In the last century, large corporations took over the food industry. For many people, meeting the farmer who grew the tomatoes and kale and broccoli sprouts in their salad became less likely. For many people, eating fresh tomatoes, kale, or broccoli sprouts also became less likely. Vegetables just are not as appetizing under the flickering, yellow lights of a Walmart.
But now, farmers markets are making it possible for more people to eat at least some local vegetables and to meet the farmers who produced the food on their plates. It might be surprising but product liability insurance makes it possible for vendors to sell their wares at markets because it mitigates the financial risk that comes with doing business.
WHY FARMERS MARKETS ARE ESSENTIAL
The University of Vermont published this list of reasons that local food is better for the consumer. One of the reasons they listed was that local food is more safe because the farmers who grew the food or the chefs who prepared it are not anonymous and will take responsibility for the safety of their goods.
But this relationship between the consumer and the vendor only functions well if the vendor has insurance that can cover the cost of medical expenses if their product harms their customer. This kind of insurance is called product liability insurance.
THE PROBLEM OF COST
Many farmers market vendors make a great living off of taking their goods to market, but purchasing liability insurance can still seem like an intimidating financial burden.
FLIP has made product liability insurance for farmers market vendors more simple and more affordable by tailoring our program to the needs of those who own small food businesses. We have made it possible to purchase affordable, comprehensive business insurance for farmers market vendors in just a few minutes and to print your proof of insurance immediately.
We also allow FLIP policyholders to add an additional insured anytime at no extra cost, so that farmers market vendors can add the market to their policy quickly and easily.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
We hope our focus on farmers market vendors allows more chefs and food growers to participate in the local food movement. We hope to help farmers markets continue to grow in popularity and strength across the country. We hope the 21st century is the century of fresh and local food sold to us by vendors we know and trust.
For more information about FLIP and our policies for farmers market vendors, visit our farmers market page.
BY AUSTIN DYKSTRA
Austin Dykstra writes about marketing, business, and insurance for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Austin Dykstra has written about everything from Instagram marketing to online reputation management. He is now firmly entrenched in the thrilling world of insurance. You can find Austin on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, where he’s meekly re-entering the fray after quitting during the 2016 election cycle.
