2026 Arrington Vendor Rules & Operating Guidelines

We are an Agriculture & Food Market Only

• When booth space allows, we accept only agricultural based businesses or food-based businesses

• Makers/Producers only, no Resellers or Wholesale Brokers

• No Buddying Up and Selling Other People’s Items

• No Arts & Crafts items

• No Handmade Accessories or Personal Accessories

• No Flea Market items

• No Children’s Activities

• No Promotional Booth Space for Local Businesses

• No Musicians

• No Fundraising Activities for Not For Profits

Common Frequently Asked Questions

• Please read our Vendor FAQ page if you haven’t already.

Producers Only

• Only producers may sell at the market. Farmers who wish to sell must submit an application to the Market manager that certifies that they grow their own produce and/or proteins or make their value-added product. Each vendor in the market must be directly involved with or knowledgeable about the production of the produce or products being sold at the market.

• A producer is defined as the person who grows or makes the product. This may include the producer’s immediate family, partners, employees or a local cooperative.

• No wholesale brokers or resellers will be allowed. All market vendors should prepare for a site visit by the Market Manager during the growing season. Failure to allow a site-visit once given reasonable notice may be grounds to revoke your right to vend.

• Any false representation of products will be grounds for expulsion from the market. The producer’s name must be clearly displayed in each booth.

Value-Added Products (Farmers Only)

• Vendors approved under the Farmers Category may sell any farm products, including value-added products (i.e. jams, sauces, etc). At least one ingredient or material in any value-added goods sold in a Vendor’s booth must have been grown on the producer’s farm.

• Farmers must add all new items to their vendor profile. Only approved items on your application are allowed to be sold at the market.

Prohibited Products & Merchandising Rules

• We do not accept art or crafts at the AFM. We are an agriculture and food market--we do not accept flea market items.

• Each vendor must adhere to their merchandising & business category. That means if you are accepted to our market as a farmer, you are not allowed to add flea market items or completely change over to flea market items at your booth. That includes bird houses, essential oils, pottery, houseplants, etc. If your application was approved to sell jams and jellies, you can’t also bring baking. You may only sell the items you described & listed on your application and received approval for. 

• Vendors must request approval to add new items to sell at the market if they want to expand beyond what already has been reviewed and approved. Only approved items on your application are allowed to be sold at the market.

• Vendors are encouraged to start an email list and to accept pre-orders during the week for pickup at the market. You are permitted and encouraged and to pre-sell anything you want (this includes selling your buddy’s products or anything you aren’t allowed to sell at the market) via your email list and have your customers pick up at the market. All pre-sales during the week are exempt from your vendor fee for that week.

• To support you with promoting your business outside of the market, you are permitted (and encouraged) to sell promotional merchandise with your business name, brand or logo on it (ie: shirts, hats, bags, etc).

• Hosting more than one business or brand under your booth, or “buddying up” and allowing a friend’s business to join you, is not allowed and must be approved by a market manager. That means that if you are a vegetable farmer or a pasta maker and you want to start selling your friend’s homemade cheese, you must receive permission first. 

• Remember that we are an agriculture and food market--we do not accept flea market items and strongly discourage them from being sold at our market. They need to be approved first.

• We are also a MAKERS market, meaning our vendors make, grow, cook, pickle, etc., their products themselves. Reselling items that are not your own is not allowed unless approved, and highly discouraged except in cases where these items cannot be produced in Tennessee and are sourced responsibly.

• If you are violating our merchandising rules and receive more than one warning, you will be forfeiting your accepted application and opportunity to sell at our market.

Insurance

• All vendors must provide proof of general liability coverage at a minimum amount of $1,000,000.00. A current certificate must accompany each vendor application & remain on file with the market. Campbell Risk Management out of Kentucky offers instant Farmers Market specific liability insurance. It’s easy to obtain online in about 15 minutes and it costs around $300 for the year.

• Please add Nashville Community Farmers Markets: 6400 Delvin Farm Lane, College Grove, TN 37046 as additionally insured to your policy.

Health and Safety Regulations

• It is the responsibility of each vendor to abide by all state and federal regulations which govern the sampling, production, labeling, or safety of the product the vendor offers for sale at the market. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of the vendor’s booth. If you have any questions on this matter, please speak with the Market Manager, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Regulatory Services, or the Davidson County Health Department.

• All processed foods must comply with all applicable state and federal health and safety regulations.

• A copy of the commercial kitchen certificate or domestic kitchen certificate must be displayed in the booth at all times. Proper labeling must be used as defined by the proper authority. Documentation of certified scales must be displayed in the booth. Proper labeling pertaining to organically grown produce must be displayed.

Minimum Equipment

• Vendors must supply their own 10’x10’ tent (8x8 tents also accepted), tent weights, a mat to protect the grass under your tent space, tables, chairs, generator (if you require power) etc. For safety reasons, vendors will not be permitted to set up without a tent and tent weights. (Note: 12’x12’ tents are not permitted)

• Each vendor who operates under a tent is required to weigh down each tent leg every single market day with at least 20-pounds of weight per tent leg or minimum 6” stakes, one per tent leg.

Fees

• Market fees are collected at the end of every market at the information tent. You will receive a slip of paper prior to checkout that you will fill out with your business name, date, and total sales. There will be a coinciding fee for you to pay no earlier than 15-mins before the markets close. We accept cash. Market fees are scaled and based on sales, equaling approx. 5% of your market sales with a minimum fee of $5 for sales from 0-$100. Here is the fee schedule. Fees are based on the honor system.  

Weather

• Markets will be held in rain, heavy rain, wind, heavy wind, extreme heat warnings or shine. In the unlikely event of a short-notice market cancellation, the market manager will notify vendors of the market’s closing as soon as possible via email, text messages, and Instagram private messenger.

• If the market does get cancelled due to severe thunderstorms or threat of tornadoes in the area of the market, it would only be in the afternoon of the market. The forecast is way too unpredictable to cancel with advance warning.

• You are responsible for your own safety. If you do not feel safe or you feel your product might get ruined due to the forecast, there is no penalty or fee for cancelling your attendance at the market. Please text the market manager as soon as you know you will not be attending.

Market Hours & Arrival times

• We operate every Wednesday from from 3:30pm - 6:00pm, May through October,

• Vendors will receive a text with the market map prior to the market if it’s your first market. For subsequent markets, just look on the ground for your name stick as your location may shift slightly each market.

• Most of our vendors arrive 45 minutes prior to opening, some vendors (such as our farmers) arrive one hour ahead of open. As long as you are fully set-up and ready to sell 15-mins prior to opening (by 3:15pm), your arrival time is up to you. 

Load-In & Set-up

• Market opens at 3:30pm. Vendors may drive up to their booth space, unload their booth setup, park their vehicle in vendor parking and then set up their booth space.

• Kindly unload quickly and move your vehicle so that the remaining vendors may drive up to their spot and unload as well.

Vendor Parking

• Please see Vendor Logistics page for diagram of vendor parking.

Market Opening & Closing Etiquette

• Vendors should be set up at least 15 minutes prior to the opening of each market (set up by 3:15pm at the latest). Since this is a newer market, you may begin selling as soon as you are ready, even if it’s before the official start time of the market.

• If you sell out early, you may begin a light breakdown (product, tables, signage, etc.) but no tent canopy (or tent weights) is permitted to come down before 6:00pm unless given special permission by the market manager. 

• Each vendor must leave his or her area spotless when they leave--this includes kale leaves, vegetable refuse, any and all trash, everything must go! Ice is ok.

• Vendors who violate opening & closing rules and receive more than one verbal warning may have their accepted application revoked and will no longer be permitted to sell at the market.

Vendor Signage

• Each vendor is required to have legible signage with your farm/business name, location, menu items, and prices. Schedule some time with the market team if you have questions regarding the best signage for your booth. 

• Signs must remain within 3 feet of the 10 x 10 booth boundaries and be positioned so they do not encroach on neighboring vendors’ spaces.

Absences

• All unplanned absences must be documented by notifying the Market Manager in writing prior to the missed market day via text or email (manager@richlandparkfarmersmarket.com).

• Verbal notification during market hours is not sufficient on its own. Due to the high volume of activity on market days, the Market Manager cannot reliably track verbal notices without written confirmation.

• Missing more than one market without prior written notification to the Market Manager may result in forfeiture of your opportunity to do business at the market, without further notice.

• Unlike some markets, we do not charge fines for absences—please help us by providing advance notice whenever possible.

• For full-time vendors, more than three short-notice cancellations per season may result in previously approved full-time dates being revoked. This may include a mid-season reduction to part-time status (with at least 10 days’ written notice from the Market Manager) or, in severe cases, dismissal from the market without notice. Each unplanned for absence must be documented by notifying the market manager in writing (prior to the missed market day) via text.

Communication Expectations

• Vendors are required to use the vendor portal to keep their schedule up to date. As soon as you know you will be absent for a date that you have already been approved for, you must submit a request to remove yourself from the schedule for that date. This allows us ample time to find another vendor to occupy your spot in order to have a full market.

• Vendors are required to text the market manager when you will be unexpectedly absent on short notice, running late or need to leave early.

• Vendors are required to call or text the market manager to discuss when you want to add something new to your booth that is not already part of your approved application.

• Vendors who violate communication rules and receive more than one verbal warning may have their accepted application revoked and will no longer be permitted to sell at the market.

Returning Vendors: Application Renewal Expectations

• We reserve the right to not approve application renewals for returning vendors for any reason.

Restrooms, Sanitation, & Best Practices

• A port-a-potty is located adjacent to the farm store.

• Vendors who serve food are required to have hand sanitizer at your booth. Please use it often and also have it available for shoppers. 

• If you provide samples and/or products that will result in waste material, such as toothpicks, straw wrappers, cups, rinds, corn cobs, etc, you must provide containers for waste disposal.

Prohibited Items & Discouraged Messaging

• Smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, and firearms are not allowed at markets.

• Refrain from making unfounded health & medical claims on your food & beverage product labels at this market. 

• Refrain from political or religious messaging or personal affiliation flags on your market signage or on your tent. 

Prohibited Behavior & Market Culture

• The AFM management works hard to keep our market free from bullying and a safe place for everyone.

• Bullying is not allowed at the AFM. This includes gossiping, trash-talking, creating rumors, snide remarks, and other toxic, harmful behaviors that disrupt a peaceful, harmonious market culture. 

• Audible excessive profanity or offensive language is prohibited at the AFM.

• Hateful speech and other offensive discourse that targets a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics—such as race, gender, sexual-orientation, religion, class, etc.— is prohibited.

• Vendors who violate market culture rules and receive more than one verbal warning may have their accepted application revoked and will no longer be permitted to sell at the market.

Children, Dependents, & Pets

• Children, parents, and other dependents are welcome on market days as long as each vendor can still give their undivided attention to their customers. Children and other dependents should not be too distracting or disruptive.

• Pets are not allowed to be brought to the market by vendors unless approved by the manager. 

Market Management

• The Market Manager’s job is to coordinate all of the weekly activities and to implement the market’s policies. The Market Manager also acts as a conduit of information between the vendors, customers, and community partners. The Market Manager has complete authority to interpret and implement policies at the market site.

• Quality control is one of the most important factors at the market. Routine inspections may be conducted. If your product is found unfit to sell at the Market, the Market Manager may ask you to discontinue sales of this item immediately.

• Vendors who violate our quality control rules and receive more than one verbal warning may have their accepted application revoked and will no longer be permitted to sell at the market.

Grievance Policy

• Any Vendor or customer with complaints regarding policy or implementation of policy can request a meeting with the Market Manager and will be contacted in a timely manner to schedule a meeting.