Health department proposes annual farmer's-market permit to replace rolling 30-day temporary permits

The Wicomico County Health Department presented a draft farmer's-market permit on March 18 that would replace repeated 30-day temporary food-service permits with a single annual $100 permit for vendors who provide samples or sell non-hazardous processed foods at farmers markets.

Health department staff said the current temporary food-service permit allows operations for only 30 consecutive days, requiring vendors that participate across a season to reapply and pay $75 each period. The proposed permit would be a one-time $100 annual permit and would be tied to COMAR (Maryland regulations) definitions for allowed items at farmers markets—whole produce, cottage foods and non-hazardous items—and would specifically cover sampling and certain processed products.

The proposal prompted questions from council members about how many vendors currently obtain temporary permits (staff said roughly 20–30 per season at the largest market), whether a single market could buy a blanket permit for all vendors (staff said no; the permit is vendor-specific because liability stays with the vendor), and how the health department monitors unpermitted vendors. "We go out every month to evaluate and review," a health department presenter said. "Anytime there's a new vendor present, we go out, review the stand just to make sure there's compliance."

At least one long-time market vendor, Kenny Robinson Mardella, told the council he had not seen health department presence at the downtown Salisbury farmers market in decades and did not believe many Camden vendors currently had permits. Robinson said farmers selling only raw whole produce typically would not need the permit but vendors who cut, chop or sample produce or sell processed/hazardous items would fall under COMAR and require review.

Council members asked the department to provide a list of current permit-holders and to notify vendors about the proposed change. Staff said they had distributed outreach over the past year and offered to provide a vendor list and inspection checklist to the council; the department also said it would hold a public hearing should the council choose to adopt the permit by resolution.

The council did not vote on the item; members indicated support for broader public outreach and a follow-up public hearing and suggested the item return as a formal resolution at a future meeting for public input and formal action.

Ending: The health department will provide vendor lists and inspection documentation to the council and expects to return with a formal proposal and public hearing if council directs a resolution to proceed.