Please read and understand the following BEFORE beginning the application process:
Polk County Farmers Markets
2025 Annual Market Guidelines and Application
Application Fee: $25 for each market
Vendor Fee: $10/wk
Mission It is the mission of the Polk County Farmers Markets to improve the health of our community by increasing access to locally grown and produced foods, to increase knowledge of fresh food preparation and preservation, to increase the capacity of our local food system by providing support to local food producers, and to preserve and promote the food and farming heritage of the Polk County area.
Market Board A Board of Directors manages the Polk County Farmers Markets. All decisions regarding vendor involvement in the market, changes to the rules, and any complaints related to the market, including vendor disputes, are handled through the Board.
Vendor Selection The Polk County Farmers Markets is a Producer-Only market. No reselling of any product shall be permitted. Vendors for the Rockmart Farmers Market and Cedartown Farmers Market will be approved by the Board of Directors. Admission to sell at the market will be based on: product quality, product category, and prior market vendor history. All products you wish to sell year round must be listed on your application. Additional products can be added at a later date and are subject to approval. The Polk County Farmers Markets reserves the right to refuse any applicant if they feel it is in the best interest of the market to do so. Due to space restraints we are unable to accept applications from Food Truck vendors.
The product type is limited to two vendors in each category: meats, breads, sweet breads, soaps & lotions, honey, coffee, tea, cheese, milk, cut flowers etc. Those vendors who have similar products may be put on a waiting list. The market reserves the right to replace any vendor or remove exclusivity with products in the aforementioned categories who does not attend the market for two consecutive weeks with no notice or four total weeks even with notice. A vendor removed as a result of lack of attendance may be placed on the waiting list if they wish to return.
Arts & Crafts are only permitted as secondary products for food vendors and only on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions are made for special “holiday” markets as scheduled by the board of directors. Vendors must include pictures and descriptions of their craft products with their application.
Vendors must agree to a visit by a minimum of one Board member and/or the Market Manager. This allows us to learn more about your products and how they are produced. Applicants can also use this time to ask questions about our markets.
The approval process, including farm visit and Board vote can take one to two weeks to complete, please allow ample time for processing.
Vendor Fees A one-time, non-refundable fee of $25.00 (for each market) is due with application. However, If your application is denied, your fee will be refunded to you. A weekly fee of $10.00 is due by the close of each market. Checks can be made payable to the Rockmart Farmers Market.
Vendor Qualifications Selling space is limited to producers whose primary place of business is located within a county which is located within a 60-mile radius of the boundaries of Polk County, GA. Those included counties are: The Georgia Counties of Bartow, Carrollton, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Rockdale, Spaulding, Troup, Union, Walker, Walton, and Whitfield. The Alabama Counties of Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Cleburne, Clay, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Marshall, Saint Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, and Randolph.
Vendors are responsible for meeting the local, state and federal requirements to sell their products. Examples include food safety requirements and licensing. For more information, vendors may contact the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture’s Consumer Protection Division at 404-656-3627. Licenses and certifications must be submitted with application.
Vendor Responsibilities As stated previously, the Polk County Farmers Markets is a Producer-Only market. No reselling of any product shall be permitted at any time. Intentional deception of a product’s origin is cause for immediate expulsion from the market. The following rules provide guidance for vendor interactions with our market. The Board of Directors for the Polk County Farmers Markets reserves the right to expel or suspend any vendor for any reason at any time if they feel it is in the best interest of the market to do so.
Visits may be conducted at any time during the year and may occur on multiple occasions if necessary to verify that the vendor is producing the products sold or intending to be sold at the market. This visit will be by at least one Board member and/or the Market Manager. Refusing a farm visit within a reasonable time period (a maximum of five days) can be grounds for immediate and permanent expulsion from the market.
Vendors are only allowed to sell items listed on their original application. Vendors wishing to add new items must submit a request via email to rockmartfarmersmarket@gmail.com or cedartownfarmersmarket@gmail.com for Board approval before selling new items. Pictures of the new item(s) are encouraged if available.
All vendors must accept the food stamp tokens for approved food items at the farmers market. Vendors will return all tokens at the end of each market to the market manager and tally the total amount. Vendors will be reimbursed for the amount by check in person at the market or via mail. There are no exceptions. Items NOT eligible for SNAP purchase are as follows: Food products that contain alcohol or tobacco products, items that are not intended for human consumption (e.g. personal hygiene products, paper products, pet foods, etc.) foods sold hot at the point-of-sale, and vitamins and supplements.
The Polk County Farmers Markets regularly gathers data from its vendors regarding products offered and total sales. This data is used to help demonstrate the impact of the market on our community and may be used to help acquire funding from grants, foundations, corporations or private donors. We make every effort to anonymize the data and no vendor’s personal information is disclosed with the data. The data is only presented in aggregate and does not contain any personally identifiable information about any vendor or farm.
Vendors must notify the Market Manager two days prior if unable to attend a market.
Please provide detailed product information on Sunday for Cedartown Farmers Market or Tuesday for Rockmart Farmers Market via text message with the Market Manager. This information will be used to promote the market and our vendors on social media, newspapers, and other promotional materials. Communicating accurately to our customers increases sales for everyone.
While attempts will be made to ensure vendors are in specific spaces consistently, no vendor is ever guaranteed a particular space at the market. Spaces are assigned based on seniority and availability. Any vendor missing two consecutive weeks with no notice or four total weeks with notice may be assigned a different space on their return.
Vendors may not set up prior to 12:45pm without prior permission. Vendors must arrive no later than 15 minutes before the market begins. Vendors may only park or set-up in the 12x12 numbered spaces designated by the Market Manager. If more space is needed, you may reserve a second space for an additional $10 each week to be added to the regular weekly fee. If you require use of a trailer, you may be designated to a specific spot or additional costs may be necessary for the second space. Vendors are required to secure tents with weights and/or stakes as well as tethering tents to your vehicle where applicable. Vendors are responsible for providing their own tents, tables, cords, etc. Vendor booth space priority will be assigned based on the percentage of markets attended. Vendors must leave their space as they found it with no trash or other debris. Vendors may not park in the Colony Bank parking lot (in Rockmart) or the Georgia Farm Bureau parking lot (in Cedartown). Vendors may not leave the market early except by permission from the manager.
Vendors may not smoke on the market premises at any time.
No vendor shall communicate in a disparaging way about other vendors, other vendors’ products, any customers or about the market in general. Communication includes but is not limited to social media, public communications at the market or any other communication that may harm the reputation of the market or its vendors.
Major violations of market rules can lead to expulsion from the market. First violations may lead to temporary expulsion and second violations may result in permanent removal from the market. After a second violation vendors are considered on probation for a year and are subject to two random farm visits during the probationary period.
Weather Policy The market will open and stay open unless the weather is dangerous. Dangerous weather is defined as high winds, lightning, and snow or ice affecting driving safety. The decision to attend during inclement weather is solely the vendor’s responsibility and is not subject to repercussions.
The 2025 Market Season will open every Thursday from 2-6pm in the Summer and Fall. It will continue year-round in the Winter and Spring from 2-5pm with special Holiday Markets in November and December, excluding Thanksgiving and three (3) weeks at Christmas. It will re-open for Winter Markets January 14, 2025. Vendors are encouraged to participate in additional events including Welshfest, the Silver Comet Festival, Cedartown Arts Festival, Hunny Pot Festival, and other festivals in Polk County.
Market Complaints Any vendor or person who wishes to place a complaint concerning the market must submit their complaint to the Board of Directors in writing to: Polk County Farmers Markets, PO Box 554, Rockmart, GA 30153 or via email torockmartfarmersmarket@gmail.com or cedartownfarmersmarket@gmail.com.