Farmers Market Vendor Process, Policies and Procedures

1) Vendor Approvals, Scheduling & Rotation Policy:

The Morris Plains Farmers Market Board retains full authority over vendor participant approvals and weekly vendor scheduling. Submission of this application does not guarantee acceptance as a Farmers Market vendor.

To ensure a dynamic and equitable market experience, weekly vendor spots are not guaranteed.

The Board carefully manages vendor selection, approvals, scheduling and rotation to:

1. Maintain an exciting and diverse selection of products for our shoppers each week.
2. Provide opportunities for a wide variety of vendors to participate throughout the season.

All applications, including those originating from Downtown Morris Plains, require a mandatory initial review and approval by the Farmers Market Board.

Applications will only proceed to the Clerk’s Office for further processing after this initial Farmers Market Board approval.

Farmers Market Vendor Application Non-Food
Farmers Market Vendor Application Food & Alcohol

2) Vendor Category & Participation Policy:

To ensure a diverse and equitable marketplace, please note that no single vendor holds exclusive ownership over any product category at the Farmers Market.

Furthermore, vendors do not have the authority to dictate or influence the participation of other vendors in the market. All scheduling and vendor selection decisions are made solely by the Farmers Market Board.

3) Farmers Market Vendor Participation Guidelines:

A) Criteria for Farm, Food & Drink, Handmade/Homemade Businesses at the Farmers Market

Key guidelines and criteria we look for:

• Authenticity & Craftsmanship:
  • Genuine Creation: Products should be farm grown, or genuinely handmade or homemade, or significantly altered/crafted by the vendor. This includes items like: artisanal foods & drink, unique crafts, original artwork, handcrafted jewelry, or custom textiles, etc.
• Uniqueness & Differentiation:
  • No Resale of Generic Goods: The primary focus should be on your original creations, not the resale of generic, wholesale items without significant value-add or customization.
• Compliance & Preparedness:
  • Health & Safety: For homemade food & drink items, compliance with all local health department regulations, licensing, and food safety standards is required. Please note that this process requires 3 weeks lead-time.
  • Insurance: Appropriate business and liability insurance is required.
  • Operational Readiness: The vendor should have the necessary materials, staffing, and setup/teardown capabilities to operate smoothly in the market environment. Vendors must be set up by 8:45am. Breakdown is at 1pm.

Any Morris Plains business that is in alignment with the Farmers Market’s vendor guidelines above is welcome to submit an application to be a stand alone vendor. f your business does not meet the standard criteria for market vendors (outlined above), you may apply to participate in the market through the Downtown Morris Plains Local Business Showcase. 

B) Downtown Morris Plains Local Business Showcase: As a way to support our local business community, we partner with Downtown Morris Plains to offer this exclusive program to brick-and-mortar or home-based local businesses. Morris Plains businesses may apply through this program for a space at the market to share products and services and connect with our market community.  

• Business Location: Businesses must be physically located in the borough of Morris Plains to be eligible to participate.
•  Promotional Opportunity: The primary purpose of your market presence is to showcase and promote services or products offered at your physical storefront or home-based operation, given the limitations of offering full services on-site at the Farmers Market.

  Offerings may include primarily products/services without unique customization or local/handmade attributes.

• Limited Participation: Participation in this program is on a limited engagement basis (up to 3 markets per season) and subject to availability.
• Compliance & Preparedness: Requirements for compliance and preparedness (above) apply to all vendors, including DMP Local Business Showcase participants.
• Operational Readiness: Requirements for operational readiness (see above) apply to all vendors, including DMP Local Business Showcase participants. Downtown Morris Plains can supply a tent, if needed. 

4) Borough Clerks Office Vendor Steps for Approvals:

While your initial application has been approved by the Farmers Market Board, final vendor approval requires the submission of the following to the Clerk’s Office:

1. Food/Drink Vendor Health Form (for Food-Related Vendors)/ and/or ABC liquor seasonal permit application (for Vendors Selling Alcohol).
2. Borough Food Establishment License Application
   • • County of Morris Health Dept. Farmers Market Application
     • ABC Liquor Seasonal Permit Application. Note: Carries additional fees.
     • The process requires a 3 week lead-time.
     • Certificate of Insurance: From All Vendors Listing the Borough of Morris Plains as the additional insuredC.
3. Applicable Vendor Fee Payment. See Fee Schedule.

Successful completion of these steps will secure approved vendor status. Failure to complete any of the aforementioned steps may result in the denial of your application for a market vendor position.

5) Morris Plains Farmers Market Social Media Post Schedule Policy:

Our Farmers Market social media posts are designed and scheduled in advance to ensure timely inclusion in the Morris Plains town newsletter. To meet this publication deadline, all content, including the vendor schedule, is finalized and submitted by Wednesday of each week for the following market’s promotion. In addition, posts may be designed and scheduled even further in advance when needed.

Please note: Any updates or changes to the vendor schedule received after this submission deadline will, not be reflected in our pre-scheduled social media posts or the town newsletter.

6) Vendor Cancelation & Rescheduling Policy:

As a vendor, you agree to the following policy regarding your scheduled market days:

Cancellation Notice: If you are unable to attend a market day you have been scheduled for, you must notify us 48 hours in advance.

Last-Minute Absences: In the event of a last-minute or unexpected absence, you are required to call or text the provided cellphone number as soon as possible. This allows us to make necessary changes.