News
Common Mistakes Farmers Market Operators Make When Choosing EBT Devices
Katie Myhre January 29, 2021Common Mistakes Farmers Market Operators make when choosing EBT Devices Farmers markets around the country have been moving towards accepting additional currencies like SNAP benefits in order to make farm-direct food accessible to all shoppers. However, the nature of farmers markets and federal nutrition benefit programs requires that market operators have special equipment – EBT…
SDSPA: Specialty Producer Webinar Series
Diana Broadaway January 28, 2021Educational Webinar Series for Specialty Food Producers The South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) has announced a new educational series for local food producers, Farmers Markets managers and vendors, and others interested in selling direct to consumers. “We are hosting training for producers to get together over the winter and plan for the summer 2021…
Communities of Practice: Fostering Communication and Collaboration
Diana Broadaway January 13, 2021Nurturing communities and the connections they foster is central to strengthening local and regional food systems. These communities may be formal or informal, large or small. We may not realize how many of these communities we participate in each day and how these opportunities to share with and learn from one another influence our personal…
Webinars, Resources & TA: A Year of Highlighting Market Operators in the Nutrition Incentive Hub
Hannah Fuller January 7, 2021As the new calendar year kicks off and the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) team begins working towards 2021 goals, it’s important to celebrate the foundational work and accomplishments made in 2020. Last year brought many opportunities for farmers markets and FMC. A major one was collaborating with Ecology Center and Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA)…
COVID Package for Farmers Markets
Hannah Fuller January 4, 2021In a flurry of activity at the end of the year, the federal government passed both a COVID relief package and the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations bill. While these activities were a long time in the coming, both include important victories for farmers and farmers market operators. The Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020…
How Can FMC Help Markets Analyze This Year?
Hannah Fuller December 21, 2020In 2020, many farmers market managers had to figure out a different staffing plan and find money in slashed budgets for traffic cones, new signs, and cleaning supplies. Amid all of that and more, they also responded to a number of surveys to make sure data and lessons from this difficult year were not lost.…
New Farmers Market Legal Toolkit Free Speech Resource
Hannah Fuller December 10, 2020The team at Vermont Law School’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS), in partnership with FMC and NOFA-Vermont, is pleased to share a new legal resource for farmers market operators. Many farmers markets face questions about free speech—in particular, what types of restrictions markets can place on activities like leafleting, political campaigning, and protesting.…
Metrics and Beyond
Ben FeldmanAs 2020 comes to a close, farmers market operators across the country are reflecting on a year like no other, reviewing their results, and attempting to use the lessons to plan for 2021. While the future remains uncertain in many regards, the ability of markets to plan and prepare for the future is tied to…
2021 Call for Board Nominations
Hannah Fuller December 3, 2020The Farmers Market Coalition is currently soliciting nominees who are interested in running for a seat on the Board of Directors during the 2021 annual election. FMC’s volunteer Board of Directors consists of individuals with demonstrated leadership experience in the field of farmers markets or sustainable food systems, and who support the FMC mission of…
Practicing Gratitude (in Utter Chaos)
Stephanie Fenty November 23, 2020This year has been a stressful, difficult, painful, and unpredictable one for everyone across the country. I don’t need to reiterate the tragedies that have come to a head this year, as I am sure that they are at the forefront of everyone’s minds as folks try to prepare and plan for an unusual and…
