Registration is open for the 2019 Market Manager Certificate Program (MMCP), hosted by Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). This voluntary program takes place in January and February and is designed to encourage farmers market managers to pursue leadership skills and professional development in topics essential to market management.
The full program includes three in-person sessions and seven webinars, totaling more than 32 hours of education. In Michigan, the program will be held in the greater Lansing area. An additional satellite location in northern Michigan is currently being explored. The three in-person sessions will be held on Friday, January 18 and Saturday, January 19 and will conclude with peer-to-peer presentations on Saturday, February 16. Webinars will take place each Monday and Wednesday between January 21 and February 11.
The program will also be hosted in Columbus, Ohio in conjunction with the Ohio Farmers’ Market Management Network.
By participating in the program, attendees have the opportunity to network with other managers while focusing on topics such as business planning, managing market growth, market governance, policy and enforcement, communication strategies, financial management, fundraising and more. Individuals who complete the full program are awarded a certificate acknowledging that they are professionally trained farmers market managers. The MMCP is the first program of its kind in the nation, and since it began in 2011, the program has certified more than 250 market managers from across the Midwest.
The cost of registration for the full program is $300 for MIFMA and OFMMN members. You can become a MIFMA member or renew your membership by visiting www.mifma.org/join. Individuals not looking to be certified but who would like to participate in one or more of the webinars can do so by registering for each webinar separately. The cost per webinar is $20 for MIFMA, Taste the Local Difference, and OFMMN members and $50 for non-members. Those looking to participate in either the full program or individual webinars can register online at www.mifma.org/mmcp.
Registration deadline for the 2019 MMCP is December 31, 2018.
With questions about the program, please contact Josh Prusik at josh@mifma.org or call 517-432-3381.