2025 RPFM 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 Flea Market items
No Children’s Activities
No Promotional Booth Space for Local Businesses
No Musicians
No Fundraising Activities for Not For Profits
Metro's Park Rules
Metro’s Park Rules are extremely important and must be adhered to.
Breech of park rules puts our ability to host a market at Richland Park at jeopardy, and jeopardizes your livelihood and the livelihood of your fellow vendors, too.
Driving vehicles under the canopy of any tree in Richland park is strictly prohibited. This will damage the roots of our glorious park trees.
Using trees to prop-up tables, tents, or leaning any market gear against any tree in Richland Park is prohibited.
Damaging the park or metro property in anyway is strictly prohibited. All hot coals, embers, crawfish boil water, etc., must be disposed of properly offsite.
Commitment to East Nashville Farmers Market
Vendors who are accepted into Richland from East Nashville Farmers Market must maintain their monthly presence at East Nashville Farmers Market in order to maintain their presence at Richland.
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 RPFM. 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.
Vendors must have the ability to supply at least $800 in inventory consistently for each market, with average market sales (over 13 consecutive markets) being no less than $500/market minimum.
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, tables, chairs, 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 30-pounds of weight. Canopy tent weights can be found online or at sporting good stores.
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 & credit cards (cash is preferred). Market fees are scaled and based on sales, equaling approx. 5% of your market sales with a minimum fee of $25 for sales from 0-$500. Here is the fee schedule. Fees are based on the honor system.
Weather
Markets will be held rain, shine, or snow unless the weather is severe and roads are dangerous. In that event, the market manager will notify vendors of the market’s closing as soon as possible via email, text messages, and Instagram private messenger.
Market Hours & Arrival times
We operate every Saturday, all year-long, from 9am-12pm, April through December, and 10am-12pm, January through March.
Vendors will receive an email with a market map link on Fridays before the market.
Most of our vendors arrive one-hour prior to opening, some vendors (such as our farmers) arrive 1.5 hours ahead of open. As long as you are fully set-up and ready to sell 15-mins prior to opening, your arrival time is up to you.
Parking
Vendors are not permitted to park inside of the park, nor are they permitted to park on Park Ave. All vendors must find parking on a side street (use Elkins Ave if possible) or outside of Richland Park. This is to ensure that our shoppers have priority parking before ourselves. The Turnip Truck is not impressed when vendors use customer parking beside their store on 50th Ave. North.
Load-In & Set-up
April to December, vendors are allowed to drive on the grass to their spots unless a heavy rain has occurred and the market management alerts vendors to keep all vehicles off the grass for the day.
Unload ALL of your gear, immediately go park your car on a side street (do not set up your tent before parking your vehicle), then walk back to set-up. This reduces traffic jams during load-in.
April - December, vehicles are not allowed on the field past 8:45am. This is for the safety of the early shoppers. If there is an exceptional circumstance where you are running late, please communicate that with the market manager so that we can make arrangements.
January to March, you are not permitted to drive on the field -- you must cart your gear to your spot to avoid damaging the turf while still parking on a side street. Drive up to the curb, unload at the curb, go park your vehicle, return to the field and cart your stuff from the curb to your spot.
If you are violating our load-in and set up rules and receive more than one warning, you will be forfeiting your accepted application and opportunity to sell at our market.
Tearing Down & Load-Out
April - December, Every vendor must teardown and pack up their gear FIRST (including breaking down their tent and table) before bringing their vehicle on to the field to load up. This teardown alerts shoppers to begin to vacate the area, making it safer for vehicles to drive onto the field, while also reducing traffic jams.
April - December, vehicles are not allowed on the field earlier than 12:10pm (except in the case of early market closure). This is for the safety of the customers still on the field after the market ends. If there is an exceptional circumstance where you need to drive on the field earlier, please communicate that with the market manager.
January to March, you are not permitted to drive on the field --Every vendor must teardown and pack up their gear FIRST (including breaking down their tent and table), and carry their gear to the curb before bringing their vehicle up to the curb. Curb load up should take around 10 minutes or less.
If you are violating our tearing down and load-out rules and receive more than one warning, you will be forfeiting your accepted application and opportunity to sell at our market.
Market Opening & Closing Etiquette
Vendors should be set up 15 minutes prior to the opening of each market, and -- no early sales!
Early sales lead to shoppers repeatedly showing up early and interrupting vendors from their set up process. This has historically led to larger issues.
If you sell out early, you may begin a light breakdown (product, tables, signage, etc.) but no tent canopy is permitted to come down before 12pm 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 must cart all their own market trash home with them. Trash receptacles in the park are for shoppers only.
If you are violating our market opening & closing etiquette rules and receive more than one warning, you will be forfeiting your accepted application and opportunity to sell at our 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.
Absences
Each absence must be documented by notifying the market manager in writing (prior to the missed market day) via email if it’s before 11:59am on Friday or by text if it’s after 12 noon on Friday.
Do not verbalize the absence during market hours without also sending a text/email notification. The market is very busy and there are many people to talk to so the market manager can’t remember which vendor verbally shared they would be absent for a future market.
More than one missed market without prior notification in writing to Market Manager may result in your forfeiture of doing business at our market without any notice.
Unlike other markets, we do not charge fines for absences, so please give us notice ahead of time!
Short notice cancellations from full-time vendors of more than 3 markets per year may result in future approved full-time dates being revoked (ie: mid-season you may be reduced to part-time dates instead, with at least 10 days written notice from the Market Manager) or may be grounds for complete dismissal from the Market without notice.
Communication Rules
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.
If you are violating our market communication rules and receive more than one warning, you will be forfeiting your accepted application and opportunity to sell at our market.
Winter Market Expectations (January-March)
Due to lease restrictions with the park, we are not permitted to drive any vehicles onto the grass during the winter market dates.
Approved vendors must carry or haul in all of their market supplies to their designated spot.
First year vendors will not be approved to participate in the winter market due to the vehicle restrictions and reduced market footprint. We limit the number and type of vendors who participate in the winter market to protect the grass when it’s in a more fragile state, and to reduce the amount of walking/effort involved for setup/tear down for the approved vendors who are participating.
For 2nd year+ vendors, acceptance to the winter market is restricted based on regular market attendance record and meeting a minimum of average sales. For 2nd year+ vendors who have an attendance rate of at least 80% or more from April - December, and average sales of at least $500 across 13 markets, a full-time spot is available for you. For 2nd year+ vendors who have an attendance rate of 50%-79%, and average sales of at least $500 across 13 markets, a part-time spot is available for you.
Restrooms, Sanitation, & Best Practices
A port-a-potty is located adjacent to the pavilion that is always open yet not usually clean. The Turnip Truck beside the park opens at 8am, and the library inside the park opens at 10am. You may use all three of these locations.
Vendors 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 RPFM management works hard to keep our market free from bullying and a safe place for everyone.
Bullying is not allowed at the RPFM. 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 RPFM.
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.
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.
SNAP
All Vendors who sell items approved by the SNAP program are required to accept SNAP payments.
Payments will be made in the form of wooden tokens from customers. Those tokens will be collected weekly & reimbursed by the Market Manager no later than once a month.
Gleaning
Market Managers will organize a food gleaning to take place at the end of each Market day. An approved community group and/or non-profit will accept donations of food and distribute it to people in the community who need it.
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.
If you are violating our quality control rules and receive more than one warning, you will be forfeiting your accepted application and opportunity to sell at our 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.