Santa Cruz Farmers’ Markets » Vendor Application

Vendor Application

Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers' Market

THE MISSION OF THE SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKET IS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING DIRECT ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE SOURCES OF FRESH PRODUCE AND OTHER UNIQUE FOODS; AND PROVIDING EDUCATION ABOUT FOOD ISSUES, BOTH LOCAL AND BEYOND.

Prospective Vendors

Thank you for your interest in joining the Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Market. Please review the requirement overview that applies to you.

The process involves three steps: 1. Submit an SCCFM Interest Form, 2. If you receive an application for membership, submit application, 3. Approval/Denial/Wait-list for membership.

Please be patient, the entire process can take months or longer to complete. We know you are excited to participate and would like to start right away. However, because of the high volume of applications we receive our review process can slow. Keep in mind, there is a very good chance there are other people in front of you. We must work in a straight line to be fair to all applicants, so again….please be patient. We will get to you as soon as we can. Thank you.

Interest Form…

If you qualify and there are vendor openings at the markets you are interested in, please download the pdf, complete and mail the SCCFM Prospective Vendor interest form to our office. If you are having problems downloading the form, contact us by email and we will send you one. The request will be reviewed and if you qualify, you will be contacted by SCCFM and sent an application for membership. Please do not contact us immediately after sending an interest form. Please be aware, that if you send in an interest form that does not qualify for membership, you will not be contacted. Therefore, pay special attention to the requirements for membership and available openings at our market locations (listed below).

Application for Membership…

If you send us a qualifying SCCFM Prospective Vendor interest form, you will be contacted by phone or email by SCCFM. You will also be sent an application packet. Once SCCFM has received all the required documents and application fee. Your membership request will be scheduled a review date by the SCCFM Board of Directors. You might be asked to come to the review to answer any questions or talk about your operation. If you are a prepared foods vendor, you will automatically be asked to come and talk about your business and bring samples of the food you would like to sell.

All SCCFM membership applications are reviewed and ruled upon by the SCCFM Board of Directors. Our decision process is predicated on commodity distribution. That means, if we do not have a product in the market and the item represents our mission and standards, we will be interested in it. If it is a product that is duplicated in the market, we will not be as interested. Please be aware, all of the vendors in the market are members of SCCFM and all of the products they sell have been preapproved by SCCFM . We do this to ensure that all the items sold in the market fit our mission and are of the highest quality.

Please Read…

Before applying, please review the table below. Although we do not want to discourage prospective vendors from applying, we would like applicants to have a realistic understanding of the availability of space at SCCFM’s markets. We receive a high volume of applications and many of our markets are currently full. Please take the following information into consideration before submitting your application. If you have a unique product that does not fall within these categories, but that does fit within our rules and regulations, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance. The market openings chart is updated on an ongoing basis.

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Prospective Vendor Information:

SCCFM’s policy is to give preference to producers and vendors whose practices support our mission.

Farmers/Ranchers/Agricultural Vendors

For agricultural producers, all products must be grown in California, and if applicable we give preference to those who farm within Santa Cruz County and are certified organic.

Requirements for Membership:

Current California Producers Certificate
Product and General Liability Insurance with policy limits set to 1,000,000 products and 2,000,000 general aggregate. Insurance policies must name SCCFM as an additional insured.
If applicable, please include any/all of the following:

State Organic Registration Certificate
3^rd party Organic Certification Agency (CCOF, QAI, MOCA, etc.)
Nursery Stock License (if applicable)
Health Department Permit (for any processed/value added foods)
Vintners need Bonded Type 2 License (for wine sales at Market)
Apiary (beekeeper) License
A copy of Farm Maps (County parcel map is best)

4. Photos of your stall space if you participate at other farmers markets

Download Farmer/Rancher/Egg Producer interest form

Artisan Food/Prepared Food Vendors

Artisan Foods are any product that is processed/made by the vendor and is sold, not consumed in the market. For artisan food vendors, we prefer those who use organic, regionally grown produce, ideally from farmers participating our markets.

Prepared foods are any item that is cooked, prepared or served to eat at the market. All food items, both prepackaged/artisan food and food for on site consumption, must be produced by the vendor. Preference is given to those who have at least two years’ experience in the restaurant/prepared food business. All food items sold at the market must be processed/served in accordance with Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Department’s and the State of California’s rules and regulations. We do not provide applications for food related businesses that are not fully operational. Additionally, we do give out applications from unregistered businesses. All prepared food is subject to a blind tasting to assure product quality and appeal.

Requirements for Membership:

Current Santa Cruz County Health Permit. If you are currently participating in farmers markets that are not in Santa Cruz County, you may submit your current county farmers market health permit for the application process. However, if you are approved to sell, you will be required to have a current Santa Cruz County Health Permit.
Product and General Liability Insurance with policy limits set to 1,000,000 for each occurrence and 2,000,000 for general aggregate. Insurance policies must name SCCFM as an “additional insured”.
For certified organic food producers, current organic registration documentation.
A copy of the certified kitchen lease you are currently using.
A copy of business registration/license or CA. sellers permit. Call State Board of Equalization 800-400-7115 for more information
Photos of your stall space if you participate at other farmers markets.

Download Food Vendor/Prepared Foods interest form

Link to The City of Santa Cruz policies on Mobile Food Vending

Arts & Crafts

SCCFM does not accept applications for arts and crafts.

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MARKET OPENINGS (Updated Monthly)

**At this time, we are posting general opening information for the markets. In the near future, we will post specific commodity openings to better assist you in your application process.

Felton Farmers Market (Tuesday 2:30 to 6:30pm/May to November)

Artisan Food/Prepared Food Vendors: Closed