What does MFM Provide?
MFM considers it a challenge every week to see what further value can be provided to vendors and customers alike. We are constantly fostering a "nutritional atmosphere" - which means people leave the market every week feeling joyful, connected, and inspired. We also want people to learn something new each and every time they come to the market. We accomplish these things by providing the following:
1. Tents and weights to all vendors - stored at the market ready to be set up each week
2. Marketing options like professional documentary style videos, website features, and featured vendor posts available to all vendors
2. Marketing options like professional documentary style videos, website features, and featured vendor posts available to all vendors
3. On-site pop-up classes taught on a regular basis by local experts in agriculture, homesteading, natural medicine, healthy lifestyles, and much more
4. On-site live music entertainment
5. Community resources, healthy lifestyle resources, homesteading resources, and networking resources
How much Does it Cost to be a vendor?
WHAT KIND OF VENDORS DOES MFM PARTNER WITH?
Cottage Food Vendors
Cottage food vendors sell prepackaged and non-temperature controlled food items that are not made in an inspected kitchen. Our standards for cottage food vendors are that they use certified organic ingredients (or ingredients that have come from organically practicing sources) whenever possible. We require a list of all the ingredients that are used so that we can confirm that our standards are met!
Meat/poultry vendors
Meat and poultry vendors sell temperature controlled processed meats by the cut. Some vendors may also offer bulk options (such as a quarter cow), and some may raise meat to order. We require farm visits to insure that all products come from animals that were fed either chemical free grass/hay and/or organically grown feeds. We never allow meats that have been given hormones, antibiotics or vaccines regularly.
PRODUCE VENDORS
Produce vendors use a variety of different methods to grow their crops, and most methods can be done in an organic manner. We require farm visits to insure that no toxic chemical pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, weed killers, fertilizers, or other harmful substances are used on or near the crops. Once gardening methods are approved, all crops grown using the methods are approved as well.
Personal Care Vendors
Personal care vendors sell a variety of products - anywhere from homemade soaps and lotions to hair products and deodorants! Our standards for personal care vendors are that they use certified organic ingredients (or ingredients that have come from organically practicing sources) whenever possible. We require a list of all the ingredients that are used so that we can confirm that our standards are met!
Educational Vendors
Educational Vendors help us carry out a big part of our mission at MFM. They provide many informational resources, connections, classes, consultations, and sometimes services that help move others forward in their own personal homesteading and healthy lifestyle journeys. Our requirements for all educational vendors are that their philosophies must align with our core beliefs on health/wellness.
Preserving Vendors
Preserving vendors are absolutely essential to our local food supply chain. They sell food products that have been canned, pickled, freeze-dried, dehydrated, or made to last for a longer duration of time using some other method. Our standards for preserving vendors are that they use certified organic ingredients (or ingredients that have come from organically practicing sources) whenever possible.
medicinal Vendors
Medicinal vendors sell a variety of products - anywhere from herbal tea blends specifically designed for certain ailments, to elderberry syrups! Our standards for medicinal vendors are that they use certified organic ingredients (or ingredients that have come from organically practicing sources) whenever possible. We require a list of all the ingredients that are used so that we can confirm that our standards are met!
Gardening Vendors
Gardening vendors provide seeds, seedlings, fully grown plants, cut flowers, as well as informational materials and classes. They are essential to our forward growth in this community towards natural health and interconnected self-sufficiency. Our standards for gardening vendors are that they must carry no GMO seed, and their plants may not be sprayed with any chemicals that are outside of organic standards.
the paperwork
The First Step
Getting Started In Your Industry
If you are just getting started in your business and are wondering what kind of paperwork you need to sell your goods, the first place to start is obtaining all permits and licenses that apply to your industry! Some examples of the kind of permits and licenses you might need are Food Handlers Permits, Food Manufacturers Permits, and Food Managers permits. If you are a food vendor, you can find lots of information of what is required of your business on the Texas Health and Human Resources website!
The Second Step
Protecting Yourself
MFM requires all vendors to have 1,000,000 in business insurance, and we also ask you to list us as additionally insured on your policy so that everyone's covered in case something unexpected happens! Click the link to visit our Insurance Carriers Website. If you would like assistance with taking this step in your business, or you would like our private insurance brokers contact info to receive a free quote, please reach out using our "Contact Us" page!
The Third Step
Working With The County
For all vendor applicants who wish to sell temperature controlled food items (such as meat) or yard eggs, the MCEHS requires a permit. This permit can only be obtained by visiting the MCEHS office in person! Click the button below to visit the Montgomery County website and find the MFEHS contact info!
The Fourth Step
Working With The City
For all vendor applicants who sell food items of any kind, the City of Montgomery requires a Roadside Food Vendor Permit. This permit may be obtained by filling out the online PDF, printing the document out, signing it, and scanning it back in so that it can be emailed to events@montgomerytexas.gov, or delivering the signed document in person. The fee for this permit can be paid by calling the office (936-597-6434) to provide a card number, mailing the office a check (101 Old Plantersville Rd. Montgomery, TX, 77356), or visiting the office and delivering payment in person.
The Final Step
Joining the MFM vendor community!
Once you have submitted an application to MFM and you have all the other paperwork in order, all thats left to do is sign our simple yet thorough vendor agreement, and you're done! We are so excited every time a new member joins our community - we grow and learn best together! This document will be sent to you as soon as your application has been approved, and you will also receive a link to join our Facebook community. We look forward to getting to know and learn from you!
