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Author Archives: Honesta Romberger
Funding Exhausted for FMC Free SNAP EBT Equipment Program
Honesta Romberger March 30, 2017In partnership with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, FMC has connected 1,100 farmers markets and farmers with the equipment needed to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits (SNAP), through the Free SNAP EBT Equipment Program. Two-hundred-and-thirty additional applicants have been approved since February, and are in the process of selecting their preferred equipment and service…
A Visual Guide to USDA Local Food Survey Results
Honesta Romberger February 22, 2017By Marian Weaver, FMC Program Manager | marian@farmersmarketcoalition.org Hi everyone, I’m Marian Weaver, the new Metrics Program Manager for FMC. I come from a background of database analytics and business intelligence, and my main projects will be focused on Farmers Market Metrics and anything else data-oriented. My posts will have a more interactive format than…
Apply to Host the 2018 International PPS Public Markets Conference
Honesta Romberger February 2, 2017By Dar Wolnik, FMC Senior Researcher darlene@farmersmarketcoalition.org Projects for Public Spaces (PPS) has released their Request for Interest (RFI) to host their popular public market conference in 2018. RFI Deadlines for hosting the event are fast approaching: – Letter of Interest – due February 17, 2017 – Full proposal invitation – March 10, 2017 –…
USDA Announces $27 Million in Grants to Support Local Food Sector
Honesta Romberger January 11, 2017The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced the availability of $27 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed to strengthen market opportunities for local and regional food producers and businesses. “These grants will continue USDA’s support for the local food sector as an important strategy for keeping wealth in…
Results from the Local Food Marketing Practices Survey are in!
Honesta Romberger December 21, 2016It’s here! The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the results from the first ever Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. Farmers markets and local farms suffer from a lack of comprehensive data on their activities, which stymies strategic decision making and growth. As one of multiple efforts to address this issue, the Farmers Market…
Something for Everyone: Mini-Documentary Captures the Heart of Farmers Market
Honesta Romberger December 8, 2016On Wednesday mornings, a quiet street in Takoma Park, MD comes alive. It’s here in a neighborhood where fresh, nutritious food was once hard to come by, that Crossroads Farmers Market thrives. Serving a predominantly immigrant shopper base, Crossroads draws families from throughout the community seeking traditional foods grown by local farmers, many of…
FMC Board Member Joins Committee Advising USDA
Honesta Romberger December 6, 2016We have some exciting news to share about FMC board member, Christie Balch! Christie, who also serves as Executive Director of Crossroads Community Food Network, was recently appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, which is overseen by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Christie will chair the…
When Tragedy Struck a Maryland Community, a Local Farmer was There to Help
Honesta Romberger November 30, 2016Rosa helps customers at her stand at Crossroads Farmers Market When Rosa Linares immigrated to the United States from El Salvador, she never imagined her dream and life-long love of farming could continue. She believed the days of tending crops in the warm sun and cool soil were long behind her. Until she met Michelle.…
A POP of Kids Brings Market Alive
Honesta Romberger November 22, 2016When dwindling foot traffic threatened the future of Brambleton Farmers Market, Mary Haskins knew something had to be done. Located in a park near a housing development, this small, Virginia market was a natural attraction for local families. However Haskins, the market’s outreach coordinator, worried about the farmers’ bottom line as she watched parents, busy…
Dear Hard-Working Farmers Market Manager: You Are Not Alone
Honesta Romberger November 15, 2016Every farmers market, no matter how small, has an impact on local food. And every farmers market manager runs into challenges that are shared by others throughout the nation. Rest assured, fellow managers, you are not alone. It takes hard work to run a farmers market. It requires a lot of muscle, a nimble mind,…
