Farmers market vendor

A Farmers Market Vendor is person or business that sells ONLY pre-packaged food products directly to consumers at a farmers market.  

• You must obtain approval from the FMV event coordinator to participate in a farmers market.
• You must also obtain approval from Environmental Health Services (EHS) before you start selling food.
• Complete the Farmers Market Vendor application and submit to our office for approval. A FMV can sell only prepackaged foods. For on-site food preparation submit a temporary food facility application.  

• All food items must be pre-packaged.
• Complete a Farmers Market Vendor application to sell prepackaged food. A FMV can sell only prepackaged foods, for on-site food preparation submit a temporary food facility application.   
• Provide samples of the labels that will be used on your products.
• Provide a signed commissary agreement.
• If you plan on sampling your food, follow the guidelines for sampling at the farmers' market.

What is a commissary and why do I need one?

A commissary is a permitted food business that provides you access to their facility for things like food preparation, packaging, and storage. You need a commissary to have a permitted safe place to prepare and package your FMV food products. Your FMV application needs to include the signed commissary agreement. If your commissary is outside Marin County, the agreement must be signed by the local environmental health office.

The commissary is needed to support your business when any of the following occur:

• Food, containers, and supplies are stored.
• Food is prepared.
• Food is prepared and prepackaged for sale.
• Utensils and equipment are cleaned and sanitized.
• Potable water is obtained.
• Liquid and solid wastes are disposed.

Applications must be submitted a minimum of 10 working days before the start day of the event. If your plan is to operate at a temporary community event, your application should be submitted to the event organizer. The organizer will submit all applications to our office for permitting.

If your plan is to operate at a permitted Farmers Market, you need to submit your Farmers Market Vendor application and fee directly to our office.  

Use the contact information on this page to submit your application by email or in printed form. You can call the number provided to make payments by Visa or MasterCard.  

If you choose to hand deliver your application, please arrive at least 1 hour before closing to be safe.