- The Members of the Market are a group of farmers, bakers, and local food producers with equal vote and equal share in the running and rules made for the North Berwick Farmers Market each year.
- The Market has at least one annual meeting for market discussion and rule changes. It is also at this meeting that the Market’s President/Manager and Secretary/Treasurer are elected each year.
- All decisions regarding the Association and the Market will be decided at a meeting and all Members or their designee are expected to participate. Failure to attend the meeting will forfeit the voice of that member in the proceedings.
- Market Rules, accept Depart of Agriculture requirements, can be changed, added, or deleted by a quorum (2/3 membership vote) at a meeting.
- The President/Manager is to preside over the meetings, keep the Market’s records (i.e.; the applications and licenses of members, the insurance policy, and copies of the Maine Statute governing Farmers Markets). The President/Manager’s term is for one year with elections at the annual meeting. The responsibility of the manager is to maintain the integrity of the Market and carry out the rules of the Market, mediate disputes among vendors, or between vendors and customers. She/he is also responsible to take on or delegate vendor recruitment, public/town/state and commerce relations, advertising, and coordinating events. The President/Manager is responsible for any vendor or farm inspections if deemed necessary.
- The Secretary/Treasurer’s duties include keeping the finances and the checkbook and reporting at least once a year to the Manager/President and Members of the Market, taking the minutes at meetings and providing members with copies, issuing vendor applications, and keeping membership information updated. The term of Secretary/Treasurer is for one year, with elections at the annual meeting. He or She is responsible to collect all dues and other monies received from Market operations. The Secretary/Treasurer also pays out all monies as needed.
- The Association dues are $50.00 annually. Fees are used for the Farmers Markets location liability insurance, advertising, and publicity events.
- A vendor can be expelled for failure to comply with State, Association, or North Berwick Farmers Market rules. The expulsion can be appealed and overturned with a quorum (2/3 membership) vote.
- This is an association and as such all members or their designee are expected to contribute as part of the team.
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