Become a Vendor!
Hello, we are so happy to hear from you! Our fabulous vendors represent a wide variety of produce and value-added products. We focus on hosting businesses that share our mission of providing healthy, local goods, and that are dedicated to maintaining an uplifting and encouraging market environment.
We onboard a lineup of permanent vendors each year, with many vendors choosing to renew with us year after year. We accept new applications mid-March through December of every year to fill any permanent or pop-up spaces that might occur during the year (you can find our definition of a pop-up vendor in our F.A.Q section below).
The first step to becoming a vendor at one of Houston’s happiest farmers markets is to read the following carefully before proceeding with your application. Due to our small staff size, we will not respond to emails or phone calls about questions that are already covered on this page and our Market Rules. You can also refer to the F.A.Q section at the bottom of this page. You will find the application form links at the bottom of the page.
Important Notes to Consider Before Applying to The Informal Grub Farmers Markets - Updated 3/18/24
The Informal Grub Farmers Markets are year round, rain or shine markets. If you want to be a permanent vendor, we expect you to follow our absence policy as described in our market rules. If you cannot commit to regularly and consistently attending the market(s) you are interested in, please do not apply unless you are looking to be a pop-up vendor (see our F.A.Q section below to learn about what a pop-up vendor is).
Priority consideration for all non-agricultural vendor categories will be given to those utilizing locally sourced ingredients. Please be sure to indicate where you are using locally sourced ingredients in your application.
It is important to note that, we are a certified farmers market through the Texas Department of Agriculture, and focus on hosting agricultural and value-added food vendors. We do not have plans to bring on vendors who create and sell artisan-type products such as clothing, jewelry, candles, etc...
Unless you sell products related to food, sustainability, or agriculture (i.e, knives, cutting boards, composting services, etc…) we do not encourage you to apply. If you are an artisan looking for a market space, The Feel Good Group host markets with a wide variety of artisan vendors.
Currently, our most received applications are for baked-goods and dog foods/treats. Please keep in mind that if you make and sell one of these categories that the pop-up waitlist will be long.
If you are a non-profit interested in having a one-time booth set up at one of our market locations please reach out to informalgrubmarkets@gmail.com
If you are a business or individual looking to sponsor the farmers markets for a specific date or long-term, please reach out to informalgrubmarkets@gmail.com
Application Review Process
After the annual renewal process which runs from January - March, we are always accepting applications. When one of our permanent vendors cannot attend a market we pull from our approved application list to bring on pop-up vendors.
Due to the small size of our team and the amount of inquiries we receive, you will not hear from us regarding your application until we have a pop-up or permanent space available for your category. If you have applied and are wondering about the status of your application, please email informalgrubmarkets@gmail.com. Phone calls about vendor applications will not be returned.
*Submission of an application does not guarantee the applying business space at a market location. It is possible that your application may be denied, or that the markets do not have space for your category at the time of your application submission.
Determine Your Vendor Category
Please read through these definitions and find the category that fits with what you plan to sell.
Market Rules
Read our market rules carefully to understand requirements about sourcing of ingredients for Value-Added and Prepared Food Vendors, attendance rules, fees for participation in the markets, etc… If you feel your product qualifies after reading these rules, please proceed.
By proceeding with your application you acknowledge that you have read and understand all of the above. Please note the application fee is non-refundable should you submit an application that is not accepted for any reason.
Vendor Applications - Select the correct category link below
We take tremendous pride in selecting vendors for our farmers markets and each inquiry will go through an important vetting process by a committee to ensure a mutually beneficial fit is made. Check our FAQs below for more information!
Thank you :)
FAQs
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We are a certified farmers market through the Texas Department of Agriculture, and focus on hosting agricultural and value-added food vendors. We do not have plans to bring on vendors who create and sell artisan-type products such as clothing, jewelry, candles, etc...
Unless you sell products related to food, sustainability, or agriculture (i.e, knives, cutting boards, composting services, etc…) we do not encourage you to apply. If you are an artisan looking for a market space, The Feel Good Group host markets with a wide variety of artisan vendors.
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You do not need to submit two separate applications to sell at both markets. When you submit an application to the Informal Grub Farmers Markets, you are officially under consideration for both market locations.
You will be able to let us know in the application if you are interested in one of the locations or both.
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We have created sponsorship opportunities that range from supportive donation to customizable activations at our markets. This allows us to collaborate with businesses that are looking for more brand recognition, community connection, outreach, etc…
Creating a space for local food and small business to thrive is as important as ever, and we know that many people and organizations want to be a part of it! These sponsorships are an important piece of improving and maintaining our markets year after year.
If you are interested in becoming a market sponsor, please email informalgrubmarkets@gmail.com to receive our package options and schedule a meeting!
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Spaces in the market become available when a permanent vendor will not be present for a market date. A pop-up vendor is a vendor that “pops-up” temporarily when spaces are available.
Filling these temporary openings allows other vendors to participate in the market even though permanent space may not be available.
This process does not come with a time frame guarantee or placement guarantee. We have many pop-up vendors who eventually transition into permanent spaces if/when they become available.
What happens if I’m chosen as a popup vendor?
If we have a pop-up opening our Market Manager will contact vendors with approved applications in a similar category to the absent permanent vendor. After the availability information is sent out, the space is filled on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Market Manager will walk you through the next steps which will include a review of your permits and insurance.
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We don't have a tentative schedule for pop-up vendors, as these spaces become available only when a permanent vendor notifies us they will not be able to attend a market date. We receive these notifications anywhere from months in advance to a few days before a market date. We fill these vacancies with pop-up vendors as they arise by notifying businesses on our pop-up list who fit a similar product type if possible. The space is then filled on a first come first serve basis.
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All vendors that sell at our farmers markets are required to carry and maintain insurance in the amount of $1 million for products liability and $2 million for general aggregate liability with The Informal Grub, LLC. being named as additional insured.
If you are currently looking to purchase insurance we can provide you with a list of carriers us and other vendors work with. We do not endorse any insurance carriers. Please email informalgrubmarkets@gmail.com for a list of insurance carriers.