Arbol Farmers Market logo with a tree, fields, and mountains in a circular landscape design

Rules & Regulations

The Arbol Farmers Market serves the North Fork Valley and beyond – connecting local food with local people, strengthening the viability of local agriculture, and increasing community health from the soil up.


In order to achieve our mission, the Arbol Farmers Market Committee, The Learning Council, and the Market Manager will enforce the following rules and regulations through the market season.


TUESDAY MARKET TIME AND PLACE
The 2025 Arbol Farmers Market is a weekly Tuesday evening market that runs from May 13th to October 14th in Paonia Town Park. This market is open from 5pm to 7:30pm for the majority of the season, and then changes to 5pm to 7pm on September 2nd due to shorter daylight hours.


The market may temporarily relocate or cancel at the Town of Paonia’s request. If this happens, vendors will be given proper notice as soon as possible.

Vendors can begin setup at 3 pm and must be fully ready to sell by 4:50 pm. Late arrivals may not be allowed to set up, and vehicles must be out of the market area by 4:50 pm. Market breakdown starts at market close. Vehicles are not allowed back into the market area until after the market closes.


APPLICATION PROCESS
The deadline to apply for a full time position at the market is April 18th, 2025. You will be notified whether or not you have been accepted by April 25th, 2025 or sooner.


  1. Review the eligibility requirements below to determine that you are eligible to sell at the Arbol Farmers Market. 
  2. Complete the online application by April 18th, 2025 
  3. Your application will be reviewed by the Arbol Farmers Market Committee and Market Manager.
  4. You may be asked for additional information or undergo an audit for receipts, licenses, certifications, etc. 
  5. You will be notified if you have been accepted or not no later than April 15th, 2025.
  6. If accepted, you will receive an invoice for your booth and any additional fees, which are due by May 30th, 2025. If you’d like to arrange payment installments or offer in-kind labor/ingredients to The Learning Council, please contact arbolfarmersmarket@thelearningcouncil.org by May 8th, 2025.


BOOTH SPACES
Vendors are provided a 12’ x 12’ booth space. Additional space requests should be noted on the application. Booth spaces may be transferred or alternated with another vendor with advance notice and mutual agreement. Both vendors must be approved by the Arbol Farmers Market Committee and the Market Manager must be notified 48 hours in advance of any transfers or changes. To create this arrangement, please contact arbolfarmersmarket@thelearningcouncil.org. 


Vendors may be able to use electrical outlets near the bleachers and other areas of the park during market hours. Please contact arbolfarmersmarket@thelearningcouncil.org if you need to use electricity.


FEE STRUCTURE
The vendor fee is $230 per season or the equivalent in in-kind donations. Part-time and drop-in vendors pay $20 per day. Fees help cover venue costs at Paonia Town Park.


Vendors may offer in-kind donations, such as labor or ingredient donations, to cover booth fees. Payment plans are also available for farmers upon request. To arrange an in-kind donation or payment plan, please contact arbolfarmersmarket@thelearningcouncil.org.


Vendors must provide their own insurance and Colorado Sales Tax License. More details can be found under “INSURANCE” and “TAXES”.


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The market’s goal is to support North Fork Valley farmers and producers and promote sustainable and regenerative practices. In keeping with these goals, vendors must produce their products within 100 miles of Paonia. Priority will be given to North Fork Valley producers.


Food producers and vendors must meet Organic Certified, Naturally Grown Certified, or similar standards. Non-food vendors must use certified organic, natural, wild-crafted, locally-sourced, or recycled materials. More details can be found under “MARKET STANDARDS FOR ALL PRODUCTS”.


MARKET STANDARDS FOR ALL PRODUCTS

As a vendor, you must sell products that are in alignment with the Arbol Farmers Market Standards. Please carefully read the standards listed below. If you have questions, please contact us.


Agricultural Producers

  • Meat must be frozen and processed at a USDA facility or State-certified facility. No fresh meat is allowed. 
  • Dairy must be processed at a licensed facility. 
  • Growers must produce food at Organic Certified, Naturally Grown Certified, or similar standards. 
  • Arbol Farmers Market honors the “Small Flock Exemption” for processing poultry as approved by the State of Colorado. All Small Flock Poultry vendors will be approved on a case-by-case basis and must agree to allow the Arbol Farmers Market Committee to visit on processing day and see the facility before being accepted as a vendor to the market


Value-Added Foods and Cottage Food Vendors

  • Value-added foods must be prepared in a commercial kitchen or in compliance with Cottage Food Safety regulations. 
  • Ingredients should be locally sourced and organically grown if possible. If not possible to source locally, ingredients must be Organic Certified or Naturally Grown Certified.


Honey and Honey Products

  • All honey being sold at Arbol Farmers Market must be approved by the Market Committee prior to selling. 
  • All beekeepers must provide information to the Committee on where they source their bees when purchasing new or replacement bees. 
  • Any vendor selling honey will be asked to provide information on how their apiary is treated for mites. 


Nonfood / Body Products

  • Body care items should be made from scratch and use certified organic, natural or wild-crafted ingredients, preferably locally-sourced. 


Craft Vendors

  • Priority is given to items made from earth-sourced, locally-sourced, or recycled materials


NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
Spaces at each market are available on a first-come, first-served basis after the application process closes. Nonprofits may attend up to four markets in a season, unless otherwise determined by the Arbol Farmers Market Committee. To sign up, please contact abolfarmersmarket@thelearningcouncil.org. There is no fee for information booths, but nonprofits selling goods are encouraged to donate the vendor fee.


VENDORS MAY SELL MERCHANDISE
Vendors may sell branded merchandise (e.g. t-shirts, caps, bags) with their logo and/or company name. While not required, we encourage vendors to source these products from Colorado and organically grown products. 


PROHIBITED ITEMS
Prohibited items include:

  • Garage sale and flea market goods
  • Multi-level marketing products (e.g. Avon, Doterra, Arbonne) 
  • Value-added foods or crafts not produced by the seller


RESALE
As the goal of the market is to support farmers and food producers of our region, resale of any products not directly produced by the vendor is prohibited, unless otherwise determined by the Arbol Farmers Market Committee. If you are interested in reselling an item, please contact abolfarmersmarket@thelearningcouncil.org.


MARKET PARTICIPATION
Vendors must submit an application and agree to abide by all the terms set forth in the market’s rules and regulations, as well as any verbal or written directions given by the Arbol Farmers Market Committee and the Market Manager. Violations may result in loss of participation without refund. 


Vendors are expected to attend all markets and notify the Market Manager 48 hours in advance if unable to attend. Missing more than three markets may result in removal.


Aggressive selling or soliciting is prohibited. Any vendor who displays harmful behavior or is the subject of a customer or vendor complaint will have their membership reviewed by the Arbol Farmers Market Committee. The Arbol Farmers Market Committee reserves the right to review and revoke membership and vendor participation whenever deemed necessary.


POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND YOUR SELLING AREA
Vendors are responsible for maintaining a safe, clean selling area and removing all trash before leaving. All canopies and umbrellas must have weights on each leg. Failure to do so may result in a fine.


Pets, including vendors’ animals, are allowed but must be leashed at all times. 


ZERO-WASTE
The Arbol Farmers Market is a zero-waste market. One-time use utensils, dishes, carry-out containers must be biodegradable or compostable. Plastic bags for produce should be biodegradable or recyclable. Reusable shopping bags are available at the Arbol Farmers Market Information Booth. 

Please ensure your area is clean and trash-free before leaving. Trash and recycling bins will be available.


INSURANCE
All vendors must provide proof of commercial general liability policy and submit a waiver of liability, indemnifying the Arbol Farmers Market, committee, staff, and volunteers against any and all claims arising from their participation in the market. Vendors must further name the Arbol Farmers Market as an additional insured on their policies. Insurance options for food vendors are available (but not limited to) through FLIP. Insurance options for non-food vendors are available (but not limited to) through ACT.


TAXES
The sales tax to sell products in Paonia is 9.5% for general merchandise and 6.6% for food for home consumption. In general, ready-to-eat foods, crafts, body products all will owe 9.5% sales tax. In general, agricultural producers will owe 6.6% sales tax. To learn more about Colorado Sales/Use Tax Rates, see form DR-1002.


Each vendor is responsible for having a Colorado Sales Tax License and filing their owed taxes to the state. To apply for a sales tax license, visit My Biz Colorado.


SCALES
Scales must be certified by the State of Colorado and must have the current approved seal of the State of Colorado Measurements and Standards Section.


SAMPLING
Vendors may offer food samples, but must use gloves to prep and serve food samples, provide single servings, and have hand sanitizer available nearby. Vendors must not serve samples if sick or exposed to illness.


FINES
The following fines may be issued to vendors in violation of the Arbol Farmers Market Rules and Regulations: 


  • $20 for failure to notify the Market Manager of absence 48 hours in advance (second offense).
  • $20 for no-show without notice.
  • $20 for arriving after 4:50 pm.
  • $20 for failing to weigh down your tent.


Repeated violations may result in removal from the market. Vendors are responsible for understanding and following these rules.


VENDOR SELECTIVITY
The Arbol Farmers Market reserves the right to deny any vendor or product based on market demands, laws, health codes, the market’s rules and regulations, and the Committee’s discretion. Rules may change for special events or at the Committee’s discretion.


NON-SEVERABILITY
If any provision of these Rules and Regulations is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, it will not affect the remaining provisions, which will continue as if the invalid provision was never included, unless its removal makes the agreement unreasonable.


NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Arbol Farmers Market prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of customers, vendors, or participants of the Arbol Farmers Market. Furthermore, harassment of participants and employees, i.e., racial harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination is prohibited. Individuals or groups deemed by the Committee to be in violation of these standards will be excluded from market activities.