The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recently announced recipients of the 2024-2025 Food Safety Education Fund grants for food safety training for the food industry and education and outreach for consumers. MIFMA has been awarded $114,076 total for two projects.
MIFMA has been awarded $75,952 for a twelve-month statewide consumer food safety education outreach project. This project will allow MIFMA to connect with markets to implement food safety programming in a way that fits the needs of their community. Potential resource topics include safe food sampling, cooking demonstrations, cooking at home with fresh farmers market products, and other relevant matters as requested by farmers market managers.
This outreach program was originally developed and executed for the 2022 market season and was continued in 2023 and 2024. During this time, it was clear that there was a greater need for food safety education in farmers market settings. This consumer-facing project will expand upon last year’s efforts and will help connect more markets with food safety programming and materials based on their community’s needs during the 2025 farmers market season.
“Since the program’s inception in 2022, we’ve seen time and time again that providing farmers market managers with funding and technical assistance results in successful food safety education events,” says MIFMA Programs Director Jenny Radon. “MIFMA has developed expertise through partnerships with MDARD and MSU Extension, and can share that expertise with program managers to create innovative and effective food safety educational programs to reach consumers across Michigan.”
MIFMA has also been awarded $32,596 to strengthen the understanding of available social media platforms and tools of Michigan market managers so they can provide food safety education to Michigan young adults and college students. According to the USDA, college students are at particularly high risk for foodborne illness as they lack necessary safe food handling knowledge and hygiene practices, and many are preparing food for themselves and others for the first time. While food safety is an important part of every person’s life, this data demonstrates a high level of need to educate students and young adults on proper food handling practices and other topics related to food safety.
“Many of Michigan’s 300+ farmers markets are located in communities with higher education institutions,” says MIFMA Director of Communications Hailey Lamb. “Providing these educational opportunities will increase market manager capacity to share food safety education through relevant and age-appropriate social media and digital marketing strategies.”
To read the entire press release from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, click here.