[FMC] Responses to Rules on selling bottled water at FMkts

Tue Apr 15 13:38:20 EDT 2008

Bottled water needs to be looked at as a waste issue as well as a  
sales issue.

While I have never seen sales of bottled water serving as much of a  
money maker -- more as a service, as others have said -- at the 100+  
markets I have visited, I have seen it be a big waste issue.  And the  
reality is that, with or without recycling programs, plastic water  
bottles have become one of the biggest environmental problems, and  
are becoming increasingly a health issue, in this county.

I like the idea of a market offering a big jug -- 3-5 gallons on a  
stand -- that people can use to refill their own cups or bottles.   
Every town has companies that supply these big water bottles to  
businesses and residences, so sponsorship opportunities present  
themselves.  (In other words, they donate the water, and you put up a  
sign that says, "water provided as a courtesy by ACME Water  
Purifiers.")  The water is filtered, purified local tap water, thus  
eliminating the need to spew more greenhouse gasses into the  
atmosphere hauling little bottles from "the source."  It eliminates  
all of those little bottles which, by the way, are made out of fossil  
fuels, with lots of toxic waste as byproducts and which leach toxins  
into the water, and which you have to figure out how to dispose of  
later.  And it eliminates the ongoing privatization of water systems  
all over the country, something your farmers will appreciate.   
Besides, those little bottles of water cost more than gasoline!!!

Zachary Lyons
Executive Director, 1999-2005
Washington State Farmers Market Association

On Apr 15, 2008, at 6:16 AM, Helaine Harris wrote:

> Hello.  I am President of the Historic Lewes Farmers Market in  
> Lewes, DE.  We do not have  a set rule for this in our vendors'  
> rules and procedures.  However, the HLFM sells coffee and bottled  
> water (at a very low price) at our table at the market mainly for  
> the convenience of customers.  It is not a big money-maker.--Helaine
> Helaine Harris
> Historic Lewes Farmers Market
> Lewes, DE
> historiclewesfarmersmarket.org
> historiclewesfarmersmarket @comcast.net
>
> At 08:02 AM 4/15/2008 -0400, you wrote:
>
>> >We do allow the sale of bottled water and soda.  It must be  
>> approved by the manager.  It comes under rule #5 below.
>>
>> We have a lunch at every market and the lunch vendor (Tuesdays - a  
>> nonprofit, Fridays - a for profit) carry drinks.  We also have a  
>> baker who has a cooler of cold drinks - primarily because the  
>> lunch only covers 2 of the 4 hours of market.  Drinks are  
>> primarily for the convenience of customers and vendors, not a big  
>> money-maker.  The market also provides free ice water by the cup.
>>
>> Eileen
>>
>> Eileen Nichols
>> Webb City Farmers Market
>> One South Main
>> PO Box 1
>> Webb City, Missouri  64870
>> 417 673-5866
>> cell 417 483-8139
>> fax 417 673-5308
>>
>> 5.      Product mix – fresh fruit, vegetables, cut and dried  
>> flowers, plants, value added products, honey, meats, and eggs  
>> produced by the vendor.  Baked goods, other than the annual bake  
>> sale benefiting Crosslines, shall be sold by persons involved in  
>> the baking.  All value added products are allowed at market  
>> managers’ discretion.  Handcrafted items are allowed at the market  
>> managers’ discretion and may be juried prior to acceptance.
>>
>> >Hi, my name is <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas- 
>> microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Deb Connors, Market Master at  
>> the City Market in Kansas City Missouri. We only allow concession  
>> vendors to sell bottled water and soft drinks. No one in the farm,  
>> artist/crafter or retail food is allowed to sell any beverages. I  
>> have also attached a copy of our 20078 vendor handbook. Hope this  
>> helps.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft- 
>> com:office:office" />
>>
>>  Deb Connors
>>
>> >Only concessionaires and restaurants are allowed to sell water.
>> Deb Churchill
>> Property Manager
>> City Market - Kansas City
>>
>> > I would love to hear the responses you get on this as well if  
>> you wouldn't mind forwarding. This comes up every summer at our  
>> market and so far we say no to anything that is purchased and  
>> resold. We do allow homemade beverages such as lemonade, coffee,  
>> tea, etc.
>> ___________________
>> Tammy Neumann
>> Administrative Secretary/Farmers Market Coordinator
>> Iowa City Parks & Recreation Department
>> 220 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, IA 52240
>> 319/356-5210   Fax: 319/356-5487
>>
>>
>> From: fmc-bounces at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org [mailto:fmc- 
>> bounces at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org] On Behalf Of Susan Sauter
>> Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 3:59 PM
>> To: fmc at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org
>> Subject: [FMC] Rules on selling bottled water at FMkts
>>
>> Hello: By way of introduction, I am on the board of the Morgantown  
>> (West Virginia) Farmers Market and of our new state WV Farmers  
>> Market Association. The former Morgantown group has asked me to  
>> research how other markets handle (or don't) the selling of  
>> bottled water at the market. If anyone has rules re: who can sell  
>> it (eg. non-profits, vendors, etc) ; if it is allowed at all; and  
>> what prevents the selling of other drinks, eg. specifically, soft  
>> drinks. I have enjoyed reading the other threads. Thanks for your  
>> feedback. The citing of specific rule language would be most helpful.
>>
>> Susan Sauter
>> www.wvfarmers.org
>>
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>> fmc at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org
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> Helaine Harris
> Vice President
> Daedalus Books & Music
> 410-309-2700
> hharris at daedalusbooks.com
> www.salebooks.com
>
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