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Category Archives: Newsletter
FDA’s Proposed Food Safety Rules: Take Action Today!
Jen O'Brien November 7, 2013by Jen O’Brien ** Update: The FDA extended the comment deadline to Friday, November 22nd! The local food movement has gained considerable momentum in the past couple of years, and misguided food safety rules could reverse all of that hard work. Stand up for the farms in your community, by telling the FDA to rewrite…
FDA's Proposed Food Safety Rules: Take Action Today!
Jen O'Brienby Jen O’Brien ** Update: The FDA extended the comment deadline to Friday, November 22nd! The local food movement has gained considerable momentum in the past couple of years, and misguided food safety rules could reverse all of that hard work. Stand up for the farms in your community, by telling the FDA to rewrite…
Major Farmers Market Study Released by FNS
Jen O'Brienby Emily Finn, FMC Research & Education Intern, and Stacy Miller, Project Director The benefits of farmers markets accepting SNAP are generally understood and appreciated, making fresh produce more accessible to low-income Americans, and providing vendors with an increasing source of revenue: $2.7 million in 2004, $4.3 million in 2009, and $16.6 million in 2012. Despite…
Labeling for Savvy Consumers: Poultry and Egg Edition
Liz Comiskeyby Jessica L. Moskowitz As farmers markets continue to grow rapidly in number and popularity, vendors’ labeling and marketing materials have never been more important. Your messaging and word choices impact not only your bottom line, but the relationships and trust you build with customers and market goers. According to the USDA, farmers markets have…
2013 Farm Bill Moves into Conference
Jen O'BrienThe Senate and House have moved their respective farm bills into conference, meaning that they’ve selected conference committee members and will begin the work of reconciling the major differences between the two versions. FMC has submitted a letter to the committee, stating the priorities of farmers markets and direct marketing farmers, and encouraging conferees to…
Farmers and Markets Support Furloughed Workers
Stacy November 6, 2013The following links include examples of farmers markets supporting furloughed federal government employees during the temporary shutdown in October. Discounts for furloughed employees in Maine Consignment Booth for furloughed feds to sell non edible items in DC Free food for furloughed employees in NH
FMC Submits Comments on SNAP Retailer Requirements
Jen O'BrienEarlier this month, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) solicited input on SNAP retailer regulations and ways to increase healthy food access to SNAP participants. Specifically, FNS requested, ‘information from any and all interested parties on opportunities to enhance retailer definitions and requirements in a manner that improves access to healthy food choices for SNAP participants as well as program integrity, and ensures that only those…
Temperatures and Markets are Up!
Liz Comiskey July 29, 2013Hello FMC Supporters, Despite the extreme heat that affected most of the country this month, people have been flocking to their local markets this summer. FMC’s members and supporters have shared amazing photos of the gorgeous produce, delicious prepared foods and many smiling (if sweaty) faces at their markets. These photos and stories have served…
FMC to Add Power of Produce Children’s Programming Materials to Member Offerings
Liz Comiskey July 28, 2013by Natalie Roper, Research and Education Intern This past fall, I worked with fellow University of Virginia students Erica Stratton and Carla Jones to pilot the Power of Produce (POP) Club program at the Charlottesville City Market in Charlottesville, Virginia. We heard about how successful Jackie Hammond had been starting POP at the Oregon City…
Farmers Markets and the Farm Bill: What’s Happening Now
Liz Comiskeyby Jen O’Brien As the saga of the Farm Bill stretches on, it has grown increasingly complicated. Here’s an update of what’s happened in the past two months regarding the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Though these programs represent a very small piece of the bill’s budget,…
