Commercial general liability insurance is a major budget item for most farmers’ markets and for farmers and vendors selling at farmers’ markets. The Farmers’ Market Federation of NY has contracted with insurance brokers to provide access to low cost, commercial general liability insurance to our members. This is available to both farmers’ markets and the sellers within farmers’ markets.
The farmers’ market liability program provides each market organization with $1 million per occurrence with an annual aggregate of $2 million in general liability coverage and $1 million in product liability coverage. It provides an adequate layer of protection to the market, the property owner and the market sponsors in the event of a lawsuit. In addition, this program will extend coverage to include multiple locations under the same market organization, by sharing the coverage limits between the locations.
The market insurance program does require that the market mandate that each vendor in the market be insured as well, and provide the market with proof of insurance, naming the market as an additional insured. Failure to do so may void coverage of the market in the event of a claim.
The market and vendor policies, negotiated as a group, are available from April 1st each year and extended until March 31st of the following year. Premiums are due up front and once coverage is extended the premium is fully earned.
Click here for the Market Liability Insurance Enrollment Form in PDF format.
