Unprecedented disruptions to food assistance benefit programs, unruly and unpredictable weather, and federal funding cuts are just a few of the challenges that the Michigan food system faced this past season. Through it all, farmers, markets, and local food champions worked harder than ever to continue to operate as crucial food access points for communities statewide.
MIFMA’s Market Manager Racial Equity Cohort is one such example of programming directly impacted by these events. Earlier this year, MIFMA received notice that our USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant was terminated. The $161,585 grant was awarded in late 2024 to support the creation and ongoing education of a Market Manager Racial Equity Cohort through 2027.
Despite the termination of this grant, MIFMA remains committed to continuing the cohort and we need your support to do so. This Giving Tuesday, we’re launching a Bonfire campaign to help replace funds not yet dispersed from the grant before its termination. The campaign features a variety of limited-edition apparel that celebrates food access and allows donors to show their support with every wear.
The “Rooted in Access” design was created in collaboration with Karla Forrest-Hewitt, former manager of the East Lansing Farmers Market and co-author of the nationally acclaimed Anti-Racist Farmers Market Toolkit. Karla is an essential partner in the Market Manager Racial Equity Cohort program to educate and inspire market managers due to her lived experience as a Black market manager and expertise as a food systems leader.
Update Dec. 8: Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign! We exceeded our campaign goal. Shirts are currently on track to arrive to donors by Christmas.
To donate without a purchase, click here or visit https://mifma.app.neoncrm.com/forms/racial-equity-fund?campaignId=42
To learn more about the cohort, click here or visit https://mifma.org/2025/05/mifma-receives-termination-notice-of-fmpp-award/