Joy Almond, Main Street Manager 704-984-9420 jalmond@albemarlenc.gov

Dates and Location

Saturdays: 8 am – noon (April – October)
Wednesdays: 8 am – noon (June 7 through August 31)

Market Station
100 Railroad St, Albemarle, NC 28001

The Stanly County Farmer’s Market is a great opportunity for you to buy the freshest fruits and vegetables available. Located at Market Station, the market is an opportunity for farmers and artisans to sell their products directly to customers, from ultra-fresh produce, pastured meat and eggs, to hand-harvested honey, handmade goods and crafts.

Cash is the most accepted form of payment, and some vendors accept credit/debit cards. Parking is available across the street from Market Station, with handicapped accessible parking beside of the station.

Please, no motorized vehicles in the market area.

Become a Vendor

The symbolic heart of Albemarle is the intersection of Second and Main Streets, locally known as “the Square”. Commanding the highest point in the downtown, this intersection served as the site of the original courthouse for Stanly County in the 1800’s. The courthouse actually stood in the middle of the intersection, but was later moved to the northwest corner. According to the 1939 WPA Guide to the Old North State, “the move was actuated because various young bloods had attempted to drive their horses and buggies up the courthouse steps.”

In 1893, the second courthouse structure was built on the site of the current mini-park. In 1973 it was demolished after the present courthouse was built further down South Second Street. The WPA Guide says of the old courthouse that “it was the custom for the court crier to lean from the courtroom window and call witnesses and jurors from the street,” often “farmers who might be refreshing their horses at the town well on South Second Street.”

The Square remains the symbolic center of Stanly County, with the small park serving as home for another Albemarle landmark, the town clock that once hung from the Cabarrus Bank building at the intersection of First and Main Streets. Standing at the Square, one also has a commanding view to the west of what the local citizens called Lowder’s Mountain. This view is a reminder of the beautiful landscape of Stanly County, where the ancient Uwharrie Mountains gradually give way to the rolling countryside of North Carolina’s Piedmont.

Rules of the Stanly County Farmers Market
  •  Vendors must pay an annual participation fee of $20 to sell at the market. Fee should be paid on or before the first visit to the market and is valid through the end of the 2017 season. A daily booth fee of $5 must be paid at each visit (Wednesdays and Saturdays) to the market manager prior to setting up. Designated booth spaces will be available for an extra fee of $100 per vendor/per Designated spaces will be held until 7:30am, unless prior notice is given to the market manager. At that time spaces will be released to vendors on a first come first serve basis through the market manager. ALL vendors must be set up before opening time of market, 8am. Designated spaces will be sold beginning February 16th at the Vendor Meeting. If you were a vendor last year you will be allowed to reserve your space within one week of the Annual Farmers’ Market Vendor Meeting. Designated booths are available to the previous year vendors FIRST. Designated spaces are “non-transferable”. If vendor is not using space, reservation for that space must go through the market manager.
  • No NEW vendors will be allowed to register for a spot the “day of” the market. They must come through the ADDC office and be approved before the Market Manager will allow them to participate.
  • During the months of June, July, and August the market reserves the right to limit craft/merchandise space under the pavilion. Priority for open spaces will be given to produce/meat/food vendors.
  •  The only exception to the above stated fees is a fee of $10 for guest participants in each special day: market kick-off Opening Day and the end of the season Craft Sale. Regular vendors (that have paid their annual participation fee) will pay their $5 per space for those events.Each vendor must adhere to the North Carolina Department of Revenue requirements to either state that they are only selling produce they grow or register with NCDOR and record your sales so that you are paying the proper tax for all applicable items. Farmers Markets will be inspected so we will be keeping a copy of either a statement or the registration number for every vendor who is selling product.
  • The market will be open on Saturday, April 8, 2017, featuring the annual plant sale and special activity for kids. The market will remain open on Saturdays through October. During the months of June, July, and August the market will extend sales to Wednesdays. Market hours will be 8 am-12noon. Vendors cannot be on the property before 7am. Vendors can begin setting up at 7:15am and begin selling at 7:30. However, we will continue to publicize the 8 AM opening of the market.
  • All items for sale must be grown or produced within a 100 mile radius of Albemarle OR provide verification of a Got to be NC Certified Product.Product that is sourced (not grown or created by the vendor) must be labeled as such so that customers can easily determine what is being grown by the vendor and what is being resold. Violators will be asked to label the product sufficiently or to leave the market for the remainder of the season.7.
  • Low-risk packaged foods are the only products allowed to be produced at home. These can include: Baked goods; Jams and jellies; Candies; Dried mixes; Some sauces and liquids; Pickles and acidified foods. *Please contact NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at (919) 733-7366 for information with the regards to the production of shelf stable sauces, dressings, salsas, pickles, and acidified foods. All of these products will require laboratory testing. Additional regulations are required for pickled (acidified) foods. *You must submit an application for Home Processor Inspection through the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Applications can be found at http://www.ncagr.gov/fooddrug/food/homebiz.htm. If you are uncertain if your canned goods are low-acid or acidified, contact a Food Compliance Officer at 919-733-7366 for guidance. *Any products to be sold to consumers must be packaged to protect them from contamination. A label must be affixed to the package with:
  1. Product name
  2. Manufacturers name and address
  3. Net weight of the product in ounces/pounds and the gram weight equivalent
  4. Complete list of ingredients in order of predominance by weight
  5. Honey and molasses must bear a label consistent with North Carolina Department of Agriculture and consumer Services (NCDA&CS) requirements.
  • A vendor selling meat, seafood, dairy, or poultry products regulated by North Carolina Department of Agriculture and consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is responsible for satisfying any regulatory requirements prior to selling product. Please contact NCDA&CS at 919-733-7366.
  •  All products must be of high quality. Products should be displayed in an appealing manner on a portable table provided by the vendor. Baskets or other appropriate containers for fruits and vegetables may be displayed around the table on the floor. Larger items, such as pumpkins or potted plants, may be displayed directly on the floor.
  •  Prices must be posted for all items. Vendors can sell products for any price they choose. Vendors are not to ask others to increase their prices, as this is a “Free Market”, and items can be sold at the price deemed appropriate by each vendor.
  • Anyone using scales must have them approved annually by North Carolina Department of Agriculture and consumer Services (NCDA&CS). North Carolina requires NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program) approved scales. Please contact NCDA&CS for inspections 919-733-3313.
  • Crafts should be traditional handmade items; cultural and heritage arts are encouraged. No paint by numbers, models, or pre-assembled kits. No flea market items should be sold.
  • No live animals may be sold or given away at the market.
  • NO alcoholic beverages allowed.
  • NO motorized vehicles allowed.
  • Pets are allowed. They must be on a leash and must be controlled at all times. This rule is at the discretion of the market manager.
  • The use of chewing tobacco is permitted; however, sputum must be collected in an enclosed container that is hidden from customer view. Anyone caught improperly dispensing tobacco juice or tobacco wads in the market or parking lot will be asked to leave the premises. In addition, cigarette butts must be properly disposed of in the provided receptacles. Please do not throw cigarette butts in the parking lot or market area. Smoking is not permitted under the covered shelter area.
  • All vendors must conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner. Profanity will not be tolerated. Market manager shall ask anyone not complying with stated rules to leave the premises.
  • Any concerns and/or issues regarding the rules may be taken by voice or in writing to the Market Manager or ADDC. Violations of the Stanly County Farmers’ Market rules shall result in suspension or loss of selling privileges. * Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation and NC Cooperative Extension – Stanly County do not condone, endorse, or support any practices that are not in compliance with Rules of the Stanly County Farmers’ Market and/or NC Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services. All liability is waived in regards to any vendor not in compliance with these standards.

Revised 2017

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Questions

ADDC
704-984-9415
admin@albemarledowntown.com

Our Partnering Organizations

Upper Pee Dee Farm and Food Council
NC Cooperative Extension – Stanly County
NC 10% Campaign
Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS)

Get In Touch

Location:
144 N Second St. Albemarle, NC 28001

Mailing Address:
PO Box 2123 Albemarle, NC 28002

Telephone: 704-984-9415

Email: admin@albemarledowntown.com

Hours: M-F: 8am – 5pm

NC Main Street Designated CommunityAlbemarle Downtown Development Corporation (ADDC) is a North Carolina Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce and Main Street & Rural Planning Center.  ADDC is charged with administering the program at the local level and building a public-private partnership to spur economic development in partnership with the state agency.