Virginia Contacts
Virginia Farmers Market Association (VAFMA)
14241 Midlothian Trnpk. #153
Midlothian, VA 23113-6500
Contact: Kim Hutchinson, PhD, MBA, Executive Director
E-mail: kim.hutchinson@vafma.org
Mobile: (804)405-3288
Web site: www.vafma.org/
SNAP Info & Contacts
Program name/EBT Card Name: SNAP/Virginia EBT Card
Current contractor: Xerox State and Local Solutions, Inc. (Conduent)
Contact:
Claudia Jackson
SNAP Consultant
Division of Benefit Programs
Virginia Department of Social Services
claudia.jackson@dss.virginia.gov
(804) 726-7346
Virginia Ag Department
Virginia Department of Agriculture—Farmers Market Resources
FMNP & SFMNP
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
Kelly Wright, RDN
WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
FMC Contact
To add state news to this page, please contact:
info@farmersmarketcoalition.org
Virginia News/Case Studies
USDA Farmers Market, Local and Regional Food Systems Grants Announced
Hannah Fuller October 2, 2020The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced this week that it has awarded $27 million in grant funding through the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and $9.3 million in grant funding through the new Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant program. The grants fall under the Local Agricultural… Read More
Standing Together Against Racism: Black Lives Matter
Stephanie Fenty June 3, 2020Over the past week, the United States has been shaken by the deep inequities rooted within our justice system that have continued to destroy the lives of Black Americans like George Floyd. In the past, the Farmers Market Coalition has largely remained silent on matters of race and injustice. We will do so no longer.… Read More
Is your market ready for National Counting Week?
Darlene Wolnik July 3, 2019Over the last decade, the Farmers Market Coalition has been building resources to help market operators and market partners trumpet the impacts made at the almost 9,000 locations across the U.S. Using the annual CSA signup day as inspiration, FMC introduced the idea of National Counting Week (NCW) to its networks and markets to count… Read More
Virginia Farmers Markets- Register with VAFMA to Utlize Data through the Market Metrics Program!
Allie Vrtachnik January 11, 2019VAFMA is rallying all farmers market managers in Virginia to collect data on the impact their markets are having on their communities. Data is incredibly useful for demonstrating how important farmers markets are to our localities and state. It is also beneficial for improving decision-making, market promotion, media relations, advocacy and fundraising. When market managers… Read More
Register for VAFMA’s Market Manager Certification Program- Jan. 25th- April 26th
Allie Vrtachnik January 11, 2019VAFMA’s Market Manager Certification Program is right around the corner! ABOUT: Farmers market management requires a wide range of knowledge & skills to create a profitable market for farmers, a vibrant and diverse shopping experience for consumers, and a market that engages community partners. Market Managers have requested comprehensive training and we have heard your… Read More
Save the Date: VAFMA 7th Annual Conference, Nov. 13-15, 2019
Allie Vrtachnik November 29, 2018Save the Date: VAFMA 7th Annual Farmers Market Conference Shenandoah Region – Staunton, VA November 13 – 15, 2019 More info TBD. Read More
Allegheny Mountain Institute 18 month Fellowship Applications Available
Allie Vrtachnik November 9, 2018Now in its eighth year, Allegheny Mountain Institute’s fully sponsored 18-month Fellowship prepares and empowers individuals to become teachers and ambassadors for a more vibrant and accessible local food system. AMI Fellows spend six months in immersive training on our mountain farm campus (Phase I) and one year in service work with AMI and food… Read More
Lynchburg Community Market awarded by Virginia Recreation & Park Society for the We Got the Beet Program
Allie Vrtachnik November 9, 2018Jennifer Kennedy, Lynchburg Community Market Manger, attended the VRPS: Virginia Recreation & Park Society awards and We Got The Beet won 3 awards: Most Innovative Marketing Strategy for the Beet Mascot, Most Innovative Marketing Piece for the We Got The Beet song and music video, and Best Health and Wellness Initiative! Wait to go Jennifer and the… Read More
National Recreation and Park Association awarded a 2018 FMPP grant
Allie Vrtachnik September 26, 2018Congratulations to the National Recreation and Park Association in Ashburn, VA, a recipient of a 2018 USDA FMPP grant! Recipient: National Recreation and Park Association, Ashburn, VA Project Type: Capacity Building Strengthening the Capacity of Local Parks and Recreation to Promote Access to Farmers Markets As trusted public spaces located in nearly every community across… Read More
VAFMA Conference: Nov. 1st and 2nd, 2018
Allie Vrtachnik September 26, 2018VAFMA’s 6th Annual Virginia Farmers Market Conference will be held November 1 & 2, 2018 in the Richmond area. Our annual conference provides an opportunity for dynamic discussions, training, information exchange and peer networking between Virginia’s market managers and other food system stakeholders. This year’s theme focuses on innovative and new ideas that help drive… Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam kicks off NFMW with Onancock Farmers Market visit
Allie Vrtachnik July 31, 2018According to a Delmarva’s online article, Gov. Ralph Northam visited his hometown of Onancock on Saturday to kick off Farmers Market Week in Virginia. “I am so pleased to see what is going on here in Onancock with the farmers market —local vendors who grow their products and produce their products right here locally,” Northam said.… Read More
VFMA welcomes Kim Hutchinson as Executive Director
Allie Vrtachnik July 26, 2018“The Board of Directors at Virginia Farmers Market Association (VAFMA), has announced that Kim Hutchinson, a well-recognized and long-time philanthropic leader and community advocate, will serve as the Executive Director; ending a search that began earlier this year. Ms. Hutchinson has been a nonprofit executive, management consultant, public policy expert, federal contractor and community advocate… Read More
From Coast to Coast: A Snapshot of the 2018 Farmers Market Poster Contest
Allie Vrtachnik May 25, 2018The 2018 National Farmers Market Poster Contest has come to a close, folks! The deadline for poster submissions was May 15th, but you still have till until May 31st to act as a judge for the Fan Favorite award. Your vote counts as a ‘like’ for your local market or favorite submission. Browse the contest… Read More
2018 National Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit
Honesta Romberger April 24, 2018In partnership with the USDA, Food Distribution Research Society, National Value-Added Agriculture Conference, and Farm Credit Council, FMC is excited to host the 2018 National Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit – the first of its kind in the United States! When: September 15-18, 2018 (Pre-conference activities on September 15-16) Where: Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia Why should you… Read More
Va Peninsula ‘Tastefully Yours’ Foodbank Fundraiser- April 12th
Allie Vrtachnik April 9, 2018“Tastefully Yours is an annual food and drink sampling event at the Hampton Roads Convention Center that benefits the food bank. This year’s event is 6-9:30 p.m. April 12. About 30 restaurants and breweries join ticket holders for a night of live music, casino games and more. The event celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.… Read More
Virginia farmers planning around Mother Nature’s fluctuations
Allie Vrtachnik April 2, 2018Unprecedented weather fluctuations have Eastern Virginia farmers planning their Spring season as best they can. “(In March), the area has had days as hot as 82 degrees and as cold as 28 degrees. Historically, the area averages a high of 59 degrees and a low of 38 degrees during March, according to U.S. Climate data.” Read… Read More
Iron Range Earth Fest: April 21st
Allie Vrtachnik April 2, 2018The Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRPS) will be holdings its annual Iron Range Earth Fest on Saturday, April 21st at four Mountain Iron locations. “The event offers opportunities to: • Explore how we can all strive to live in a more sustainable way at home and in our communities. • Learn about new and… Read More
Virginia Beach Farmers Market 42nd Birthday Bash- April 21st
Allie Vrtachnik April 2, 2018On April 21st from 10 am to 4 pm the Virginia Beach Farmers Market will be celebrating a momentous occasion- its 42nd birthday! The bash will function around normal market day as well as a craft show, carnival, kids activities, and cake. Join the fun! Read More
VAFMA’s 6th Annual Farmers Market Conference: Nov. 8-9
Allie Vrtachnik March 29, 2018The Virginia Farmers Market Association will host their 6th annual farmers market conference on November 8th- 9th, 2018. The conference is slated to begin at 10 am on the 8th and end at 4:30 on the 9th. More details to come- stay tuned to VAFMA’s conference page. Read More
FRESHFARM: more than markets.
Allie Vrtachnik October 16, 2017FRESHFARM is still a fresh face after 20 years establishing DC, Maryland, and Virginia area farmers markets. Originally launched in 1996 as an American Farmland Trust public education program, Ann Harvey Yonkers and FMC’s Bernie Prince started FRESHFARM’s first market in DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood in ‘97, and FRESHFARM became its own independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit… Read More
After Charlottesville
Honesta Romberger August 18, 2017The events that took place in Charlottesville have the whole country asking questions about our history and the systems that have facilitated implicit and—increasingly—overt racism to persist. One thing is clear: we can and must do more to understand each other. I don’t pretend that farmers markets are the solution to the country’s divisions, but… Read More
Virginia Market Managers Make Time for Data Collection
Darlene Wolnik July 3, 2017By Mary Delicate, Metrics/Network Coordinator, Virginia Farmers Market Association mary.delicate@vafma.org “You want to add something else to my schedule during market season?” their looks said to me. I was attending our monthly Capital Area Farmers Market Association (CAFMA) meeting and sat at a table surrounded by farmers market managers from the greater Richmond, Virginia area.… Read More
Williamsburg Farmers Market: An Experiential Market.
Allie Vrtachnik March 3, 2017Congratulations to Virginia’s Williamsburg Farmers Market for going on 15 years, and we’d like to warmly welcome them again as FMC Guest Instagrammers. Williamsburg sets up every market Saturday and is a swirl of familiar faces, musical tunes, and fresh food, all of which provide enough to carry home, and enough to come back for more. Market… Read More
Market Manager Certification Programs
Allie Vrtachnik January 11, 2017Market manager certificate programs offer curriculum establishing best practices while also polishing leadership, outreach, and funding skills. Through these programs, market managers broaden their professional credentials and take steps to personally impact future market funding and support. Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA), currently has open registration for its 2017 Market Manager Certificate Program. The 35 hours… Read More
A POP of Kids Brings Market Alive
Honesta Romberger November 22, 2016When dwindling foot traffic threatened the future of Brambleton Farmers Market, Mary Haskins knew something had to be done. Located in a park near a housing development, this small, Virginia market was a natural attraction for local families. However Haskins, the market’s outreach coordinator, worried about the farmers’ bottom line as she watched parents, busy… Read More
POP Club Participants Wrap Up for the Season
Liz Comiskey October 26, 2016(1. Federal Way Farmers Market, 2. Federal Way Farmers Market, 4. Montavilla Farmers Market 5. Indianapolis City Market, 6. Indianapolis City Market) This past summer, 49 markets offered Power of Produce Club (POP Club) programming at their markets with the support of a sponsorship from FMC and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The program helped to… Read More
Broadway Farmers Market: feeding (local) soul
Allie Vrtachnik October 25, 2016To truly be appreciated and accepted into a community, there has to be a level of understanding about what and who is needing to be served. Virginia’s Broadway Farmers Market has been in the mix serving its local customer based for over ten years. A lot has changed over that course of time, be it… Read More
2016 Farmers Market Promotion Program Awardees
Honesta Romberger September 28, 2016The 2016 FMPP grantees have been announced by the USDA Agricultural Marketing service, and happily, FMC’s project has been funded. We are incredibly excited to work with market networks in Virginia and DC to train market leaders to confidently connect with influencers in their neighbors, and implement data-focused marketing campaigns. The resources created for VA… Read More
Williamsburg- A Founding Farmers Market
Allie Vrtachnik September 14, 2016Situated in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, the Williamsburg Farmers Market has been flourishing on the local food frontier for 15 years. Williamsburg Farmers Market is a veteran market resource and working example demonstrating how growth can be achieved by meeting challenges, collecting statistics, seeking advice, and fostering collaboration. Counting down to their 500th market this December, something… Read More
Coming Full Circle: Reflections on Being a New Farmers Market Vendor from FMC’s Former Executive Director
Liz Comiskey September 25, 2015Nervous and bleary-eyed from two consecutive late nights baking, labeling, and scrambling to generate last minute signage, I found a parking space, chased down someone on market staff, and began unloading my boxes. I forgot to write down the space number I had been assigned: E42? F24? Something like that. I have no tent,… Read More
Farmers Market Metric Program Update from FMC Researcher, Darlene Wolnik
Honesta Romberger September 10, 2015Indicators for Impact: Farmers Markets as Leaders in Collaborative Food System Data Collection and Analysis Update: Market Observations 2014-2015, By Darlene Wolnik FMC Senior Researcher, September 2015 Indicators for Impact: Farmers Markets as Leaders in Collaborative Food System Data Collection and Analysis is a project in which the University of Wisconsin-Madison in collaboration with the Farmers Market… Read More
8 Ways to LEARN from each other, MAKE Markets Awesome, and SHARE the Results
Liz Comiskey September 3, 2015This summer, 30 FMC members were selected to run special food preservation events at their markets. The program, entitled Discover Market Fresh: Learn, Make, Share℠, is sponsored by Jarden Consumer Solutions, makers of the FoodSaver vacuum sealer. Each market was provided with the same vacuum sealing tools and promotional materials, and yet every program… Read More
Spring market season is ripe for data collection at AFRI pilot markets
Liz Comiskey May 15, 2015While farmers market shopping activity across the United States heats up, nine markets in three regions will also be springing into action with their data collection season for the AFRI-funded Indicators for Impacts project, a three-year data collection research pilot led by University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Dr. Alfonso Morales and Farmers Market Coalition. Last fall each… Read More
Farmers Market at Camp Lejeune off to a Fast Start: Over 1,000 Marine Families attend Grand Opening
Liz Comiskey June 11, 2014by Gus Schumacher, vice-president Wholesome Wave, FMC Board of Directors Just-picked fresh strawberries from North Carolina’s Putnam Farm and the Aman Family Farm quickly sold out at North Carolina’s newest farmers market at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Nearly 1,000 service members and their families stopped by after Commanding General BGen. Robert Castellvi cut the… Read More
Farmers Market Heroes: Joel Slezak and Erica Hellen
Jen O'Brien November 20, 2013Meet Joel Slezak and Erica Hellen, the friendly faces behind Virginia’s Free Union Grass Farm. Joel and Erica’s pastured chicken and duck, grass-fed beef and free-range eggs have become staples at Charlottesville’s City Market since 2010. The pair also sells organic cotton tees bearing their popular logo and honey made by a friend on their… Read More
Farmers Market Heroes: Holly and James Hammond bring organic diversified crops to Virginia markets
Jen O'Brien September 2, 2013Holly and James Hammond started Whisper Hill Farm in 2010, and are already growing over 30 different crops and hundreds of varieties. The farm produces over 30 different types of tomatoes alone, including many heirloom varieties. Holly shared, “It’s both of our full-time jobs and 100% of our income is generated on farm; 75% of that… Read More
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… Read More
2013 Discover You Can Participants Announced
Liz Comiskey April 26, 2013We are excited to announce the winners of the 2013 Discover You Can Learn Make Share℠ program. Thirty FMC member farmers market organizations have been selected by the Farmers Market Coalition and Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball® Brand Fresh Preserving Products, to take part in this summer’s canning education program. The selected 30 organizations… Read More
