RHO Rules for Producers

All Members of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance Online Farmer’s Market (RHO) must agree to be bound by the following Rules (which may be modified at any time by the RHO) and by applying to become a Member, agree to be so bound:

**All Producers are ultimately responsible to the customer for the quality and freshness of all items. RHO market management reserves the right to turn away any items deemed unacceptable.**

• Produce must be fresh, clean, undamaged, and not bruised or wilted
• Meat must be in a vacuum-sealed package and not have freezer burn
• Meat must have labels approved through the USDA and display the USDA stamp
• Eggs must be in a new, unused carton, and the carton size must be appropriate for the number of eggs
• Any and all quality/packaging discrepancies and/or irregularities must be disclosed to the customer in the tagline of the product.

Expectations of the Producer/ Farmer:

• Producers’ farm/business operations must be within a 100-mile radius of Tallahassee.
• No buying and reselling of produce or other products are allowed. Producers may not purchase a product and re-package it for sale.
• RHO Representatives will visit the producer’s operation at least every other year.
• All RHO producers are encouraged to participate in at least one four-hour market day per year to familiarize them with produce drop-off procedures and market packing operations.
• A $50.00 annual market registration fee is required before the producer can list items for sale on the market. Annual dues are due on the producer’s anniversary date.
• Producers who have not paid their dues within 30 days of the due date may not participate in the market until paid. A fee of $25.00 will be assessed to reinstate the producer.
• Producers may sell items that they have assisted in producing on a participating RHO farm in good standing. RHO producers cannot buy and sell items from another farm on the RHO Market. A producer who lists products as a reseller may be suspended.
• Producers who farm in more than one location under the same name shall have all locations reviewed by an RHO representative.
• Producers who relocate their farming location shall have the new location reviewed by an RHO representative.
• Prices and unit names (weight, size, number) of all products must be posted at the time of listing.
• Market delivery drivers will not deliver items weighing over 10 lbs. The seller is responsible for delivering these items to the customer. For more information, see Administrative Items, Section g.
  
  SALABLE PRODUCTS WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE SPECIAL CERTIFICATION:
  
  a. Any vegetable that is grown by the seller from seeds, sets, or seedlings.
  b. Any fruits, nuts, or berries that are grown by the seller from trees, bushes, or vines on the seller’s farm.
  c. Any plant that is grown by the seller from seed, seedling, transplant, or cutting. Market delivery drivers will not deliver plants. The seller is responsible for delivering plants to the customer. For more information, see Administrative Items, Section h.
  d. Honey that is harvested from the producer's bees.
  e. Fresh cut or dried flowers that were grown by the producer.
  
  SALABLE ITEMS REQUIRING PERMITS/AUTHORIZATIONS:
  
  All prepared food items, meat, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese sold shall meet state and local health regulations, including inspecting the prepared foods producer's kitchens by FDACS health inspectors and labeling in compliance with current regulations.
  NOTE: Effective 7/1/2022, prepared food items may be listed only by producers whose main product is their produce, meat, milk, eggs, or cheese. Producers must have a copy of their current inspection form(s) on file with RHO.
  
  a. Eggs produced by the producer's poultry and processed following state law: Florida poultry and egg producers must have a current Florida Poultry and Egg permit or a Georgia Candler License on file with the RHO.
  b. Fresh baked goods made by the producer: All baked goods must be wrapped and produced in a certified kitchen. A current kitchen certification shall be on file with RHO.
  c. Preserves, relishes, jellies, etc., and low-risk processed foods made by the seller in a certified and inspected kitchen. High Acid or Acidified foods (pickles, tomato products, etc.) may be sold if the seller has passed the FDA certification course. A copy of the producer’s current certification must be on file with RHO.
  d. Fish, meat, cheese, and milk from animals that are raised and maintained by the producer. All products shall be produced and packaged following Florida Law. All current appropriate licensing and certifications shall be on file with RHO.
  
  AGRICULTURAL CERTIFICATIONS:
  All items sold as “Certified Organic” or “Certified Naturally Grown” must meet all requirements of the program under which the producer is claiming certification. Such sellers must have a copy of their current certification on file with the RHO.
  NON-SALABLE ITEMS:
  a. Raw milk may not be sold through RHO.
  b. No animals may be sold or given away through or at RHO.
  
  ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS:

a. At a minimum, all products should be labeled with the producer’s name, the product's name, and the selling unit (1/2 pound, 4 items, etc.). Labels should be of sufficient quality to adhere to the package through handling by RHO staff during order preparation. The name of the product on the label should match exactly the name of that product as it was listed on the market. Labels must be easily read from 2 feet to enable packers to pack the correct product.

b. Properly labeled meat will be clearly labeled with the type of meat, the name of the cut, net weight, the name, and address of the person/company who processed the meat, the USDA facility number, and the name and address of the farm. The name of the product on the label should match exactly the name of that product as it was listed on the market.

c. All meat must arrive to the RHOM facilities frozen, vacuum sealed, and labeled correctly. Any discrepancies in packaging or quality must be clearly noted in the tagline of the product description. These discrepancies can include: loose/broken vacuum seals, irregular packaging (example: 1 pack instead of 2 pack), ice crystallization on the meat due to air pockets, irregularity to the producer's normal product (thick cut instead of thin for example).
> To note these discrepancies in the tagline of your product description, log into your producer account in Local Food Marketplace. Go to "Products," click on the product you wish to edit, then edit the text in the smaller editable text box directly above the larger box containing the product description.

d. Properly labeled eggs will include the name and address of the farm.

e. Whether on the label or in the description of the item, all promotional claims must
be true.

f. If a producer is unable to provide all the items sold, the producer must call the Market
staff at (850) 960-1367 by the day prior to Market and let them know which items
will not be delivered.

g. Producers are expected to be on time when bringing their products to the Market. Producers who will arrive late to market are expected to call RHO Market staff at (850) 960-1367, let them know they are running late and what time they will arrive; this does not negate the assessment of the $50 late fee. Meat producers must deliver their products on Wednesdays between 2:00 and 4:45 p.m. All other producers can deliver during those same hours on Wednesday or deliver products on Thursdays between 7:00 and 8:45 a.m. Not arriving on time impacts packing and deliveries. Being late will result in a $50 fine for every late occurrence, to be deducted from the producer’s monthly check. If a producer is late due to an unavoidable emergency determined by market staff, the fine will be waived for that day.

h. The RHO Market does not deliver plants or any items that weigh over 10 pounds. The producer is responsible for delivering those items to the customer. Producers may deliver to the customer’s home, or they may deliver those products IN PERSON to the customer at the RHO Market between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m. on Market Day.

i. Note: All items to be picked up at RHO must include “RHO PICKUP ONLY” in the title or tagline of the item. The producer must be present to deliver the items to the customer.

j. Producers will be paid monthly for their sales. To assist with administrative costs, RHO receives 15% of sales revenue from each participating producer. The percentage of revenue is reduced to 10% for any month in which the producer volunteers 4 hours toward supporting RHO activities or Market assistance.

k. All Producers, by becoming members of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance Online Farmer’s Market agree to indemnify the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance against any liability for any claims or damages resulting from that Producer’s products sold, including all attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance in defending itself from any such claim.

l. A service fee of 7% is added to each customer transaction made through the online market to cover operational costs. This fee does not impact the producer’s revenue.

Cottage Foods:
Cottage foods may be offered for sale only by producer members. No person selling only cottage foods will be accepted for membership in the RHO Market. Cottage food producers must comply with all Florida Cottage Food Laws in addition to the guidelines outlined in this document. If a producer presents Cottage Foods at the market, and the product is not labeled in compliance with the Florida Cottage Food Laws, the RHO Market reserves the right to refuse the product.

                     Rev. 4/2023