Author Archives: Honesta Romberger

MIFMA Food Access Webinar Series

Honesta Romberger March 2, 2018

2018 Food Access Webinar Series Each year, the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) hosts a series of webinars focused on increasing food access at Michigan farmers markets. Farmers markets can accept food assistance benefits to create a win-win-win opportunity for their market, their vendors, and the health of their community. Accepting food assistance benefits can…

Taro Field Day – March 17, 2018

Honesta Romberger

Taro Field Day | Presented by UH CTAHR College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at UH-Manoa Saturday, March 17 • 9 a.m.–noon Waimānalo Research Station, 41‐698 Ahiki St, Waimānalo, O’ahu Learn about the history of University of Hawai‘i’s taro collection, conventional and organic production practices, and management of new and re-occurring pests. Various agricultural…

Tennessee State University’s Farmers Market Development Outreach Workshop – March 20, 2018

Honesta Romberger

Looking to start a farmers market near you? Check out Tennessee State University‘s Farmers Market Development outreach workshop, featuring Ky State University Area Agriculture Specialists. They will spend the day teaching and providing breakout sessions for planning and developing a Farmers Market. March 20 at TSU in Nashville. Contact Darlene Gunther for more info and…

Welcome, New FMC Board Members!

Honesta Romberger February 19, 2018

FMC is pleased to welcome seven new additions to the Board of Directors. This year, the election resulted in a tie for the sixth spot, and since FMC’s bylaws permit adding seven members, the Board decided to include both candidates. Our new Directors are: Adrienne Akers, Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market, IN (photo 1) Corey Chatman, Experimental…

President’s 2019 FY Budget Proposal: Bad News for Farmers Markets

Honesta Romberger February 13, 2018

by Ben Feldman, FMC Policy Specialist | ben@farmersmarketcoalition.org Released Monday, the President’s budget proposal contains little good news for farmers markets. In addition to massive cuts to SNAP, the proposal zeroes funding for the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program, the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program, and Farmers Market Promotion Program. Taken together, the proposed budget…

Why farmers markets and federal programs that support them are vital to our ranch

Honesta Romberger

by Amy Greer, owner and operator of Winters Family Beef and Farmer Fly-In Project participant In 2008 my dad gave his children a choice: take up the family ranching business or risk losing the Winters-Wall Ranch, located outside of Brady, Texas. Our family has been ranching the land since 1875, a year before McCulloch County was…

Democracy in Action: Highlights from the Farmer Fly-In Project

Honesta Romberger February 9, 2018

by Ben Feldman, FMC Policy Specialist | ben@farmersmarketcoalition.org Last week was the culmination of months of planning for the Farmer Fly-In Project. Thanks to your donations, and despite a wild week in D.C., we were able to bring six farmers and one market manager to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill about the importance of…

Arizona: Small Food Conference March 8, 2018

Honesta Romberger February 5, 2018

  Click here for tickets and more info. Prescott Farmers Market and Yavapai College are co-sponsoring the first-ever Small Food Conference on March 8, 2018 to support farmers market vendors’ businesses. Workshops will help vendors attract more customers and explore small business basics. We invite local and regional experts (including current market vendors) to lead workshops…

Alaska: 2 Week Farming Intensive July 22 – August 4, 2018

Honesta Romberger January 26, 2018

START A FARM. RUN A HOMESTEAD. BUILD COMMUNITY. Get the growing knowledge and hands-on production and business planning skills to launch a small-scale farm or home garden through TWO WEEKS of intensive farming education at Calypso Farm and Ecology Center. The Farming Intensive is a highly condensed version of Calypso’s 5-month Farmer Training Program, giving…

Hawaii Farming’s Uncertain Future

Honesta Romberger

  Source: Hawaiibusiness.com Hawaii’s farmers can’t catch a break. Rat lungworm has accelerated difficult changes in local farming. One local leader predicts a quarter of Hawaii’s produce farms will be out of business in a few years. They are already battered by high land and energy costs, intense competition from Mainland imports and their own…