Hood River Farmers Market

Regular season (May – November) applications are published in late January.

Winter season (December – April) applications are published in late August.

White Salmon Farmers Market

Applications are published in March.

At times we may not accept applications after the priority deadline if we already have a robust vendor pool. Application information can be found here.

We allow a wide variety of products at the farmers market, including:

Artisan Foods/ Processed Foods: This category includes vendors that are making, processing or otherwise creating foods not adequately represented in the market by farmers. Examples include preserved foods, fermented foods, bread and baked goods, confections, and other packaged foods not prepared at the market for ready-to-eat consumption.

Beverages: Only locally made beverages will be allowed for sale at market, including juices, coffee (roasted locally), smoothies, etc. Bottled water, sodas and other commercial beverages with no connection to the Gorge will not be allowed for sale at the market. Only closed bottle sales and tastings of alcoholic beverages (pending approval from OLCC) will be permitted at Gorge Grown Farmers Markets.

Craft products: Artisan to food vendor ratios will not exceed 2:1. All artisan and craft vendors will be juried before being allowed to sell at the Hood River Farmers Market. Craft makers and artists should meet at least two of the three following criteria: 1) use of local materials, 2) a significant hands-on process is done by the vendor, 3) the product is unique and fills a niche in the market- priority is given to products celebrating food, farming or the Columbia River Gorge’s unique sense of place. For more information, please see our Craft Maker and Artist Application.

Farm products:

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, eggs, herbs, meat and dairy products. All farm products must be grown, raised, produced, caught, or gathered by the vendor in the Gorge (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat or Skamania Counties). Eggs may be sold at the market without an egg handler’s license, but only by farms that produce the eggs. Proper labeling is still required. All other eggs, even from a friend, must be from licensed facilities and comply with all restrictions.

Processed Farm Products or Value- Added Farm Products: Farm products made from raw ingredients, some of which are grown and produced by the farmer in the Gorge (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat or Skamania Counties). These products include all farm products that must in some way be processed including cheeses, dairy, meats, dried fruits and vegetables, juices, jam or other processed agricultural and livestock food products. Products may contain a portion of ingredients coming from outside this region if the ingredients cannot be sourced locally.

Processed non-food farm products: agricultural by-products or products that the vendor has grown/produced that are not edible, have been altered from their raw state, and are handcrafted or processed by the vendor (e.g., a honey vendor may sell beeswax candles).

Fish and seafood products: Must be legally caught (not farmed) by the producer in OR or WA. All appropriate licenses and certifications are required and copies must be made available to the manager.

Foraged products: Mushrooms, herbs, plants or wild berries legally gathered by the vendor in the Gorge (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat or Skamania Counties). Vendors wishing to sell wild mushrooms must:
· List training and experience in mushroom collection.
· Signage must accurately identify all mushrooms and if they are wild-crafted or cultivated.

Hot Food/ Prepared Food: On-premise prepared foods (ready-to-eat). Prepared foods must be prepared, stored and served in accordance with Hood River County Health Department requirements. (Contact Ian Stromquist with Hood River County Health Department at 541-387-7130 with questions).

Nursery products: Grown or cared for by the farmer and include fresh cut or potted flowers, bedding plants, seeds, perennials, annuals, trees, or shrubs that are propagated by the vendor in the Gorge (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat or Skamania Counties).

Second Farm Products are products that are grown, raised, or cultivated in the Gorge but not by the vendor. Market management must approve second farm products before they can be sold at market. Second farm products sales must not exceed 50% of weekly sales. Clear signage must distinguish the sources of second farm products.

Services, such as knife-sharpening or other farm or food related services, are eligible for space at the farmers market.

Product review process: Vendors wishing to sell products that don’t fit into the above categories should submit a written request for approval. The market manager and/or Board will review the request and notify the vendor of their decision.

PLEASE NOTE: cut flowers and jewelry are the most saturated/ competitive product areas at the farmers market.

GGFN does not allow the sale of the following:

• • Products not grown and/ or made by the vendor (with the exception of second-farm products produced in the Gorge with GGFN approval)
  • Bottled water, sodas and other packaged beverages not made in the Gorge and/or by the vendor.
  • Recreational or medicinal cannabis and marijuana products, or other products containing THC
  • 3-D printed items
  • Live animals (on-site) at the market
  • Craft items that are produced outside of the Gorge
  • Products from Direct Marketing and Multi Level Marketing businesses

We aim to support producers from the Columbia River Gorge. This includes Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties in Oregon and Klickitat and Skamania counties in Washington. Exceptions are sometimes made for vendors who are able to bring quality items that cannot be sourced from the Columbia River Gorge. At times also host vendors from outside our geographic scope if they are able to bring new or unique products to the market and meet our vendor guidelines.

Hood River Farmer Market

A standard 10’x10′ booth for farmers and food producers is $25 or 5% of sales (whichever is greater). A standard 10’x10′ booth for artists and craft makers is $30 or 6% of sales (whichever is greater). Please see the vendor application or vendor packet for a complete explanation of fees, including double booths and fee caps.

White Salmon Farmers Market

A standard 10’x10′ booth space is $15 or 5% of sales (whichever is greater). Booth fees are capped at $60 (ie you will not pay more than $60 if we charge you the 5% rate).

Application fees range between $25 – $50, depending on when the application is submitted.

No. Vendors are able to select the dates they’d like to attend the market. Upon acceptance, we will provide you a schedule of dates that factor in 1) your date selection and 2) the needs and capacity of the market.

Hood River Farmers Market

When you submit your application to be a vendor, you will be asked to choose the dates you wish to be at the market. Upon acceptance of your application, the market manager will confirm your approved dates and provide each vendor with a schedule of attending dates and waitlisted dates (if applicable). Vendors are allowed two excused absences from their attending dates in one season, i.e. 2 in the core (May – November) season and 2 in the winter (December – April) season. Please see the vendor packet for the complete attendance policy.

The Community Table offers a space community members to use as a low-risk and cost-effective way to try selling at the market. This is also an opportunity for vendors to sell quantities that would not justify a full booth. It’s a good place to learn marketing techniques and get a feel for selling at a farmers market. The community table booth fee is 10% of total sales.

Crafts, arts and most other inedible goods are not permitted at the community table. Full booth spaces may be available upon completion of vendor application. A Community Table is not offered during the Hood River Farmers Market Winter Season. 

There are so many! Farmers markets provide:

• A consistent local outlet for your product
  • In 2024, Hood River Farmers Market vendors grossed over $1.3 million in sales
• An opportunity to build a customer base:
  • Hood River Farmers Market average weekly customer attendance is 1300, with over 2,000 each week in peak season.
    From customer surveys, we know that 65% of our customers live within 15 miles of the market location. 25% of our customers live 60+ miles from the market location.
• The ability to connect with customers and get feedback about your product
• An opportunity to accept food assistance program funds like SNAP EBT (formerly known as food stamps), Double Up Food Bucks, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Vouchers, etc. Complete details will be discussed on a case by case basis with all vendors, pending product eligibility.
• Learning opportunities from a network of other vendors, entrepreneurs and experienced small business owners
• Amplified promotion across Gorge Grown Food Network, Hood River Farmers Market and White Salmon Farmers Market platforms: print, newsletters, social media, radio etc.

If you are a farmer and use what you grow to make low-risk, value-added products like jams and pickles, you may fall under the Oregon Farm Direct Marketing Law Exemption.

Other vendor (non-farmers) who plan to sell value-added products like jams and pickles, will need to produce their products in a commercial kitchen.

If you plan to sell baked goods at the farmers market, you may fall under the Oregon Home Baking Bill Exemption. ). Qualifying baked goods include bread, rolls, cakes, pies, doughnuts, pastries, cookies, biscuits, crackers, confectionary items and all similar goods made for human consumption.

Vendors preparing and serving food on-site at the market will need a temporary restaurant license from the local health department.

Contact Hannah (at) gorgegrown.com with other questions regarding food safety and licensing requirements.