STREATOR, Ill. — Anyone wishing to comment on the food sampling proposed rules affecting all farmers’ markets in Illinois must file their response with the state by the May 18 deadline.

The proposal is in response to the Illinois General Assembly’s instructions to the State Department of Public Health and its Farmers Market Task Force to include as part of the Smarter Rules for Farmers Markets legislation, a news release by the non-profit Illinois Stewardship Alliance of Springfield noted.

Included in the proposal are such items as a certification program for each vendor who offers food samples as promotions at farmers markets statewide. The certification is good for 36 months after issuance. Presently, each vendor must have a temporary permit to offer samples of their produce at almost every farmers’ market in Illinois.

For the past several years, Curtis Bedei of Streator has chaired operation of the downtown farmers market in his community of 13,000 residents. He also recently attended two conferences regarding the proposed changes, including that by the Illinois Farmers Market Assoc.

A spokesman with the association is to meet with State General Assembly representatives to “make sure we have a voice in the matter and opportunity to get things on track the way we would like them so they don’t come back to bite us,” Bedei said. “The (IFMA) spokesmen take what we say … to our state representatives. They make sure everything is the way it should be instead of being a big problem or hassle.”

One of the largest issues in regards to the certification was the amount charged or not charged by individual farmers’ markets. “That is, one market may not charge anything for certification, or another may charge $100,” he said on May 3 in an interview with Farm World. “One of the things in place this year is they capped the charge at $25 statewide for certification.”

Another items being pushed would require each vendor to post at his or her booth the location of the farm where the produce offered to customers was grown. “It’s a way to deter vendors who purchase produce from other localities and states to resell at their booths. It also helps the customer to know their product may be grown down the road from them or somewhere within the area that they’re familiar with so they know they are getting local produce,” Bedei said.

There is some exchanging of produce between farmer-vendors, he added. “Strawberries are an example. One farmer has an abundance and he will trade with a neighboring farmer who has an abundance of cabbage. They want a posting at each booth of all farms whose produce is being sold.”

The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is urging consumers to submit a brief comment in support of the rules and recommended improvements. “At a minimum, please submit a supportive comment,” the ISA brief stated. “If you don’t, someone else will. To prevent the rules from being watered down or made too onerous, we need you to help show the rules have support.”

All comments, whether by email or regular mail, must include the following information at the top: Proposed Rule: Farmers Market – Food Product Sampling Certificate. Send comments by mail to Elizabeth Patton, DPH, 535 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62761, or by email to dph.rule@illinois.gov