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Vendor Selection Criteria and Guidelines

WHAT WE LOOK FOR:

  1. Sellers who are friendly, positive, outgoing, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and passionate
  2. High-quality products and packaging
  3. Attractive booth setup
  4. Well-designed branding
  5. Active social media and online presence
  6. Sustainable and ethical business practices
  7. Unique items that stand on their own in a crowded market
  8. Accessible price points

NON-ALLOWED PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS NEVER ALLOWED

Certain products are never allowed, as they are not allowed by Health Department or our contract with the City.

  • Seafood or Unpasteurized Milk (not allowed by City Health Department)
  • Multi-level Marketing (MLM) or direct marketing products (Scentsy, Herbalife, Young Living, Mary Kay, doTerra, Pampered Chef, etc)
  • Resellers and Boutiques (products not created or designed by the seller)
  • CBD products or oils (unless integrated into a food product)
  • Essential Oils
  • Loose crystals and gemstones
  • Vendors advertising or performing services such as holistic health coaches or tarot reading
    • Service providers may be able to participate in the market as a Sponsor.

PRODUCTS TYPICALLY NOT ALLOWED

Certain categories of products will typically not be allowed, as they are not allowed by the City, State, or we already have reached capacity for the category.

If you are a vendor in these categories and wish to participate in the Market, please email DowntownMesquiteFarmersMarket@Gmail.com

ALL VENDORS

  1. All products sold at the Downtown Mesquite Farmers Market must be grown, raised, produced, or created by the vendor. Very few exceptions are considered for agricultural producers (see below section).
  2. All production must take place within 150 miles of the market and must be performed using land and facilities that the Vendor controls through ownership, lease, rental, or other legal agreement.
  3. Products must be produced and sold in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
  4. Vendors are responsible for maintaining required permits, licenses, and certifications for all products they produce.
  5. Vendors must follow product sampling guidelines as specified by the City of Mesquite Health Department.
  6. Vendors are permitted to sell only items that were approved upon application. New products intended for sale by current vendors but not included on the most recently approved application must be approved prior to their sale at the Market. Vendors may email the Market Manager to submit changes.
    • Vendors who have already sold at the Market and wish to change their company/brand name must email the Market Manager, and may be required to apply again.
  7. All vendors are subject to review for quality and compliance, including but not limited to interviews, product reviews, tastings, and/or site visit(s). Additional rules are specified for each vendor type.
  8. All vendors must abide by the Space Rules (section further below).

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS / FARMERS

This section includes farmers, growers, and producers of fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, eggs, dairy, cheeses, herbs, plants, and bone broths.

  1. We are a producer-only market. You may only sell products that you grow or produce yourself. Reselling products purchased wholesale is not permitted, except for co-ops (see below).
  2. All production must take place within 150 miles of the market and must be performed using land and facilities that the Vendor controls through ownership, lease, rental, or other legal agreement.
    1. Rare exceptions to the 150-mile radius may be made for items that are desired but not generally grown in the region, but require additional approval from the Market Manager. (Ex. Hatch Chiles). These products must originate from Texas.
  3. Farms and production facilities are subject to inspection either in-person or virtually.
  4. All products sold at the Market are subject to review for compliance. If the Market Manager or Health Department has questions about the origins of a product, you must be prepared to show proof that you have grown or produced the product. Any products in question may be asked to be removed from sale until resolved to the satisfaction of the Market Manager or Health Department.
  5. Vendors caught selling items that do not abide by these rules will be subject to disciplinary action, including being barred from selling at the Market.

Booth Signage

  • Signage of the business/farm name, business address, farm location, and contact information (website) must be displayed at all times.
    • This signage will be provided at no cost to vendors who commit to a majority of the season

Product Display

  1. The Market Team will work with you to create a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing display of products and overall booth presentation. Please be open-minded and receptive to ideas as we want to maintain a high-quality image within the market and help maximize your sales.
  2. All items intended for human consumption must be kept off the ground at all times, free from insects and pests, and be in a safe and sound condition. The producer/seller will be solely responsible for damages resulting from the sale of unsound goods.
  3. Please remove all empty boxes and crates from sight, where possible, to maintain a clean booth appearance. If not possible to remove or hide them, please stack them in the neatest way possible.
    • Often farmers will use boxes that they have picked that are labeled with branding from wholesalers or distributors. Where possible, we want to discourage their use as they may give the appearance of you selling wholesale produce. We can work with you to source unlabeled crates and boxes if needed.

Product Labeling

  1. For each product, you are required to display a label with the name of the product and its price.
  2. The label must be placed next to each item. Menus of prices are generally not allowed.
  3. Any products for sale that are not on direct display (in coolers, etc) must have a sign advertising the product and pricing within the main display area.

Co-op Rules

  1. Limited co-ops are permitted with permission from the market manager.
  2. Co-ops can only be done for products that are not already sold at the market by a producer/grower.
  3. Co-op products must be clearly labeled with the originating farm and its location.
    • We can create and print this signage for you if needed
  4. Originating farm must be within 150 miles of Mesquite, Texas.
  5. You must provide the market manager with a document from the co-op farm stating that you have permission to sell their items at the market. We will also need to confirm that the farm is a producer and not a distributor.
  6. Co-op products are not exclusive
    • Example: If no farms at the market currently grow peaches, you are allowed to co-op peaches, but other farms at the market can too

ANIMAL PRODUCERS

  1. Production facilities are subject to inspection either in-person or virtually.
  2. Animals used in the production of products for sale at the Market must be raised and managed using humane husbandry practices and environmentally sound methods.
  3. Live animals are not allowed to be sold on-site but can be advertised for purchase off-site.

FOOD ITEMS

This section applies to all other items for human consumption off-site except for those listed above. Products include baked goods, all cottage foods, canned goods, pasta, dried spices, candies, etc.

Vendor Selection

  1. In reviewing new vendor applications, special consideration will be given to those producers who can verify the use of local ingredients. Those using ingredients sourced from sellers at the Market will be the highest priority. (Please make sure to include this in your application)
  2. Vendors applying in our most popular categories will be subject to more stringent selection criteria to ensure the highest standard of vendor at the market:
    1. Baked Goods and Sweets including cookies, cakes, breads, etc
    2. Canned Goods, Jams, Preserves, Salsas, and Sauces

Vendor Rules

  1. Value-Added products must be processed and packaged by the vendor in their own facility or created and developed by the vendor and produced in a processing facility under the direction of the vendor.
  2. The use of recyclable/compostable food containers is preferred and encouraged.
  3. Vendors must, when required, obtain, maintain, and display necessary permits or licenses.
    • All vendors in this category will be required to obtain a Temporary Health Permit from the City of Mesquite.

Product Display

  1. The Market Team will work with you to create a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing display of products and overall booth presentation. Please be open-minded and receptive to ideas as we want to maintain a high-quality image within the market and help maximize your sales.
  2. All items intended for human consumption must be kept off the ground at all times, free from insects and pests, and be in a safe and sound condition. The producer/seller will be solely responsible for damages resulting from the sale of unsound goods.
  3. Please remove all empty boxes and crates from sight, where possible, to maintain a clean booth appearance. If not possible to remove or hide them, please stack them in the neatest way possible.

Product Labeling

  • For each product, you are required to display a label with the name of the product and its price.
  • We prefer labels to be placed next to each item. Menus of prices are allowed instead where it makes more sense.
  • Any products for sale that are not on direct display (in coolers, etc) must have a sign advertising the product and pricing within the main display area.

EATERIES, FOOD TRUCKS, AND FOODSERVICE VENDORS

This section applies to all items for human consumption on-site, including Food Trucks, Food Carts, Foodservice under Tents, and Beverage Service.

Vendor Selection

  • This is one of our most popular categories, but also our most limited. We are only able to have between 2 and 5 vendors from this category per market day.
  • Because of this, we will be very strict with our curation, seeking the best operators.
  • The Ability to sell every weekend is likely, but not possible, as we want to have a variety of options that differ each week.

What we are looking for

  1. Operators who are interested in using the Market as a stepping stone toward opening up a bricks-and-mortar location in Mesquite
  2. Operators who can commit to multiple dates in the season in advance
  3. Operators with excellent customer service and efficient operations, who can handle surges of traffic and ensure fast ticket times (under 20 minutes)
  4. High-quality food and well-thought-out menu (quality photos and videos of your items are essential)
    • Ingredients sourced locally wherever possible, especially from sellers at the Market
  5. Variety of cuisines
  6. History vending at other events previously, with photos and/or videos of your setup
    • You don’t need to have a ton of experience, but we don’t want to be your first market
  7. Active social media presence
  8. Great branding, signage, and overall appearance (although we can help with this)
  9. Sustainable/eco-friendly practices

Booth/Truck Display and Appearance

  1. The Market Team will work with you to create a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing display of products and overall booth presentation. Please be open-minded and receptive to ideas as we want to maintain a high-quality image within the market and help maximize your sales.
  2. All items intended for human consumption must be kept off the ground at all times, free from insects and pests, and be in a safe and sound condition. The producer/seller will be solely responsible for damages resulting from the sale of unsound goods.
  3. Please remove all empty boxes and crates from sight, where possible, to maintain a clean booth appearance. If not possible to remove or hide them, please stack them in the neatest way possible.

Menu

  1. You must have your menu with prices displayed prominently in a large format. This is ideally printed, but can be hand-written in a legible way.
    • Please contact us if you need assistance with printing this or any signage, as we have access to the lowest-price printing providers.

Trash and Waste

  1. All trash must be hauled off and disposed of using the dumpsters at Front Street Station on the West Side
  2. All trash must be bagged and boxes are broken down prior to disposal
  3. Cooking oil must be collected and disposed of off-site

ARTISAN VENDORS

This section applies to sellers of non-food items, including artisan and handmade goods.

Vendor Selection Criteria

  1. Locally based creatives, makers, and brands (within 150 miles of the Market Location).
  2. You must make the products you sell, or have a hand in the design of your products.
    • Exceptions will be made only for sellers of vintage clothing or vinyl records
  3. Vendors applying in our most popular categories will be subject to more stringent selection criteria to ensure the highest standard of vendor at the market:
    • Jewelry
    • Candles
    • Soaps
  4. We will generally not accept any of the following:
    • Products not made or designed by the seller
    • Products made from kits
    • Crafts that are made using popular tutorials on TikTok, YouTube, websites, or social media (often not unique enough)
    • Products displaying drugs, guns, nudity, illicit or illegal items
    • Drug paraphernalia, including pipes and rolling papers
    • Vaping or smoking products, including tobacco
    • Products with vulgar language or imagery
    • Products featuring logos, characters, designs, or images that are copyrighted or that you do not have express permission to use commercially (unless you can prove fair use or you can show that you have the proper commercial licensing)
      • Imagery from the Walt Disney Company (Disney Consumer Products, Inc.), Sesame Workshop, Hello Kitty (Sanrio, Inc.), Warner Bros. (DC Comics, c/o Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Inc.), Martha Stewart, Kirstie Allsopp (BBC Worldwide Limited), Entertainment One UK Limited, Nickelodeon (Viacom International, Inc.), Boys Scouts of America, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, MLS, and any sports leagues characters and images MAY NOT be reproduced and sold without the express permission and a commercial license.
    • Products priced over $500.00 USD
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