**Updated** Congratulations to FMC Member FMPP and FMSSG Awardees!
Posted On: October 9, 2015
The awardees of the 2015 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), and the first ever Farmers Market SNAP Support Grants (FMSSG) were announced last week! Check out all of the FMC members that were awarded below. Many FMC members will also benefit from grant projects within their community networks; you can view the complete lists of grantees and project descriptions at the following links: FMPP (pdf), LFPP (pdf), and FMSSG. Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
The USDA offers this funding because they recognize the value of the amazing work taking place on the ground at farmers markets across the country. FMC has been honored to communicate your needs, experiences, and desires to the USDA, to help them shape and refine these grant opportunities. So, THANK YOU for all of your hard work as farmers market practitioners, organizers, supporters, and FMC members!
FMC Member FMPP Awardees:
Fresno Farmers’ Markets, CA
Rural Farmers’ Market Initiative: Low Income and Food Desert Communities
Award Amount: $100,000.00
Build staff capacity to increase direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities in rural Fresno and Kings Counties by developing a standardized curriculum that will be available to replicate similar training and capacity-building activities in other San Joaquin Valley food desert communities; increase farm vendor opportunities to sell their products in low-income, food desert communities in the San Joaquin Valley by establishing and promoting rural farmers’ markets; and demonstrate that farmers’ markets improve the quality of life in food desert communities by providing an access point to fresh fruits and vegetables by developing, implementing, and analyzing economic impact study for the project region.
Florida Organic Growers, Gainesville, FL
Hawthorne Community Farmers Market.
Award Amount: $99,790.00
Increase the engagement between local producers and Eastern Alachua residents while enhancing diversification of the available local agricultural products at the market and improving participation in the farmers’ market and consumption of locally grown food by establishing a multi-weekday indoor farmers market; creating a state-permitted commissary for producers to legally wash, package, and store agricultural products; and creating a food-based community education program that provides outreach, training, and technical assistance to local food producers and consumers.
City of Fayetteville, AR
Farmers’ Market Promotions, Special Events, & Capacity-Building Expands Regional Customers
Award Amount: $58,856.00
Increase the direct producer-to-consumer sales and the consumption of local foods in Northwest Arkansas and economic benefit to regional producers by conducting an advertising and educational campaign that utilizes television and radio advertising, special events, and educational training session on merchandising, displays and social media exposure for local producers selling at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market and the region.
Nurture Nature Center, Easton, PA
Promotion of Direct Producer-to-Consumer Markets in the Lehigh Valley
Award Amount: $100,000.00
Increase consumption of locally grown agricultural products by promoting Lehigh Valley farmers’ markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, Farm Share programs, agritourism activities, and other methods of producer-to-consumer direct marketing, including those in underserved communities aimed at increasing access to fresh, local food.
Eden Place Farmers Market, Chicago, IL
Award Amount: $99,952.16
Increase the amount of fresh foods available to residents of Chicago’s Fuller Park and other food desert communities by increasing the capacity of the Eden Place Farmers’ Market program to serve an even larger portion of its community and surrounding areas through conducting training for residents in topics concerning urban farming and food safety and providing a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) food box program for residents.
Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets, Pittsfield, ME
Increasing Access and Consumption Through Maine Farmers’ Market Snapshot Week
Award Amount: $99,000.00
Increase domestic consumer consumption of locally sourced foods by developing an educational campaign to inform the public about the multiple benefits provided by farmers’ markets, and facilitating the annual Maine Farmers’ Market Snapshot Week, that will keep local foods and local farmers in the spotlight.
Homer Farmers Market, Homer, AK
Homer Farmers Market: Expanding Local Access and Solidifying Networks Statewide
Award Amount: $81,345.00
Increase access and market awareness of local produce for low-income and at-risk populations through increased advertising to targeted areas, demonstrations on food preparation, storage, and nutrition as well as increase the current efficiency of the market by providing regional producers and farmers’ market staff management training and support.
Heart of the City Farmers Market, San Francisco, CA
SNAP Outreach and Nutrition Education in San Francisco’s Poorest Neighborhood
Award Amount: $100,000.00
Positively affect the healthy eating habits in a low-income community and access to locally produced food through nutrition education and new customer orientation of the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market by promoting the use of SNAP at the market, conducting workshops and market tours, and providing cooking demonstrations for urban low-income neighborhoods.
Modesto Certified Farmers Market, CA
Junior Chef at the Farmers’ Market
Award Amount: $97,207.00
Increase the consumption and sales of locally produced agriculture in Modesto, California by developing educational training for junior high school students that incorporates cooking classes at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market.
Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), Los Angeles, CA
Award Amount: $42,488.22
Grow the number of farm vendors and strengthen farm vendor retention by developing market materials and
advertising/marketing tailored to the greater Baldwin Hills Crenshaw community, creating an ongoing schedule of community events hosted at the market in partnership with local community partners, and creating and implementing a sales plan that focuses efforts on developing a training curriculum for vendors.
Boulder County Farmers Markets, Boulder, CO
Union Station Grower’s Market
Award Amount: $99,163.57
Increase access to fresh, locally, and affordable produce for all demographics of Denver, Colorado while supporting local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans by establishing a growers-only farmers’ market at Union Station.
Historic Lewes Farmers Market, DE
Creating a Farmers Market “Living Lab” for Growth of HLFM
Award Amount: $99,229.99
Support the economic viability of an expanded market season, improve market access in underserved areas, and increase awareness and marketing of local producers by expanding shoulder season products (early Spring and Fall), helping farmers develop value-added products and identify new market channels, expanding usage of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the Historic Lewes Farmers’ Market, and providing marketing advice and support to improve market stalls.
Forsyth Farmers’ Market, Savannah, GA
Forsyth Farmers’ Market Mobile App Promotion Project
Award Amount: $54,648.20
Increase the sales of local farmers and vendors at the Forsyth Farmers’ Market (FFM) as well as the total number of visits to the market locations by developing a free mobile app that will provide FFM Saturday market and Farm Truck 912 customers with real time information on market locations and hours, vendor availability, seasonal specials, and other information designed to increase the customer shopping experience and implement a Farmers Market App promotion program for FFM customers using social media, print media, earned media, and outreach to increase the number of downloads of the application.
Aurora’s Farmers Market, IL
Growing Aurora’s Farmers Market
Award Amount: $99,965.00
Increase the sales for farm vendors and total number of vendors and improve the outreach, educational marketing, and services throughout the Market season by creating a bilingual information resource on Aurora’s Farmers Market website and a promotional campaign to increase the Market’s visibility to low-income, high-obesity neighborhoods; developing bilingual online videos, in conjunction with local Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies, to show how easy it is to shop with SNAP at the farmers market; and implementing a promotional campaign to strengthen community awareness and attendance to the Aurora market that includes cooking demonstrations at the market.
IL Farmers Market Association, Springfield, IL
Creating a Robust Online Direct Marketing Network for Farmers Markets
Award Amount: $90,594.00
Support the success of farmers’ market and increase the consumption and access to locally and regionally produced agricultural products by developing improved and expanded cooperative online system for sharing farmer and market profiles via multiple websites; promoting farmers, producers, and market managers through single registration through the MarketMaker Program; and developing and distributing an economic impact analysis identifying the effects the new social platform has on farmers, markets, and local communities.
Carbondale Community Farmers Market, IL
Carbondale Farmers Market – Market Analysis
Award Amount: $34,500.00
Partner with Market Ventures to identify ways to offer more regionally produced food to customers and increase vendor sales and consumer traffic by assessing current market operations at the Carbondale Farmers’ Market and finding potential development opportunities; exploring potential farmers’ market expansion opportunities and identifying locations that will provide the best location for vendors and consumers; and completing a financial analysis to review market budgets and determining feasibility and long-term viability of an expanded or improved farmers’ market.
North Louisiana Farm Fresh/Ruston Farmers Market, LA
Expand and Promote Ruston Farmers Market in North Louisiana
Award Amount: $47,784.00
Increase consumer consumption of local and regional food and vendor and market manager knowledge of marketing and product diversification by expanding the Ruston Farmers Market and implementing an outreach and educational campaign for both consumers and vendors.
Friends of Lincoln Park Farmers Market, MI
Enhancing Community through Access to Local Food in Lincoln Park
Award Amount: $49,198.52
Increase access to local food and fresh produce at the Friends of Lincoln Park Farmers Market and increase the number of vendors and vendor sales by implementing a multi-media marketing campaign that includes online, newspaper, mailer, and billboard advertisements.
City of Muskegon, MI
Award Amount: $35,000.00
Improve the accessibility to fresh produce, support nutritional education, and bridge the gap between food producers and consumers, especially low-income consumers, by conducting an advertising campaign, hosting healthy cooking demonstrations, and recruiting produce vendors and food truck operators to the Muskegon Heights City Market.
Webb City Farmers Market, MO
Growing the Webb City Farmers Market into a Sustainable Future
Award Amount: $97,056.04
Generate more income for farmers by increasing sales, specifically on Tuesdays and during the Winter Market, and enable farmers to process excess produce for later sale through the Webb City Farmers Market by designing and distributing Winter Market brochure; hosting special events such as cooking demonstrations; ensuring the necessary supplies and equipment are available for vendors to appropriately store their products; and facilitating a Tuesday Market and Winter Market.
PCSW’s Farmers’ Market at Fort Leonard Wood, Richland, MO
Fort Leonard Wood’s Farmers’ Market: Expansion Through Innovative Training and Outreach
Award Amount: $81,194.55
Expand access to local, fresh, and healthy foods by implementing a mobile market that will accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; training disabled Pulaski County Sheltered Workshop employees to staff the market and farm stand; providing social interaction and outdoor work at the market and farm stand to increase disabled employee awareness and understanding of the importance of healthy foods; and engaging and educating the local community through outreach on the availability and health benefits of local foods.
RiverStone Health, Billings, MT
Selling Harvests to Advance Nutrition, Grow Relationships, and Improve Lifestyle Activities (SHANGRI-LA)
Award Amount: $87,297.00
Increase the consumption of healthy, locally grown agriculture products, offer an opportunity for producers to market directly to those in need of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and enable customers to purchase regional foods by updating and expanding promotional materials targeting Southside residents, especially Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) beneficiaries; implementing an enhanced weekly market with diversified activities (e.g., cooking classes); expanding outreach to vendors; and working with area youth agencies that service disadvantaged children to develop appropriate educational and outreach activities at the market to promote locally sourced agricultural products.
Foothills Farmers’ Market, Shelby, NC
Increasing Direct Sales and Enhancing Food Access in Rural Cleveland County, NC
Award Amount: $99,904.00
Improve access to local foods in low income/low access segments of Cleveland County, North Carolina and encourage Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to participate in the local farmers’ markets by implementing a marketing and outreach campaign for SNAP eligible customers, expanding the use of the Power of Produce children’s agricultural program, hosting farm-to-fork events including a food film series, and customizing a trailer to be used as a mobile market.
South Bronx Farmers Market, NY
South Bronx Farmers Market Marketing and Outreach.
Award Amount: $40,717.13
Increase farmer and producer participation in and the sales of locally produced agricultural products, including through the use of Federal nutrition assistance program benefits, at the South Bronx Farmers Market by conducting a direct outreach programs to apartments in four New York City Housing Authority housing developments; recruiting local urban farmers to sell at the market; creating a promotional market video with local youth to produce and post on our website, social media, YouTube and to share with interested individuals; promoting and expanding a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for low-income groups.
Logan County Farmers Market, Zanesfield, OH
Grow Logan County: sustainable solutions to local food systems in the Heartland
Award Amount: $99,207.00
Strengthen the Logan County Farmers Market and the farm vendors that participate in it by creating beneficial working relationships between new and established growers, and launching an educational campaign to strengthen the health of our community and the viability of small farming businesses.
Lane County Farmers Market, Eugene, OR
Increasing Sales of Locally Grown Foods and Agricultural Products at Lane County Farmers Market
Award Amount: $98,616.00
Increase domestic consumption of and access to locally and regionally produced agricultural products at the Lane County Farmers Market in Oregon by conducting strategic advertising that encourages new community member patronage of the market via radio, print, Internet, and social media; providing consumer education and market access services through Friends of the Farmer Market; and promoting the market through partnerships with agencies working with low-income populations.
Clatskanie Farmers’ Market, OR
Clatskanie Farmers’ Market Outreach Project
Award Amount: $90,167.78
Broaden consumer base of the Clatskanie Farmers’ Market, raise the community’s food literacy awareness, and increase the number of market consumers that use nutrition assistance program benefits by developing food literacy curriculum for use by nutrition assistance program agencies and other interested parties; conducting outreach to local produce vendors in order to increase their participation in the market; and collecting and analyzing data to monitor the efficacy of the market and its outreach efforts.
Randolph Farmer’s Market, VT
Increase Vendor and Customer Participation at Randolph Farmers Market
Award Amount: $68,895.00
Increase farmer and customer participation at the Randolph Farmers Market to increase farmer sales, by expanding advertising to a broader area through newspapers and social media; providing cooking demonstrations for consumers using market products; and offering an educational activity tent for youth to work on projects that directly relate to farming and nutrition.
FMC Member FMSSG Awardees:
Florida Organic Growers, Gainesville, FL
Increasing the Capacity of Fresh Access Bucks in Florida
FINI & Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $250,000
The Increasing the Capacity of Fresh Access Bucks in Florida project will use FMSSG funds to pay personnel for SNAP administration, organization to provide resources, and technical assistance to farmers market managers. The project will also develop strategic branding and promotional materials for FL farmers markets and promote SNAP at markets through regular press releases, advertising on the radio, in newspapers, on public transit, on electric bills in each county, direct mailings, and through social media.
Eden Place Farmers Market, Chicago, IL
Fuller Park Community Development Corporation – Eden Place Farmers’ Markets SNAP Outreach
Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $111,418
The Eden’s Place Project will develop outreach and marketing materials, targeted outreach to seniors on SNAP, on-site educational demonstrations at the market, host informational and training workshops on managing EBT at markets, and provide technical assistance to market managers and farmers on EBT.
Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets, Pittsfield, ME
Building a SNAP Support System for Maine Farmers’ Markets
Estimated Federal Funding: $249,677
The Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets will use funds to provide training for market managers and farmers on EBT, provide support and technical assistance for local farmers markets, produce and utilize SNAP-Farmers Market communication tools, update EBT training manual, implement a branding campaign in conjunction with FINI, and develop and train market liaisons.
Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture, AZ
Good Food For All – Introducing SNAP at Authentically Ajo Farmers Market
Strike Force State
Estimated Federal Funding: $223,530
The Good Food for All project will expand and support the SNAP/EBT program at the Ajo Farmers Market, design and implement standard practices, provide training on EBT for market vendors and volunteers meeting the needs of SNAP-clients in a poor rural area.
Ecology Center, Berkeley, CA
California Farmers’ Market EBT Program
Alameda, CA
Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2)
Federal Funding: $242,828
The project’s aims to support the Ecology Center’s CA Farmers Market EBT program and will: (1) reach out to the 350 CA farmers’ markets that do not yet offer SNAP access with a compelling Case Statement on the benefits of accepting SNAP; (2) provide comprehensive technical assistance, training, shopper outreach materials, scrip, and systems to help a minimum of 120 of those markets add SNAP access; (3) update, improve, and maintain FMfinder.org, the Ecology Center’s website and mobile site designed to helps SNAP shoppers easily find up-to-the-minute information on CA farmers’ markets where they can use their benefits; (4) work with the Departments of Social Services in Los Angeles and Alameda Counties to mail over 1.3M inserts to 632,205 SNAP in order to educate them about the availability of SNAP programs at local farmers’ markets and direct the shoppers to FMfinder.org to find locations and hours of operation; and (5) through these combined efforts, increase SNAP sales at CA Farmers’ Markets by $1.23M (a 33% increase over 2014) by the end of the grant term.
Experimental Station, Chicago, IL
The Experimental Station-6100 Blackstone – EBT Support and Outreach For Illinois Farmers Markets and SNAP Clientele
Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $250,000
Over a two-year project, the Experimental Station will provide EBT support to Illinois farmers markets accepting SNAP through EBT/SNAP consulting, technical support and establishing an online community of EBT support to Illinois farmers markets. This project will also create and disseminate outreach materials and television advertisements, to create greater awareness of the availability of SNAP at Illinois farmers markets. The Experimental Station aims to double SNAP sales at markets throughout Illinois during the life of this project.
Village of Park Forest, IL
Park Forest Farmers’ Market EBT Program
Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $16,975
The Park Forest Farmers’ Market EBT Program will increase SNAP benefit redemption at the Park Forest Farmers Market by hiring an EBT manager who will administer the program, plan and implement outreach strategies for informing SNAP participants of their ability to use benefits at the farmers market, and conduct trainings for farmer-producers new to the market on participation in the EBT program. By expanding the EBT program, the market can continue to involve more vendors and offer greater varieties of products available to SNAP customers.
Federation of Mass Farmers Markets, Waltham, MA
Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets – Massachusetts SNAP Support Project
Waltham, MA
Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $250,000
Massachusetts SNAP Support Project will provide SNAP operating support to farmers market managers across Massachusetts; awarding sub-grants for time spent operating SNAP/EBT machines at market, SNAP accounting, vendor payments, reporting, and performing outreach to SNAP participants, as well as purchasing scrip and accounting software necessary for SNAP/EBT.
Westford Farmers Market, MA
Gloria Tu Gilbert – Westford Farmers Market SNAP 2015-2017: Sustainable Incentive
Estimated Federal Funding: $27,709
The Westford Farmers Market Project will provide staff for operating the SNAP program at the farmers market, training for EBT staff, and marketing SNAP at the farmers market and throughout the community, and supplies needed to operate a SNAP program.
Missouri Farmers Market Association, Webb City, MO
Growing SNAP at Farmers Markets in Missouri
Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $73,160
The Missouri Farmers Market Association will expand the SNAP at ten farmers markets throughout Missouri. SNAP-expansion will occur through a variety of marketing tools tailored to the individual market and its SNAP-customers. The marketing tools range from radio advertising to cooking demonstrations, to banners, and brochures, all designed to best reach local SNAP-participants.
Council on the Environment, Inc. (GrowNYC), New York, NY
Branding and Advertising to Boost SNAP Sales at Greenmarket
Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $186,335
GrowNYC will create a branding and advertising campaign that promotes SNAP acceptance at Greenmarkets throughout the city and purchase marketing materials, such as banners, flyers, canopies, etc., based on the campaign.
The Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA
Making Fresh Food a SNAP: Increasing ACCESS Sales at Food Trust Farmers’ Markets
Promise Zone, FINI, Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $150,103
The Food Trust will conduct focus groups, staff EBT operation at markets, implement promotional events around SNAP, develop marketing plan to educate SNAP-clients on EBT at farmers markets, develop bi-lingual marketing and educational materials, train market managers on SNAP program management, and collaborate with local partners.
Hub City Farmers Market, Spartanburg, SC
Expanding South Carolina’s SNAP Use at Farmers Markets
Strike Force State
Federal Funding: $247,100
This project seeks to create a market model that can serve as an inspiration to markets across the state, alleviate market and user barriers, and help municipalities understand the importance of supporting SNAP in markets they run. Hub City Farmers’ Market of Spartanburg will work with Eat Smart Move More South Carolina and the University of South Carolina Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities to develop a set of best practices to help mentor two markets in key areas of the State.
Sustainable Food Center, Austin, TX
Central Texas Farmers’ Market SNAP Expansion
Strike Force State & Choice Neighborhood
Estimated Federal Funding: $147,210
This project will hire staff for running EBT at markets, develop a Neighborhood Farm Market Startup Guide and training materials, train market managers and vendors on EBT management, provide technical assistance to farmers markets, and provide community outreach.
Vermont Farmers Market Assoc (NOFA-VT), Richmond, VT
Growing EBT Access and Capacity at Vermont’s Farmers Markets
Estimated Federal Funding: $247,048
This project will implement a marketing campaign using direct mailings, financial and technical support for area farmers markets, provide outreach and education to community partners on SNAP acceptance at farmers markets, and provide supplies to markets for successful EBT programs.
Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership, Inc, Fond du Lac, WI
Reaching Diverse Populations through SNAP at the Farmers Market
Estimated Federal Funding: $28,471
This project will provide market managers and farmer EBT trainings, SNAP community outreach, extensive marketing campaign to SNAP-clients, creation of promotional videos, language translation for marketing materials, market and SNAP tours for clients, educational and cooking demonstrations, and additional SNAP signage.
