Vendor Standards

What we expect from every vendor at Common Ground.

THE SHORT VERSION

Common Ground is a curated market — not a flea market, not a mall, and not a free-for-all. Every vendor across our three markets is held to standards that reflect the quality of this space and the community that walks through it. If you're here, it's because you belong here.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET

Farm Vendors

Common Ground holds its farm vendors to some of the highest standards in the Southeast. Every farm selling at our Saturday Farmers Market must carry either Certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown certification — no exceptions.

For eggs, all laying hens must be raised exclusively on Certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown feed. For meat and dairy — including beef, pork, poultry, sheep, lamb, rabbit, and goat — animals must be raised exclusively on Certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown feed throughout their lives.

In rare cases of extreme weather where certified hay is genuinely unavailable, cattle may be given herbicide-free hay for up to 20 days per year to prevent starvation or malnutrition. This is a last resort, not a routine practice. Farmers must demonstrate that all certified sources have been exhausted and notify Market Management before changing feeds.

Sustainable foraging for items like tree nuts, berries, and ramps is permitted. Wild foraged mushrooms require appropriate certification. If you have questions about foraging, contact us using the Contact button above.

We believe these standards aren't just good policy — they're what the BeltLine community deserves when they shop with us. When you buy from a Common Ground farm vendor, you're getting the real thing.

Prepared Food Vendors

Every prepared food vendor at Common Ground is expected to cook the way we'd want to eat — with real ingredients, sourced as close to home as possible.

What we don't allow: corn syrup in any form, hydrogenated oils, artificial dyes, or chemical preservatives. If it wouldn't belong in a home kitchen, it doesn't belong in our market.

Meat sourcing must come from fellow Common Ground vendors or sources approved by our market team. All approved meat sources must be documented in writing. We're building a community here — that starts with our vendors supporting each other.

Ingredient sourcing should prioritize local first, and we ask our vendors to follow this order whenever possible: start with fellow Common Ground vendors, then local Georgia farms, then the broader Southeast, then the continental US. If a recipe calls for something sourced internationally, contact us for approval. Spices, salts, olive oil, vanilla, and coffee from international sources are permitted. Use of tropical fruits such as mango, coconut, pineapple, and bananas is strongly discouraged — vendors must demonstrate that all domestic alternatives have been explored.

DAILY MARKET

The Daily Market at Common Ground is open seven days a week, and our resident vendors are the heartbeat of this building.

Quality over quantity. Every product on your counter should reflect craftsmanship, care, or expertise that sets it apart. If it could sit on a shelf at a big-box retailer, it probably doesn't belong here. We curate for vendors who make, grow, roast, bake, or build something worth coming back for.

Source with intention. Whether you're selling prepared food, pantry goods, coffee, florals, or handcrafted products, we expect our daily vendors to prioritize local and regional sourcing. Georgia-made and Southeast-sourced ingredients and materials come first. When something needs to come from further away — specialty coffee beans, imported olive oil, raw materials not available domestically — that's fine, but it should be the exception and not the default.

Show up like you belong here. Daily Market vendors are the first impression for everyone who walks in off the BeltLine. Your stall should be clean, well-merchandised, and staffed by someone who knows the product and can talk about it with pride. We provide the stall and the foot traffic — you bring the energy and the experience that keeps people coming back tomorrow.

SUNDAY MAKERS & DESIGNER MARKET

The Sunday Makers & Designer Market at Common Ground showcases the people behind the product.

Make it yourself. Everything sold at the Makers & Designer Market must be designed, handcrafted, or significantly transformed by the vendor. Reselling mass-produced goods, dropshipped inventory, or white-labeled products with your sticker on them is not permitted. If you didn't make it, you can't sell it here. Kit assembly and direct resale of commercially available products are not allowed. If you reformulate or repackage a commercially prepared product or base, you must demonstrate significant added value. We'll ask about your process during the application review — be ready to walk us through how your product goes from idea to finished piece.

Originality matters. We curate our vendor mix to avoid redundancy and keep the market fresh for shoppers. We're looking for a point of view — whether that's in your materials, your technique, your design aesthetic, or the story behind your brand. If you're doing something that nobody else at Common Ground is doing, you're exactly who we want.

Present at market level. Your display is part of the experience. Products should be thoughtfully arranged, priced clearly, and presented in a way that reflects the quality of your work. No bare cardboard boxes, no handwritten printer-paper signs, no cluttered tables. You've put real craft into what you make — your setup should show that same level of care.