Downtown Waterville Farmers' Market Association (DWFMA)

New Applicant Meeting

Thursday, April 12

Members Present: Sarah Smith (Grassland Farm), Fred Nassar (Eagle View Gardens), Ted Swenson (Fox Hill Farm), Bob and Arleen Lovelace (Brighton Farm), Bill Trussell (French Hill Farm), Michael Scholz (Albion Bread Company), Clayton Carter and Kendra Michaud (Fail Better Farm and Baxter & Furner Bakery), Ernie Ames (100 Acre Farm), Elizabeth Smedberg (Living Earth Farm), Angelo Pirri (Sherman Farm), Don Kenerson (Kenerson Farm), Tony and Beth Tuttle (Crown Point Farm), Hanne Tierney (Cornerstone Farm), Courtney [Coco] Page and Jack Cozart and Tom Roberts (Snakeroot Organic Farm).

The meeting began at 5:00 p.m.

New Applicants

New applicants were interviewed by the group. Each new applicant was given approximately 5 minutes to present an overview of what they are planning on producing for market and answer questions from the current members. Typical questions included whether the farm or bakery was organic or conventional, average price for a standard quantity of product, if food was processed in a certified kitchen, and quantity of product that they would make available at the Waterville Farmers' Market. After being interviewed each applicant was free to leave, and all new applicants were excused after all the interviews were over.

Returning Members' Application Changes

Once the new applicant interview process was over the current members each listed the changes in their application for 2007. This discussion did not include buy-ins. By reviewing what new items everyone is planning to bring, we could consider each new application in respect to what the current members are capable of supplying.

Old members' item changes from 2006:

Sarah and Elizabeth will cooperatively grow 3 acres of sweet corn, ground and whole. Sarah will have chicken if the proper

licensing and procedures are in order for processing.

Hanne will not be bringing beef.

Ted and Lori will be bringing beef.

Bill Trussell will be bringing mulberries, sausage-on-a-stick, and hand-made baby's bonnets.

Michael will be bringing pita bread.

Kendra may be bringing wood-fired bread.

Ernie will be bringing veggie and flower seedlings.

Jack and Coco will be bringing saved seeds.

Elizabeth, Dylan, and Mitch will be bringing seedlings, mushrooms including shittake, oyster, and lions mane; baked goods like breads and pastries, cut flowers, and value-added vegetable products.

Angelo will be bringing more of his goats milk and cheese.

Don will be bringing bison hides and possibly other bison body products.

Beth and Tony may be bringing home-made quilts.

Accepted New Applicants

Diversity Farm

Pudleduk Family Farm

Roger Collins

Greensweet Orchard

Heald Farm

Winterberry Farm

Peacemeal Farm

Carl Basgall

Trees to Please

Better Way Farm

Worcester's Wild Blueberries

Echo Ridge Farmstead

Kennebec Nursery

Motions That Passed During Discussion of Applications

During the discussion of the new applicants, several gaps in the Market Rules and general protocol became apparent. In order to properly handle the new applications, these motions were passed. They will be written into the Rules as amendments under Rule #3 Membership.

The motions were:

Applications may be accepted with the stipulation that certain products on the application are excluded from acceptance and may not be brought to market. This decision was made to ensure that a new applicant can be accepted without jeopardizing the ability of a returning member to successfully market a product. Some products are believed to already be meeting the sales capacity of the Market, and if a new applicant has applied with more than one product the application can be accepted with the exclusion of the at-Market-capacity product. The following year the member may re-apply with the excluded product for re-evaluation.

Late applications will be considered only if they would fill a Market Void. This decision was made to encourage new applicants to meet the March 30th deadline for the return of completed applications that is written in the Market Rules and on the Application. This will benefit the organization of the application process. Whenever a late application is received it will be considered only if it would fill a Market Void.

The Mandatory Meeting for New Applicants is part of the application process and New Applicants must attend for their application to be considered. Though the new applicants were informed that the New Applicant Meeting was part of the application process and their attendance was expected, this stipulation was not written in the Rules or on the Application. Thus, it would have been unfair to reject an application on the basis that the applicant was unable to attend the meeting. This rule will be in effect for the 2008 season.

A note on Rules and By-Laws: These two documents have been under revision and still must be accepted by the Association. Revisions were drafted by the Steering Committee during their meeting on Feb 1, 2007. A draft of the Revised Rules are available online at http://www.WatervilleFarmersMarket.org . These new amendments will be added to this draft. The revisions to the By-laws have not been written into a document yet, but the proposed changes are available on the website under the Meeting Notes of the Steering Committee.

Agenda for the Next Association Meeting

Discussion of processed products, and how much processing is required for bought-in ingredients to become a product that is not considered to be a buy-in. For example, herbal salves: Elizabeth pointed out that some ingredients in herbal products on the Pudleduk application were made with imported herbs, while she grows her own for use in similar products. If the products are of the same nature (a hand cream for example), is Pudleduks variety ineligible because the ingredients are a buy-in? However, the product is not a raw bought-in product, it has been processed, much like bread is made of bought-in ingredients. Further discussion and a decision is needed so that the ladies of Pudleduk know whether or not to make enough of these products for market or if they would be ineligible under the buy-in clause of the Market Rules (Rule #8 b); also so that problems of this nature can be quickly resolved in the future. A document which addresses the issue of ingredients is currently under development by the Orono Farmers' Market and available online at

http://www.oronofarmersmarket.org/docs/ItemEligibility.html . There is a section on salves in the PROCESSED ITEMS link.

Acceptance of Revised Market Rules (includes the formal relationship between the DWFMA and WMSt).

Acceptance of Revised By-Laws.

Approve Buy-Ins (returning and new members)

Approve the Budget drafted by Shannon

Sign Contract between DWFMA and WMSt

Market Spacing Plans

Consider Food Stamps? (Committe was Shannon, Dylan, and Hanne)

Farm Visit Volunteers