2014 Farmers Market Certificate Program attendees.
EAST LANSING, MI – The Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) will expand its work with farmers market managers, thanks to a Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), by investing in professional development and long-term strategic planning.
Last week, USDA’s AMS awarded more than $27 million in competitive grants to expand marketing through the new Local Food Marketing Promotion Program (LFPP) and FMPP, including $568,688 to eight Michigan organizations invested in local food systems.
“Michigan started the nation’s first certification program for farmers market managers, which MIFMA began developing with FMPP funding in 2009,” said Dru Montri, MIFMA Director. “This project lets us share this successful program with other states through satellite campuses, resulting in enhanced skills, knowledge and expertise of those whose work serves farmers markets across Michigan and the Midwest.”
Since the program launched in 2011, 103 market managers have completed the Market Manager Certificate Program (MMCP) and been awarded certificates that recognize the individual as a professionally trained farmers market manager. However, even with the MMCP and MIFMA’s annual Farmers Market Conference, many Michigan farmers market managers request more programming and support. Through this grant, “Statewide Farmers Market Training, Education and Networking to Expand and Promote Direct Producer-to-consumer Opportunities”, MIFMA aims to meet that demand for expanded programming for market managers, helping them exchange best practices with their peers and build partnerships that contribute to long-term sustainability of farmers markets.
In addition to expanding the MMCP, MIFMA will develop a farmers market manager mentorship program that offers training and technical assistance to beginning market managers in order to assist and support them in the development, improvement and expansion of farmers markets. This funding will also build MIFMA’s capacity by investing in long-term strategic planning that will guide the association’s work through 2020.
To learn more about MIFMA and its mission to create a thriving marketplace for local food and farm products, visitwww.mifma.org or call 517-432-3381.