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Category Archives: Newsletter
WIC FMNP: A Win-Win for Families and Farmers
Liz Comiskey July 28, 2013The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides low-income young and expecting mothers an incentive to access to fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables at farmers markets while reinvesting government dollars into local economies and providing crucial revenue to small farmers. In 2012, the program cost-effectively provided fresh produce to more than…
Fundraising Success: Hemlock Farmers Market Raises a Barn
Liz Comiskey July 24, 2013By Emily Finn, Research and Education Intern In many ways, the Hemlock Farmers Market (HFM) in Hemlock, Michigan looks much like many other farmers markets across the US – a vital part of a small community; designed to support area producers and to provide healthier options for its residents; changing and growing from year to…
Hustling and Bustling this Winter
Liz Comiskey February 15, 2013A letter from Jen O’Brien, Interim Executive Director, FMC Here we are in the dead of winter, but there’s no off-season in sight. Despite the plummeting temperatures and record snow storms, the farmers market community is as busy as ever. This year, the USDA reported that the National Farmers Market Directory saw a 52 percent…
More than 200 organizations participate in Farmers Market Promotion Program Grantee Survey
Liz Comiskeyby Stacy Miller, Project Director Since the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) first issued grants under the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), 575 projects have been awarded in all fifty states, totaling $32,310,288 in funding. In what ways has the program contributed to stronger, healthier, more innovative and inclusive food systems? As reported in the…
Slow and Steady: Farmers Market SNAP Sales Continue to Expand
Liz ComiskeyBy Natalie Roper, FMC Research & Education Intern, and Stacy Miller, Project Director The New Year seems to have kicked off with less than positive news for farmers markets. The nine-month farm bill extension that passed late New Years Day surprised many by failing to provide mandatory funding for a variety of smaller programs that…
Accessing SNAP Grant Funds for Farmers Markets
Liz ComiskeyRepublished from Farmers’ Markets Today February 2013 by Jan Walters Jan Walters’ Consulting Services, LLC, Farmers Market Coalition Board of Directors In May 2012, USDA announced new SNAP grant funding through the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 to increase SNAP access at farmers markets. The new grant funding of $4 million is…
Diving in to all the moving parts
Liz Comiskey October 24, 2012Hello FMC Members and Friends, The past 10 weeks as FMC’s Interim Executive Director have been a whirlwind and a gift. Each aspect of our three-pronged approach of education, networking and advocacy has been in full swing, and I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to jump right in. Recent webinars covered food safety, social media, and…
FMC embarks on research of FMPP impacts
Liz ComiskeyAs delays in the Farm Bill reauthorization raise questions about if and when some USDA grant programs (like the Farmers Market Promotion Program, or FMPP) may be implemented in 2013, the time is right to ask: How important is USDA’s FMPP to growing stronger, healthier, more innovative and inclusive food systems? On October 10th, the…
Legislating Farmers Markets—a journey in St. Louis, Missouri
Liz ComiskeyGuest Post By Deborah Henderson, Manager of the Clayton Farmer’s Market FARMERS’ MARKET MANAGERS AND STAKEHOLDERS ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS IN ST. LOUIS As the new manager of the Clayton Farmer’s Market in St. Louis Co, Missouri in 2011, I enthusiastically began the job of talking to prospective vendors about coming to the market. I was surprised…
FMC at the 8th Annual International Public Markets Conference
Liz Comiskeyby Jen O’Brien, Interim executive director, FMC Early in September, I traveled to Cleveland for the 8th annual International Public Markets Conference. Project for Public Spaces organized the event, bringing together food activists, researchers, market managers, policy makers, economists, government officials, architects and urban planners for three days of presentations, discussions, and networking. Cleveland provided…
