Communities of Practice

 

What are Communities of Practice (CoP)?

In the context of farmers markets and farm-direct work*, FMC uses communities of practice as a peer-to-peer platform for bringing together small groups of market operators, organizational leaders, network partners, and/or other farm-direct site operators to address specific topics or areas of interest impacting their work.

The key to a successful CoP at FMC is an engaged, active group of leaders who are willing to learn from one another and share that collective knowledge in a final resource or lesson for FMC and the leaders to share through technical assistance. Participation in a CoP at FMC means the individual has made a commitment to the group and to the focus of the practice. Over a set period of time, members engage in a process of teaching and learning, either reaching a conclusion or deciding on the next steps. For FMC, the goal is to listen and learn, connect to more market leaders, and conclude with a resource or new information that we can share with others.

 

Why engage in Communities of Practice?

FMC’s CoPs provide greater opportunities for peer-to-peer technical assistance through this holistic, proactive approach to the teaching and learning experience. Participants work with FMC and other partners sharing knowledge and ideas with the goal of developing practical solutions to questions or challenges within specific focus areas. In addition, leaders are able to meet peers with similar market type and expertise and hold sensitive discussions related to the focus of their CoP and contribute to the FMC resource or learning that will result from each community of practice.

 

What is FMC’s process for developing a new Community of Practice?

  • Establish the focus, shared interest, or topic of concern
  • Identify and invite potential community participants
  • Define the structure and duration (frequency & length of meetings, overall timeframe)
  • Schedule first convening to introduce participants and discuss goals/outcomes for CoP (e.g. deliverables, new resources needed)
  • Provide ongoing guidance and support to encourage communication and collaboration among participants
  • Help foster relationships, facilitating network growth beyond scope of CoP

 

 

Current Communities of Practice at FMC

*Once a CoP is listed here it is typically already in progress. If a CoP is still open to new participants, that will be indicated within the description*

State and Network Leaders

State and Network Leaders: This community includes State and Network FM Leaders from across the country which meet twice each month to discuss topics impacting their organizations, including state and federal policy, data collection and analysis, fundraising, virtual conferencing, and a variety of other issues.

One of the monthly calls for this CoP is narrowly focused on a topic suggested by the leaders themselves (topics change every few months). In 2020, the topic of this meeting has been how farmers markets have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and what network leaders are doing to support them. The other, long-running monthly call is led by FMC and based on its need to share information and explore new topics, including inviting network partners (e.g. USDA-AMS staff) to join in discussions with these leaders.

Meeting Schedule: 

  • 2nd Wednesday of each month: COVID info-sharing calls (no formal agenda – open discussion)
  • Last Thursday of each month: Regular monthly calls (FMC determines agenda)

 

Recent Meeting Topics:

  • Budgeting for state associations
  • Updates from The Nutrition Incentive Hub
  • National Market Manager Survey (data analysis discussion with AMS researchers)
  • State SNAP contracts
  • Market technology updates
  • Implementing anti-racist goals and strategies at the organizational level
  • Planning for National Farmers Market Week
  • FMC’s Farmers Market Support Program
  • Outcomes from NFMW 2021

Flagship Markets

 

Flagship Markets*: This community includes a small group of flagship farmers market operators who meet every other month to discuss issues impacting their organizations, including budget analysis in the era of COVID, the role of flagship markets within informal economies, and individual flagship market initiatives.

*Flagship market organizations are described in the Type A section of the FMC market typology document below:

Meeting Schedule: 

  • Third Friday of every other month

 

Participating Market Organizations:

 

Recent Meeting Topics:

  • Budget management for large market organizations in the COVID era and beyond
  • Project for Public Spaces Market Cities Initiative and related work of Pepper Place in Birmingham, AL
  • The Farmers Market Pros and InTents: The Farmers Market Conference
  • USDA-AMS Market Organization Survey
  • Data Collection and Sector Analysis
  • Columbia Farmers Market and the Columbia Agriculture Park
  • Case Study Discussion: Using Budgets To Help Farmers Markets Adapt To COVID-19
  • Michael Hurwitz and GrowNYC Greenmarkets

 

Access CoP deliverables here.

Indoor/Winter Farmers Markets

 

Indoor/Winter Markets: This community includes a small group of indoor/winter market operators from states including Vermont, Minnesota, Ohio, and Kentucky who are meeting every three weeks between mid-September and mid-November 2020. Participants come together to strategize best practices for operating indoor winter markets during the pandemic and collaborate on any new tools or resources which may provide additional guidance to these markets.

Meeting Schedule: 

  • Every 3 weeks on Wednesday

 

Participating Markets:

Brattleboro Winter Market (VT), Capital City Farmers Market (Montpelier, VT), 2nd Street Market (Dayton, OH), Maple Grove Farmers Market (MN), Berea Farmers Market (KY), Lexington Farmers Market (KY), Community Farm Alliance (KY), Corvallis-Albany Farmers’ Markets (OR), Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (ME)

Recent Meeting Topics:

  • Indoor market layout/design (vendor spacing, visitor flow, air flow, entry/exit points, limiting entry, managing hybrid market models)
  • Managing occurrences of COVID+ vendors
  • Mask-wearing and ADA compliance

 

Blog outlining the work done by this CoP.

Local Food Systems Response to COVID

 

Local Food Systems Response to COVIDThis community is a national collaboration between the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, researchers from the University of Kentucky, Penn State, Colorado State, and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, as well as leaders from seventeen different local and regional food systems organizations. FMC’s work within this project involves the development of various deliverables which will highlight innovations, collaborations, and mitigation efforts within the farmers market sector in response to COVID-19.

Community of Practice Coordinating Organizations (COPCOs)/Project Partners:

  • The Bread Lab
  • Center for Crop Diversification
  • Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS)
  • CSA Innovation Network
  • Farmers Market Coalition
  • FINE (Farm to Institution New England)
  • The Food Corridor
  • Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative
  • James Beard Foundation
  • Local Catch
  • NAFDMA International Agritourism Association
  • NASDA Foundation
  • National Co-op Grocers
  • National Farm to School Network
  • NGA Foundation
  • Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network
  • Wallace Center

 

Access Resource Hub here.

Resources created in coordination with FMC for this project:

Using Budgets to Help Farmers Markets Adapt to COVID-19

Alternative Farmers Market Models

Estimating Farmers Market Visitors by Counting Mobile Phone Pings

 

Community of Practice Resources

More about Communities of Practice

 

*for the GusNIP National Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center  (NTAE) workwe use the term Farm Direct to describe farmers markets. CSAs, and farm stands