National Farmers’ Markets Directory Released <http://bit.ly/aZxE7e>*
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the 2010 National Farmers’ Market Directory lists 6,132 operational farmers markets, representing 16 percent growth over 2009 when the agency reported 5,274. The 2010 National Farmers’ Market Directory results is being released as part of National Farmers’ Market Week, Aug. 1-7, 2010. “Seeing such continued strong growth in the number of U.S. farmers markets indicates that regional food systems can provide great economic, social and health benefits to communities across the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The USDA National Farmers’ Market Directory can be found at http://farmersmarkets.usda.gov. Farmers’ markets can be searched by state, county, zip code and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs.
|
|||||
|
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. 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. Thought I would pass this link along as it can be a great resource to help with educating consumers on food safety. Please check it out http://foodsafety.osu.edu and link to your website if you feel it would assist your consumers. Thank you, Christie Writer: Source: Lydia Medeiros, Human Nutrition COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans now can get the food safety information they need thanks to a new Ohio State University food safety website. The website, http://foodsafety.osu.edu, offers consumers, health professionals and people who are at high risk of food-borne illness easy-to-understand, “plain talk” information that they can incorporate easily in their day-to-day life, said Lydia Medeiros, food safety specialist with Ohio State University Extension and one of the leaders in developing the site. “We focused on information that helps people build skills,” said Medeiros, who is also a scientist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and professor of human nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology. “Knowledge is good, but having the proper skills is the necessary factor that people need to implement their knowledge.” The site contains numerous photos to illustrate food safety concepts for consumers in the “Ask Mom” area of the site, Medeiros said, including how to properly wash hands, test meat with a food thermometer, and prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen. The area for health professionals, “Ask the Doc,” provides food safety fact sheets that can be downloaded and shared with patients or clients who have been diagnosed with cancer or HIV/AIDS, who have had an organ transplant, who are pregnant or who have chronic conditions that make them more vulnerable to food-borne disease. In the “Ask the Teacher” portion of the site, educators have access to a PowerPoint presentation they can download to teach food safety concepts. More materials will be added to the site, Medeiros said. “This is a dynamic website that will get deeper and broader as we add information to it,” she said. In addition, the site offers users a way to ask Ohio State’s food safety professionals questions they can’t find answers to, by e-mailing foodsafety@osu.edu or calling Ohio State’s Food Safety Information Line, housed at the university’s Food Industry Center, at 800-752-2751 (toll-free in Ohio), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The website and food safety e-mail and phone line are made possible by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Integrated Food Safety Initiative; The Kroger Co., which also supports a broader food safety outreach program through its in-store educational campaign; and the Center for Innovative Food Technology, which helps support the Food Safety Information Line. Christie Welch, Farmers’ Market Specialist Market vendors can now purchase insurance specifically developed for farmers market vending. Details of the offer are in our Resources section. 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 Read the info packet for Market Managers 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
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 1st-7th) 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 21st. 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 Hello Ohio farmers market managers and vendors. I have received a number of questions about the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the WIC Fruit & Vegetable Program. In an effort to assist you with understanding the 2 programs and who can accept the vouchers, Kadie Donahoe from the Ohio Department of Health has provided to following information. If you have questions, please contact Kadie, Robin or me. Christie Clarification regarding the two programs which are administered by the Ohio Department of Health. The first program is the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) which was started in Ohio in 1994 and is available in 46 Ohio counties (see attached list). This is the program that provides 5-$3 coupons to participants to be used at authorized farmers. FMNP farmer contracts expired December 31, 2009 so previously-contracted farmers received applications in March. If you know of a farmer who would like an application for the FMNP, they can call me at 614-644-7570 or e-mail me at Kadie.donahoe@odh.ohio.gov and we will send him an application packet. The second program is the original WIC program. In October, 2009, the WIC program added fruits and vegetables to the WIC food package statewide. Depending on the category of the participant (Pregnant woman, child, etc.) each participant receives a fruit and vegetable voucher (FVV) worth $6 or $10 on a monthly basis. A letter was sent to all FMNP farmers in December and ads were run in newspapers across the state announcing the availability of the program and that applications would be due February 1. If a farmer is interested in this program and missed the application period, he can contact Robin Ridenour at 614-644-8285 or at robin.ridenour@odh.ohio.gov and asked to be put on next year’s application list. They need to do this by December, 2010. If they are looking at the FVV program, I would strongly encourage farmers to read the requirements closely ( http://www.odh.ohio.gov/rules/final/f3701-42.aspx). Because the voucher is part of the original WIC program, there are requirements such as recording a date of redemption, capturing a participant signature and sending the vouchers into the bank processing firm within 30 days after the last valid date listed on the coupon, just to name a few. Please let me know if you have any questions. You can either contact Kadie Donahoe Kadie Donahoe Kadie.Donahoe@odh.ohio.gov> by e-mail or call Kadie at 614-644-7570. You can also contact Robin Ridenour at 614-644-8285 or e-mail her at robin.ridenour@odh.ohio.gov regarding the FVV program. Attached for your information and use is a joint (ODA and ODH) training announcement which has been sent to all local health departments. The training options will address three separate topics offered at different locations and dates. They include: 1. Farmers’ Markets, Cottage Foods, Home Bakeries and Exemptions for Farm Market Registration; 2. Determining Cost Methodology; (for local health departments only) 3. Labeling. These sessions are being held to help educate local health department personnel in being more consistent and uniform in how they regulate food establishments throughout Ohio.
|
|||||
|
Copyright © 2010 Farmers’ Market Management Network - All Rights Reserved |
|||||
See Schedule Announcement for ODA Training
