New Farmers Market Law  – Requiring Smarter Rules for Farmers Markets

Public Act (HB 5657)       http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=

Illinois Department of Public Health Memo ( July 9, 2014)         IDPH FDD IFMTF Memo (1)

The Illinois Farmers Market Task Force was established in 2011 by the General Assembly to work with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) in establishing smarter streamlined and consistent state-wide regulations for farmers markets.  After two years of working to develop educational materials, legislation was introduced this past spring to establish statewide sampling certification and speed up the rule-making process by requiring state-wide farmers market regulations by December 2014.   This new law, Public Act 098-066, is a major step forward in creating risk and scale appropriate regulations for farmers’ markets that will improve consumer access to locally produced food, support farmers’ markets as a whole and the farmers and entrepreneurs that call them home. Most of the changes will not be effective until the administrative rules are established and effective next year.

However, the last two changes listed below are effective immediately.

 This new law does the following:

• Creates a strict timeline for the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Farmers Market Task Force to develop consistent and uniform statewide administrative rules and regulations for farmers markets. (Effective December 2014.)
• Creates a new statewide sampling license for farmers’ markets license to allow farmers and entrepreneurs to easily offer product samples at multiple farmers’ markets under one license.  (Effective December 2014)
• Creates new product origin requirements to foster transparency and help consumers identify “re-sellers” at farmers’ markets. (Effective Immediately)
• Cap registration fees for Cottage Food Operations at $25/year (Effective immediately)

Click here  IDPH FDD IFMTF Memo (1)  for a copy of Memorandum sent by IDPH to all Local Health Department about this new law. It includes a sample of the new signage requirement.

Pat Stieren, Executive Director, IFMA

Chairman, Illinois Farmers Market Task Force