Great Falls Original Farmers' Market

GF Original Farmers Market 2

If you are a food vendor at the Great Falls Original Farmers’ Market, you must submit your completed vendor application to the Market Manager. Applications are available on the Great Falls Original Farmers' Market Website. Under the Product Information section, please make sure you list ALL the foods you intend to sell at the Farmers’ Market, including all the varieties. If your products are packaged, submit a copy of your product labels with the vendor application. Refer to the 2021 DPHHS Farmers' Market Guidelines for information on Farmers’ Market approved foods (exempt from licensure) and label requirements.  If the market manager cannot determine if a food is approved under farmers' market rules, the health department will provide assistance.  




GF Original Farmers Market
  • If you wish to prepare foods onsite at the Farmers’ Market and you’re not a licensed Mobile Food Establishment, you will need to complete a Temporary Food Service Permit Application and submit it, along with the fee, to the health department.
  • If you wish to sell Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHF) that are not approved Farmers’ Market foods (exempt from licensure), you will need to complete a Temporary Food Service Permit Application and submit it, along with the fee, to the health department with the vendor application. These foods cannot be prepared in a home kitchen. They must be prepared at the market or at a licensed food service establishment.
  • If you are a licensed Mobile Food Establishment or licensed Wholesale Food Establishment, submit a copy of your Retail or Wholesale Food License with you vendor application. A complete list of all your foods is not necessary, as your menu/products are approved as part of licensure; just prepare a simplified list of your products (e.g. burgers & sandwiches, or scones, bread & pastries). You also do not need to submit labels.
  • If you are a registered Cottage Food purveyor, submit a copy of your Cottage Food Registration certificate with your vendor application. List ALL the foods you intend to sell. You do not need to submit labels for products listed on your Registration, as they were approved with the Cottage Food application.

Mechanical Refrigeration is required at the Farmers’ Market. If you are applying for a Temporary Food Service Application or are a licensed Wholesaler and your products require refrigeration, you cannot use ice chests. You also need to provide your own power supply such as a generator. Ice chests are only permitted for non-PHF such as bottled water or soda. 

 

Handwashing Stations and Sanitizer Buckets are required for anyone who is preparing, packaging, or sampling foods onsite. They must be set up before the market opens and you begin selling or serving food. If your products are all packaged and you aren’t sampling, they will not be required. 

 

No Bare Hand Contact with Ready-To-Eat (RTE) foods. If you are preparing, packaging, or sampling foods onsite, make sure you have single-use gloves, appropriate utensils, or deli papers. If a food isn’t going to be cooked or cleaned after you handle it, you should be using gloves, utensils, or deli paper.

 

Cover your food. This is an outdoor event so unpackaged foods that are out on display must be protected from environmental contamination (e.g. wind-blown dirt, flies, and rain). 

 

Don’t prepare food or attend the Farmers’ Market if you’re sick! If you or other individuals that work your booth are sick, stay home. If you have symptoms of Foodborne Illness such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, you should not prepare food (at FM or at home) until at least 24 hours after your symptoms have cleared up. 

 

Don’t dump grey or black water down the storm drains. Grey water from your handwashing sink catch bucket, grey or black water from mobile food establishment tanks, and other waste water must be properly disposed of through the sewer. Storm drains do not drain to the sewer, they drain directly to the river. Mobiles should be using dump stations. Other waste water can be dumped down dump sinks or toilets.  

 

Sanitarians from CCHD will be present at the Farmers’ Market throughout season. We will be verifying vendors are following food safety and hygiene rules and are only selling foods that were approved in their application. We will also perform routine inspections on licensed Mobile Food Establishments. We will work with the Market Coordinator and Liaison to address any food safety issues that may occur. 



For additional information, contact the CCHD Environmental Health Division at 406-454-6950 or click on the links below.

Portable Handwashing Station

Forms and Additional Information

  1. 2023_CCHD Cottage Food Application (PDF)
  2. 2021 Farmers Market and Cottage Food Label (PDF)
  3. 2023 FARMERS MARKET Guidelines (PDF)
  4. DPHHS Cottage Food FAQ (PDF)
  5. Sanitizing Solutions and Wiping Cloths (PDF)
  6. Employee Health - Send Sick Employees Home Now (PDF)
  7. Bare Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Foods (PDF)
Farmers Market