspass, how about you?
If it was a market representative, it wasn't our market master. We have another representative that said that she and the board of health lady would be making those visits. I have nothing for the board of health to be checking. Especially board of health from a different county than my own.

If vendors are required to grow/produce all products sold, then a visit would be proper. If no such requirement, then not appropriate,

The "visitor" does have to know about a wide range of crops or have assistance from someone who is. Vendor should fill out a check-off listing all products he/she intends to bring. The "visitor" can compare the list with what it actually being grown. The tricky part is timing. Those who grow a wide range of product over a long parts of the season won't necessarily have every crop in the ground on any given day. Obviously, visiting in April when most crops aren't in ground 'til May/June wouldn't be productive.

If there is such a major concern or a formal complaint, then perhaps a second go 'round would be needed. Vendors with a known & unimpeachable track record aren't likely to require a visit unless there's a complaint.

Yes, myfamilysfarm, these visits should be pre-arranged. Who but the vendor would know where the particular crops are. Most anyone worth their salt is proud to show off their products. (Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.)

In PA vendors selling baked and/or processed goods of any type have to have provided a copy of the yearly certificate from the Dept of Agriculture. These folk, obviously, would not need visits.

If you'd like a sample checkoff, I could e-mail you a file.
PAveggie

Yes, I would like a copy. And thank you. We have LOTS of weeds, we have tried to grow as organically as possible, but didn't have enough equipment (tractor/disc) until this year to keep the weeds down. Plus we tried to do TOO much, 5-7 acres with a rear-tine tiller. So someone would need to know which 'weed patch' had what veggies hiding in it. I wouldn't have minded the visit, actually would welcome it, IF they had called and we would have been there.

I was visited by the U.S.D.A this fall. This was a surprise to me. They were looking to log Late crop potatoes which I did not have but the agent and I had a much meaningful discussion about a lot of other stuff. Mark

I don't know exactly what area of Michigan you are in, but maybe they were just looking around the fruit growing areas. I've been doing this for 11 years now, with no visits til this year, and I'm not sure if I was visited or not.

My farm had its' first farm visit by our market manager after 6 years (I guess they trust me because I was the one to come up with this particular rule when we were forming this market) He barely walked around the farm, mainly he helped us pick raspberries. of course from the raspberries you can see the 4 acre market garden but he really should have walked the 1/3 mile down the big hill to look at the 1 acre market garden that reside there.

Boulderbelt, so he really came for the raspberries, right? I keep telling my people come on out, but be prepared to help work, nobody shows up.

I don't mind visits, just call ahead, we might be out 'skinny-dipping' (not a pretty site).

I am the manager at our local market, have been for a few years and we reserve the right to do a farm check. we only allow home grown local produce and I have not done any farm visits, well kinda we are all friends at the market we all help each other and we spend a lot of time together on market days so we all build a strong relationship on those slow times in between the rushes of customers we all like to travel around to each others farms to take a look at what each other is doing and to heelp each other out. we are in a small town so usually one of the vendors knows the newcomers and where they live who there family is and all there business. most times you can kinda get a feel for what they are doing or growing. I make my judgment on what they have, how much of it they have and I really just sit and talk with them for awhile and get a feel for them and if i have any question as to what they are doing i will nicely tell them that i would love to see there farm and what they have, as a friend not as The man that's gonna kick you out of the market.

Jed, since you're 'in the business', I have a question. First of all, does your market charge an annual fee?
If so, and then the 'farmer' in question has a really bad year, do you refund some/all of the fee. My market fee is non=refundable and must be paid up front before the market starts for a reserved spot. My market fee was last year, $300 per parking space (10' wide, about 20-25' length). My market also allows reselling, last year's percentage was 51% personally grown.

Marla

at our market we charge 2 dollars every day you set up,we are open mon., wed. fri. we do not have a base yearly fee. i collect everyone's 2 dollars at the beginning of the market and then we start. we use this money for advertising and in the spring we have a supper/ meeting and we use the money for that too, you must come to at least 5 market days too be invited to the meeting, it is none refundable.our market is only for home grown local (within 20 miles) produce, no canned goods no meat eggs or processed foods at all. I also sell at a few other markets in the area on days our market is closed, one place i go charges $110 per year for a reserved spot or $12 a day if you just wanna set up in a non reserved spot, the reserved spots are mostly in the shade. none refundable. The market must go on and cover their overhead, if a farmer has a bad year it is not the markets responsibility. as long as there are customers comming to the market and or advertising is done thats all the market has to do, its up to you to sell your product the market is just giving you a place to sell it. Hope this helps, that is how it is around here at least, any questions feel free to ask

thanks, jed, you give us a view from the other side.

I wish our daily rates were reasonable, in comparison to the yearly rate. Yearly (26 weeks, 3 days/wkk) $300/space or daily (Sat-$30/daily and weekday $10/day). The daily rate, if you were to attend all 3 days, would add up to $50/wk and if you were paying that $50 for more than 6 weeks, then you would pay the same as the yearly 26 weeks. Plus you would have to set up wherever the market master places you. Most of the time different areas of the market. Our market is 2 city blocks long, plus 2 separate parking lots (1 attached to the regular market, 1 separated by a main highway and hidden behind a group of buildings.

Our market has 70+ reserved spaces and is usually filled to 75% each Saturday.

Marla