Interested in being a Vendor?

​The Horton Farmers' Market is a beautiful place for local artisans, farmers and vendors to come together and share their hard work with the St. Thomas community. With so many unique and fascinating vendors and products, the Market always has something new to enjoy. From expertly grown fresh produce to handmade jewellery and crafts, each vendor brings something new. 

If becoming a vendor and part of the Horton Farmers' Market community sounds exciting, this article will briefly outline information about becoming a vendor, what to expect, and how to make the most of your time at Horton. 

If you're curious about what being part of the Market entails, you can expect a sense of community. Several vendors like Amelia of Wayward Creations exclaim how the sense of community and support brings them back. Sharon of Creations by Sharon states that she loves the atmosphere that the Market brings, having made several acquaintances and friends with other vendors like her. Through the years, great friendships have begun from the Market, uniting people from all walks of life and different careers and interests. 

To begin, the Horton Market is a producer-based market that draws vendors from within a 60km radius to keep things fresh and local. This also means that the available produce is seasonal as our farm vendors' products grow with the season. Some vendors are with us all season long, and others pop in and out as their growing seasons allow. For our non-farm vendors, the producer moniker still applies. While they may not be growing food, items sold must be goods primarily produced by the seller; no resale goods here.

Within the Market Vendor Rules and Regulations, vendors follow a secondary guideline when deciding what to sell: "Don't sell anything you wouldn't want to buy."  This concept is simple, but it supports conscientious choices and consistently highlights high-quality goods on market day. Some non-food options for selling can include homemade items such as handmade clothing and accessories, decor and home care items. Think of how wide of an audience can use your item... A good example is Jancat Art; many people love cats and all things cute. Not only does she produce many different designs, but also different products. From stickers to hats, shirts to pins, bags and more, her products can be used by everyone!

It's also important that you are located within the Elgin County area. Our Market is committed to showcasing and providing local vendors, which in the regulations is defined as products and producers from Elgin County or within a 60km radius of the market location, occasionally an exception is made for certain produce items to increase available variety while maintaining a focus on Ontario produce. 

Vendors pay their fees if accepted under the application process. With over a dozen options of spaces available, both indoor and outdoor, the Market adheres to fitting a vendor and their products' needs. 

Most importantly, ask questions. Suppose something seems unclear to you, or you are curious. In that case, asking questions is critical to a great experience with the Horton Farmers' Market. The market staff is here to help in any way we can. You can find vendor, busker and volunteer information on the Horton Farmers' Market website. 

As we get farther into the market season, spaces for the current season are minimal. But announcements will come soon regarding future opportunities - so stay tuned!