Any product not in its base form of fruit, vegetable, wheat, or corn is considered a value-added product. These products may be available to sell to the public provided it has been packaged and labeled properly according to state law. 

The Arkansas Food Freedom Act allows canned goods, tomato products, jams, jellies, butter, and baked goods to be made at home and sold at markets. To fully understand the rules surrounding value-added products, we require our value-added vendors to watch the Arkansas Food Freedom Act webinar (found towards the bottom of the linked page). 

Below are packaging guidelines to be followed by our value-added vendors: 

1. Baked goods are to be sealed closed so that no contaminates of any sort would be able to land on the food product. 
2. Canned products are to be in health department approved jars with sealed lids. 
3. All value-added products are to have proper labeling (see below). 

Proper value-added food labeling consists of the following: Your name (business or farm). If you do not want your name on the label, you can get an ID # from the Department of Agriculture (Arkansas Food Freedom Act - Disclosures pg. 8). 

1. Your address and phone number (where the product is made and your phone number, so the purchaser can contact you).
2. The name of the product - jelly, jam, salsa, pickles, etc.
3. Ingredients - listed from largest to smallest amounts.
4. Include the following statement: "This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection."
5. This product may contain allergens.
6. Date of the manufacturer's date (the date the product was made).

All vendors with a health certified kitchen are required to provide a copy of the latest health inspection and a copy of the product liability insurance to be kept on file by the market's board of directors. 

Sampling Requirements: Each sample must be in an individual sample cup covered with a lid or in a covered container. This ensures only the consumer touches their sample and harmful particles are not able to land on the food sample.

Batch Book: Value-added vendors are to keep a "batch book" that includes the batch number, product type, production date, and number of items made. Should there be a problem, the "batch book" will serve as a recall system and help with consumer protection.

Regular inspections of adherence to the rules will be done throughout the course of this market. There will be no warnings. Failure to comply with these rules means immediate expulsion from this market for the remainder of the season. Food safety is the top priority for our market. 

By completing the application below means you have read the Conway Farmers Market value-added rules, agreed to adhere to the rules and regulations of the Conway Farmers Market, and have watched the Arkansas Food Freedom Act webinar (scroll down on the linked page to find the webinar).  

If you have any questions, contact Ed Linck at marketmanager@conwayfarmersmarket.org or call (501) 733-4801.