Membership Criteria
1. The Certified Roadside Farm Market Program is designed to promote North Carolina roadside farm markets that primarily sell produce grown by the operator and other local farmers. The goal of this program is to increase sales to consumers of products grown and sold by North Carolina farmers. The program also seeks to assist roadside farm markets with improving their marketing skills, to improve the quality of products sold, and to promote fair and honest marketing practices.
2. To qualify for participation in this program, a roadside farm market must sell primarily agricultural commodities direct to the public, with a minimum of 51% of total sales from farm products grown by the market operator. Applicants must submit a NCDA&CS Grower’s Certification, signed by their county extension agent, along with their application.
3. The operator of any roadside farm market as herein defined, may apply to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Marketing, for participation in this program. A separate application must be filed for each location.
4. Membership in the North Carolina Certified Roadside Farm Market program will be granted upon NCDA&CS committee approval of application. Membership will be under continual review by the NCDA&CS, Division of Marketing.
5. The business whose name appears on the Certified Roadside Farm Market application shall give written assurance of the business’s compliance with all applicable Federal, State and local laws, rules and ordinances, including all applicable license and permit requirements.
6. Certified Roadside Farm Markets will receive a sign to display at their market that identifies them as a North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Certified Roadside Farm Market. The sign shall at all times remain the property of the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Certified markets will also receive a marketing kit with posters and price cards to use in their displays, a checklist of suggestions for successful roadside markets (information on displays, market appearance, product quality, parking, etc.), camera ready logo to use in ads, sample newspaper or radio ads, and sample press releases.
7. The applicant shall have a permanent sign posted in a prominent and visible location at the roadside ma