Non-farmers may get kicked out of Athens Farmers Market - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

Some vendors could get kicked out of the farmers market in Athens because they don't sell produce.

Commissioners said they are considering this due to the rules and regulations for doing business in the city of Athens and the county-owned farmers market needs to follow those guidelines.

Amongst the fruit and vegetables at the farmers market in Limestone County you can find baby dolls and plumbing parts.

"People come here not to just look at produce and buy produce," said vendor, Brian Martin. "There's a man up the aisle here who sells socks. People come here to buy socks."

Some Limestone County commissioners said so-called yard sale vendors shouldn't be at the farmers market.

Commissioner Gary Daly said that if this is a farmers market, it should be for farmers.

You won't find any apples or peppers at Martin's stand. He believes if there's open space, there's room for sellers like him.

"Out of the spaces that we have here, we don't have enough produce vendors who fill all the spaces. So if they make it just produce only, I believe they're going to lose probably half the revenue that they're collecting out of this," Martin said.

The main concern for some commissioners is that the yard sale vendors are operating without a business license, which is technically in violation of a city of Athens ordinance.

Commissioner Daly said farmers are exempt from remitting sales tax to the city and from paying for the license, but vendors who don't produce produce are not exempt.

"I think it's excessive. We're already paying booth rent on top of it. We're not millionaires," said Martin.

That $4 a day per booth goes to the senior center.

Limestone County commissioners will talk about this issue during a work session next week and could put it to a vote during their first meeting in July.

Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.