As a fan of farms and farmers markets, I have some good news for you! Did you know that there are now 6,132 farmers markets in America? That represents a sixteen percent increase over the number recorded in the National Farmers Market Directory in 2009. You have a new resource available this [...]]]> Happy National Farmers Market Week!

As a fan of farms and farmers markets, I have some good news for you! Did you know that there are now 6,132 farmers markets in America? That represents a sixteen percent increase over the number recorded in the National Farmers Market Directory in 2009.
You have a new resource available this week:
The Market Manager & Organizer FAQ at FMC:

http://farmersmarketcoalition.org/managerfaqs/

Remember if you have a question about starting or running a market in Ohio, we have experienced members and experts that can help. Contact us via email or phone.

American Farmland Trust is holding their annual America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest.

Entering your market in the contest will engage customers, generate local pride, raise the local visibility of your market, increase awareness of farmers markets, local food and farmland protection, and you will have a chance to win a prizes that will help [...]]]> America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ Contest

American Farmland Trust is holding their annual America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest.

Entering your market in the contest will engage customers, generate local pride, raise the local
visibility of your market, increase awareness of farmers markets, local food and farmland protection,
and you will have a chance to win a prizes that will help promote your market in your community.
Details at: www.farmland.org/marketmanager

Read the info packet for Market Managers
Voting starts on June 1st at noon.

The farmers market season has begun for many of us, and we’re collectively abuzz with energy, excitement, and the confidence that the work of farmers markets is meaningful and worthwhile.  National initiatives like [...]]]> The following is from the Farmers Market Coalition a national organization of which FMMN is a member:

The farmers market season has begun for many of us, and we’re collectively abuzz with energy, excitement, and the confidence that the work of farmers markets is meaningful and worthwhile.  National initiatives like Know your Farmer, Know your Food and Let’s Move! are legitimizing the daily work you do to support farm viability and help improve access to healthy foods in your communities.

Meanwhile, at the end of April, Senators McCain, Chambliss, and Roberts, sent a stern letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, expressing their disappointment in the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative. They said, in addition to “subsidizing the so-called locavore niche market,” that KYF2

• ” doesn’t appear geared toward conventional farmers who produce the vast majority of our nation’s food supply, but is instead aimed at small, hobbyist and organic producers whose customers generally consist of affluent patrons at urban farmers markets.”

• “appears to be prioritizing Rural Development grant and loan programs for locavore projects in urban areas, apparently at the expense of rural communities with documented rural development needs.”

They closed by saying “American families and rural farmers are hurting in today’s economy, and it’s unclear to us how propping up the urban locavore markets addresses their needs. Given our nation’s crippling budgetary crisis, we also believe the federal government cannot afford to spend precious Rural Development funds on feel-good measures which are completely detached from the realities of production agriculture.”

If you’re looking for a good reason to roll your eyes, we encourage you to read the full letter here.  But don’t stop there!  We need your help.

FMC is presently working to update our talking points, Frequently Asked Questions, and Press Release Template to help you communicate why farmers markets matter. FMC will target National Farmers Market Week (August 1^st-7^th) for this initiative.  This is your opportunity to help respond not only to McCain, Chambliss, and Roberts but to those in communities like yours who might express skepticism that farmers markets are supporting rural farms and helping feed families.

We know that small-scale farms represent the vast majority farms in the United States, and that yes, they ARE hurting.  But not just in ‘today’s economy.” They hurt because of misguided government support of economically, physically, and environmentally  unsustainable farming practices that serve only about 5% of all farmers and produce cheap and unhealthy foods.

Here’s what you can do:  Choose at least one of the following, and tell us, specifically, how your farmers markets are:

1)  Making fresh nutritious food available to more people. Send your statistics on nutrition program participation, donations of fresh produce to social service agencies, and any other data on how your market is not just for “affluent patrons,” as McCain and his friends allege.

2) Supporting small family farms and preserving America’s rural landscapes. Send your statistics on the number of farmers at your market that are farming full-time, how many acres they have in production, and (if you know) whether any of them are getting federal government subsidies.

3) Strengthening communities and stimulating local economies.  Send us your average per farmer sales, business that you know have been incubated at your market, how sales at neighboring businesses are impacted, and how your markets may have sparked unprecedented partnerships between agencies, organizations, and businesses.

You can send your responses to submit@farmersmarketcoalition.org.  Please respond by May 21^st.

Also, please send an email to KnowYourFarmer@usda.gov, telling Secretary Vilsack, Deputy Secretary Merrigan, and their hard-working staff that you support the efforts of Know your Farmer, Know your Food and hope it can expand to help strengthen more farmers markets and the producers they serve.

And please put National Farmers Market Week on your calendar as August1st-7th.

Thanks again for your support. Together, we are building a nationwide network of farmers markets dedicated to triple bottom line benefits for farmers, consumers, and communities!

Sincerely,

The FMC Board of Directors

If you grow your own vegetables or raise your own livestock, and have ever considered setting up a booth at the local farmers’ market, the Ohio State University (OSU) Extension-Clermont is offering a Farmers’ Market Workshop Series to help you learn all about it! “These [...]]]> Farmers’ Market Workshop Series

Contributed By Kathy Lehr | Clermont County government

If you grow your own vegetables or raise your own livestock, and have ever considered setting up a booth at the local farmers’ market, the Ohio State University (OSU) Extension-Clermont is offering a Farmers’ Market Workshop Series to help you learn all about it! “These workshops will help you understand how things should be prepared and sold at farmers’ markets with an update on rules and regulations for the future,” said OSU Extension-Clermont Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Coordinator Latham Farley. “The programs will help you better connect with buyers, and provides you with a forecast of marketing trends for 2010.”

The first workshop, Food Safety Update, will be held on Tuesday, February 23, from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Clermont County Fairgrounds, located at 1000 Locust Street in Owensville. The class will be taught by Kathleen Cooper, a food safety specialist from the Ohio Department of Agriculture; topics will include cottage foods rules and regulations, meat labeling, and egg labeling.

The second workshop, Direct Marketing, will be held on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Clermont County Fairgrounds; this workshop will be led by Julie Fox, a direct marketing specialist from The OSU South Centers. Topics will include various marketing strategies and trends.

The cost for each workshop is $5 and can be paid at the door; if you do plan to attend, call to make a reservation to ensure enough materials are available. Contact OSU Extension-Clermont at (513) 732-7070 to make a reservation, or e-mail Latham Farley at Farley.142@cfaes.osu.edu.

Farmers’ Market Management Network of Ohio Newsletter October 11, 2009

===== Opportunity for Ohio Produce Growers to Learn About Food Safety Issues

Ohio producers of fresh fruits and vegetables have an opportunity to attend a Listening Session to hear about the various groups who are working to address the proposed changes [...]]]> Read and print the pdf version: FMMN Newsletter 2009-10-11

Farmers’ Market Management Network of Ohio Newsletter
October 11, 2009

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Opportunity for Ohio Produce Growers to Learn About Food Safety Issues

Ohio producers of fresh fruits and vegetables have an opportunity to attend a Listening Session to hear about the various groups who are working to address the proposed changes to how local food is produced in Ohio.  This listening session provides the opportunity for growers to hear from experts in the food safety arena.  Speaker will include researchers for Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC), The Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association (OPGMA), and Dr. Karl Kolb, Chief Science Officer, The High Sierra Group.  Participants will hear from these experts information about current regulations and the proposed changes to these regulations.  Information will also be shared about what Ohio is doing to ensure the sustainability of Ohio’s produce growers.  The Listening Session will be held on Oct. 19, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg.  For more information please contact Christie Welch, Farmers’ Market Specialist with the Ohio State University South Centers via e-mail welch.183@osu.edu or via telephone to 740-289-2071 ext. 234.

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Presenter Wanted to Speak About Farmers Markets

OEFFA (The Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association) is looking for a person to speak about “starting and running a farmers’ market in a small community” at their annual conference. The presentation can be either 1 or 2 hours. The conference will held on Feb. 13 & 14, 2010 in Granville,OH. Keynote speakers at this years conference will include Joel Salatin and Anne Cooper. More info at www.oeffa.org. If you are interested please contact Karen Feltham at 937-468-2874.

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Free Online Resources for Vendors and Managers

We have added many new online resources to the FMMN web site including publications and pre-recorded webinars on marketing your farmers’ market, recruiting vendors, good agricultural practices, food safety issues for farmers markets, EBT and nutrition, starting a farmers market and more at your FMMN web site at http://fmmn.org/resources/

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Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit

The 10th annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on the Ohio State University campus.

‘Planting the Seeds of Future Prosperity’ is the theme of the 2009 summit.  It will feature panels on a variety of topics, including food policy, climate change and land-access barriers.

An added feature to this year’s event is an Ohio Proud Farmers’ Market, highlighting products made or grown in Ohio.

Registration forms and a $40 fee, which includes lunch, are due Oct. 22. Forms are available at www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/FarmLand/FarmLand.aspx or by calling (614) 728-6210.
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This newsletter is published by the Farmers’ Market Management Network of Ohio

This is a free webinar hosted by The Farmers Market Coallition.

Details and Registration

DAYTON, Ohio — In the Ohio Proud Farmers’ Market tent people won’t find their typical fair food. Instead, they’ll find farmers from around Ohio selling produce and products grown and made in Ohio.

Read [...]]]> Fairgoers Buying Local At State Fair Farmers Market

Posted: 4:52 pm EDT August 3, 2009Updated: 5:12 pm EDT August 3, 2009

DAYTON, Ohio — In the Ohio Proud Farmers’ Market tent people won’t find their typical fair food. Instead, they’ll find farmers from around Ohio selling produce and products grown and made in Ohio.

Read the full story at whiotv.com

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the National Organic Coalition wrote a letter to the bill’s sponsor Rep. Dingell that reveals some of the provisions that affect small producers.

Read the letter at:

http://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/food-safety-dingell-rebuttal.pdf