Rio Linda Farmers Market Vendors Shut Out After City Cracks Down

RIO LINDA (CBS13) — Familiar vendors at the Rio Linda Farmers Market who are normally at the event every week weren't there on Thursday after a crackdown by city officials.

The ordinance requires all vendors who sell homemade food to have a license, and for the organizer of the event to pay a fee.

Charlea Moore admits she's always known about the rules, but allowed the homemade food vendors to come anyway in the hopes that no one would catch on. But in the interest of public safety, she doesn't want to get in trouble.

Dave Adams was at the market last week to sell homemade baked goods to raise money for a sign at the Rio Linda High football stadium that is named after his late brother Marion Adams.

Marion was a coach who died in a tragic accident on school grounds, but this week, he can't come back.

"It's not going to be our job; we arent going to do it every week forever; we are just doing it for a few weeks to try and raise enough money to get what we are doing done," he said.

The county's department of environmental management says the rules fall under state law to protect the health and safety of the public. But Moore believes the fees make some feel left out.

"That is what government is for is to protect the public, but you can go too far and you can also charge too much and I think we might have reached that point," she said.

The county says there are some exemptions, such as a nonprofit selling homemade food, and not holding more than one sale a month.