Legal for Trade Commercial scales can cost well over $400, but if you do a little research, you won’t pay near that much for a set of high quality farmers market scales.  Yes, you could get away with using a set of “household” scales, either hanging or digital, but that is ultimately not the way to establish trust and legitimacy with your customer who is buying produce from you.

Do some research and buy a legal for trade price computing scale that can be certified by the state.  In most states it is a requirement.  However, sometimes due to budget restraints and manpower, merchants get the idea that they can get away with not purchasing a legal for trade scale.  Sometimes every now and then you hear comments » Continue reading “Commercial Scales for the Farmers Market Can Cost over $400″

NTEP is for both Manufacturers and Consumers. NTEP, National Type Evaluation Program, is a cooperative effort between the National Conference on Weights and Measures, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, individual states in the US, and the private sector. It was created for the following purpose. Through twelve participating laboratories, NTEP evaluates the performance, operating characteristics, features and options of weighing and measuring devices against applicable standards. Essentially, it provides a one-stop evaluation process that satisfies the initial requirements for introduction of weighing and measuring devices in the U.S. » Continue reading “What is NTEP?”