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Author Archives: Honesta Romberger
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,…
A new farmer thrives thanks to this Delaware farmers market
Honesta Romberger November 2, 2016Rob’s display at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market When Rob Dick owned a restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, MD, he enjoyed meeting customers and operating a very successful business. But he was struck by the mediocre food delivered to his kitchen, and the lack of fresh food from local farmers. He wanted to find a better…
Forsyth Farmers Market & SNAP: Making Good Food Affordable for All
Honesta Romberger October 26, 2016SNAP tokens used at Forsyth Farmers Market (photo credit: Forsyth Farmers Market) Since its very start, the Forsyth Farmers Market in Savannah, Georgia has sought to address food access with the inclusion of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formally food stamps), a federally funded food access program for low-income individuals administered by the United…
USDA Announces $16.7 Million in Grants to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Purchases by SNAP Participants
Honesta Romberger October 21, 2016The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced $16.7 million available in competitive grant funding to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetable by low-income families participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formally food stamps). Funding will be awarded to eligible organizations through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant Program, administered by…
Market Incentive Programs – How Puerto Rico Gets it Right
Honesta Romberger October 19, 2016When farmers markets work to both support and grow business for local farmers, and provide access to affordable, nutritious food across communities of all in-come levels, one word comes to mind: success. An innovative market incentive program launched in Puerto Rico takes this idea of success to a whole new level. And a recent report…
Market Law 101: Farmers Market Legal Toolkit Update
Honesta Romberger October 12, 2016by Erin Buckwalter, NOFA-VT, and Darlene Wolnik, FMC Image from the Farmers Market Legal Toolkit website that is currently under development. Since the fall of 2014, FMC Senior Researcher Darlene Wolnik and Executive Director Jen Cheek have been collaborating with Erin Buckwalter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) to assist the Center…
2016 Farmers Market Promotion Program Awardees
Honesta Romberger September 28, 2016The 2016 FMPP grantees have been announced by the USDA Agricultural Marketing service, and happily, FMC’s project has been funded. We are incredibly excited to work with market networks in Virginia and DC to train market leaders to confidently connect with influencers in their neighbors, and implement data-focused marketing campaigns. The resources created for VA…
Fundraising Strategies for Farmers Markets
Honesta Romberger September 9, 2016Fundraising can sometimes be an overwhelming endeavor to take on. However for many markets, it’s a critical piece for sustaining operations. The Farmers Market Fund and the Oregon State Farmers Market Association recently created a resource documenting fundraising strategies farmers markets have used to to raise money for their SNAP match programs. Although these ideas…
Louisiana 2016: August Flood Update
Honesta Romberger August 30, 2016By: Dar Wolnik, FMC Senior Research Associate and Louisiana resident On Thursday August 11, 2016 rain began to fall in and around Baton Rouge, Louisiana at a rate of two or more inches an hour. By the time this “storm without a name” officially ended on August 16, four trillion gallons of water had fallen…
Faith in Food: Partnering with Congregations to Sustain and Strengthen Communities through Farmers Markets
Honesta Romberger August 26, 2016Over the past year, The Food Trust and Partners for Sacred Places have worked to strengthen connections between farmers markets and the faith communities that exist around them. This webinar will discuss why and how these partnerships are beneficial, best practices around collaboration, challenges and successes, as well as identifying first steps that farmers market…
