POLICY DATABASE
Policy Summary

Establishes regulations for seasonal farmers' markets. Only non-profits may receive a seasonal market license to operate a farmers' market. To get a seasonal market license, at least 55% of the total volume of products available for sale must be a farm product harvested or produced within 300 miles of the city, and at least twenty-five percent of the vendors must accept supplemental food vouchers (SNAP/EBT, WIC Cash Value Vouchers, and/or FMNP vouchers). Vendors operating in farmers' markets in locations "deemed by the Health Officer to be a food desert" are eligible to have their seasonal vendor license fees waived.

Background Information

State New Jersey
Jurisdiction Name Jersey City
Jurisdiction Type City,
Population Size 200,000-800,000
Legal Strategies
  • Requires something, sets standards
Reach Community-wide
Food System Category Distribute; Get;
Evidence for Health

This policy may correspond to diet-related strategies identified by the County Health Rankings’ What Works for Health tool, including:

For research on the potential effectiveness, please review the category links above.

We understand that this information is not comprehensive. It also does not include other important forms of evidence such as community members’ lived experiences and practice-based evidence.

Policy Details

Refers to priority populations?
Yes

Allows waiver of seasonal vendor license fee for vendors operating in a designated "food desert" (§ 175-28 (E)); and promotes acceptance of supplemental food vouchers (SNAP/EBT, WIC Cash Value Vouchers, and/or FMNP vouchers) at farmers' markets (§ 175-28(D)).

Health-related goal?
Yes

Seeks to promote access to food in "food deserts" (§ 175-28 (E), and encourages acceptance of supplemental food vouchers (SNAP/EBT, WIC Cash Value Vouchers, and/or FMNP vouchers) (§ 175-28(D)); refers to food safety and handling (§ 175-28(J).

Environmental goal?
Yes

Requires that "At least fifty-five percent (55%) of the total volume of all products available for sale must be a farm product harvested or produced within three hundred (300) miles of Jersey City)." § 175-28(C). Also requires that "Farmers' markets vendors shall not use plastic bags to dispense their products." § 175-28(K).

Economic goal?
Yes

Supports acceptance of supplemental food vouchers (SNAP/EBT, WIC Cash Value Vouchers, and/or FMNP vouchers) at farmers' markets, § 175-28(D).

Includes findings?
No

Has a stated intent or purpose?
Unclear

The first section in the Article states: "This Article shall be applicable to eating and drinking establishments and to itinerant eating and drinking establishments." § 175-16.

Includes definitions?
Yes

§ 175-18

Addresses implementation?
Yes

"The application [for a food establishment license] shall be upon appropriate forms as the Health Officer shall require. " § 175-20.

Enforcement provisions?
Yes

Suspension or revocation of the license. See §175-25.

Evaluation component?
No

Requires extra investment?
No

Code context and ordinance history

Chapter 175 (Food Handling Establishments), Article III (Food Establishments). History: Added by Jersey City, N.J., Ordinance No. 15.026 (Mar. 11, 2015)

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