What is the farmers market vendor application form template?
Market managers spend a surprising share of the season chasing paperwork: the insurance certificate that expired in May, the permit number nobody wrote down, the baker who turns out to need a socket for a display fridge. This template asks for those things up front, so an application arrives complete and can be judged on what the vendor sells.
The first page is the business: name, contact person, address, website, years at markets, 'What best describes you?' and 'Where is your produce grown or made?'. The second page asks 'What will you sell?' and then 'Will you sell any food or drink?'. A yes opens the food-safety questions: which kinds of food, whether they produce under a cottage-food permit (with the permit number), food-handler cards, a health permit upload and samples. Organic or other certification claims allow a certificate upload.
The third page covers the stall itself: size, canopy, which market days, electricity (with equipment and watts when power is needed), water, and the liability insurance certificate with its expiry date. Vendors can add photos of their stall, agree to your rules and sign. Each application is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault, with every certificate attached.
- Best for
- Farmers markets, craft fairs, night markets and community markets
- Filled in by
- A grower, producer or maker applying for a stall
- Time to complete
- 8–10 minutes, with documents ready
- Includes
- Food-safety branch, permit and insurance uploads, stall size, power needs, signature
Who uses a farmers market vendor application form?
- A Saturday farmers market opens applications for the summer season
- A home baker applies with a cottage-food registration number
- A vegetable grower uploads an organic certificate
- A hot-food vendor asks for a high-power pitch and lists their equipment
- A Christmas craft fair collects applications from makers
- A market manager checks insurance expiry dates before the first market day
Questions on this farmers market vendor application form
33 questions over 3 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 Your business
- Business or farm name*
- Contact person*
- Email*
- Mobile*
- Business address*
- Website or social media
- Years selling at markets
- What best describes you?* Farmer or grower · Food producer or baker · Hot food or drinks · Craft maker or artisan · Plants and flowers · Reseller of others' produce
- Where is your produce grown or made?*
2 Products & permits
- What will you sell?*
- Will you sell any food or drink?*
- Which kinds of food?* asked only when it applies Fresh fruit and vegetables · Baked goods · Jams, preserves or honey · Meat, fish or eggs · Dairy or cheese · Ready-to-eat hot food · Drinks · Samples for tasting
- Do you produce under a home or cottage-food permit?* asked only when it applies Yes, under a cottage-food permit or registration · No, in a licensed or commercial kitchen · Not applicable — raw produce only
- Permit or registration number* asked only when it applies
- Does everyone serving at your stall hold a food-handler card or certificate?* asked only when it applies
- Food-handler certificate(s) asked only when it applies
- Health department permit or kitchen license asked only when it applies
- Will you offer samples? asked only when it applies
- Do you claim organic, or any other certification? Certified organic · Other certification (e.g. naturally grown, fair trade) · No certification claims
- Certificate asked only when it applies
3 Stall, dates & insurance
- Stall size* Half stall (5 × 10 ft) · Single stall (10 × 10 ft) · Double stall (10 × 20 ft) · Vehicle or trailer pitch
- Will you bring your own canopy, table and weights?*
- Which market days are you applying for?* Full season · Peak months only · Specific dates (list below) · Occasional or as a substitute
- Dates you'd like* asked only when it applies
- Do you need electricity?* No · Yes — low power (lights, card reader, small fridge) · Yes — high power (cooking or refrigeration)
- List the equipment and total watts* asked only when it applies
- Do you need access to water?
- Certificate of liability insurance*
- Insurance expiry date*
- Photos of your stall or products
- Market rules*
- Accuracy*
- Signature*
The farmers market vendor application form, page by page
1 Your business
Required 'Business or farm name', contact person, email, mobile and business address, plus website and years at markets. 'What best describes you?' is required, with six vendor types, and so is where the produce is grown or made.
2 Products & permits
A required 'What will you sell?' and 'Will you sell any food or drink?'. A yes adds 'Which kinds of food?', the cottage-food question (a permit number when they produce under one), 'Does everyone serving at your stall hold a food-handler card or certificate?' with uploads, a health permit upload and sampling. An organic or certification question allows a certificate upload.
3 Stall, dates & insurance
Required stall size, own canopy, market days (specific dates asks for a list) and 'Do you need electricity?', with equipment and watts for any power. Water access, a required insurance certificate and expiry date, optional photos, a placeholder for your rules, consents for the rules and accuracy, and a signature.
Make the template yours
- Change the stall sizes and market-day options to your own layout and calendar
- Rename the permit questions to match your local health department's terms
- Replace the rules placeholder with your fees, attendance and allocation policy
- Remove the food section entirely for a craft-only market
- Add a jury question, such as 'Why should we choose you?', if stalls are competitive
- File each season's applications in its own vault folder
Tips for a better farmers market vendor application form
- Check the insurance expiry date against your last market day before accepting
- Sort the Responses table by vendor type to keep a balanced mix of stalls
- Tally power requests early. Generators and sockets run out first
- Ask your local health department which permits apply to each food type
- Re-open the form mid-season for substitute vendors
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Every application is saved as a PDF in your vault, and each certificate, permit and photo is attached to it. The market manager is emailed, and the vendor gets a copy of their application.
Export to CSV to plan the stall map, and open a response to download a vendor's documents.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Farmers market vendor application form: frequently asked questions
Is the farmers market vendor application free?
Yes. It's one of the Forms app's starter templates, included on every FileIt account, including the free plan.
What does a vendor see if they sell food?
Answering yes to 'Will you sell any food or drink?' adds questions on food types, cottage-food permits, food-handler certificates, a health permit upload and samples.
Does FileIt check whether permits are valid?
No. The form collects the documents and numbers so the market manager can check them.
Can vendors upload their insurance certificate?
Yes. It's a required upload, along with the expiry date.
Can I accept or decline applications in FileIt?
FileIt stores and lists the applications. Reply to vendors by email with your decision.
Do vendors need a FileIt account?
No. They apply from a link.