Michigan Farmers Market Association

IN ORDER TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES AND BARRIERS IN THE FARMERS MARKET SECTOR, MIFMA INTENDS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY BETWEEN MICHIGAN FARMERS MARKET MANAGERS AND EMPOWER THEM AS LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO CREATE ANTI-RACIST INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THEIR MARKETS. THE GOAL OF THE MARKET MANAGER RACIAL EQUITY COHORT IS TO EMPOWER MARKET MANAGERS TO FOSTER GREATER UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE BY DISMANTLING SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION AND IMPLEMENTING THE TENETS OF THE FARMERS MARKET COALITIONS ANTI-RACIST FARMERS MARKET TOOLKIT. GRANT FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE STIPENDS TO MARKET MANAGERS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE COHORT AND IMPLEMENTING AN ANTI-RACIST INITIATIVE AT THEIR MARKETS. ADDITIONALLY, MIFMA INTENDS TO CREATE AND PUBLISH A CURRICULUM FOR THE COHORT PROGRAM AND SHARE OUTCOMES FROM THE PROJECT WITH MIFMA MEMBERS AND THE BROADER NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET SECTOR. THE OVERALL GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO SUPPORT MEANINGFUL IMPACTS IN THE PARTICIPATING MARKET S COMMUNITIES AND CREATE A PROGRAM MODEL THAT CAN BE REPLICATED IN OTHER REGIONS AND OTHER SECTORS OF THE FOOD SYSTEM.

FREQUENT TRANSITIONS IN MARKET MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP ARE DETRIMENTAL TO A MARKET'S SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH. IN MICHIGAN, LIKE OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, MARKET MANAGERS ARE NOTORIOUSLY UNDERCOMPENSATED FOR THEIR ROLE. UNPLANNED OR FREQUENT TRANSITIONS IN MARKET MANAGEMENT CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT A MARKET'S OVERALL PERFORMANCE, AND POORLY COMPENSATED AND UNPAID POSITIONS ARE DIFFICULT TO FILL. AS MARKET MANAGERS LEAVE, INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE IS LOST AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH VENDORS, SHOPPERS, AND THE COMMUNITY MUST BE REBUILT. THE COMMUNITY FARM ALLIANCE (CFA) OF KENTUCKY HAS BUILT A COST-SHARE MODEL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED THE CHALLENGES OF APPROPRIATELY COMPENSATING MARKET MANAGERS, MIFMA INTENDS TO ADAPT THE PROGRAM MODEL TO FIT MARKET NEEDS IN MICHIGAN, USING DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED IN MIFMA'S 2020 CENSUS OF MICHIGAN FARMERS MARKETS TO INFORM THE WORK. GRANT FUNDS WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP AN OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION, CREATE PROGRAM DOCUMENTS SUCH AS APPLICATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA, AND ESTABLISH EVALUATION PLANS TO ENSURE PROGRAMMATIC SUCCESS. ADDITIONALLY, MIFMA INTENDS TO CREATE A SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF OPEN FARMERS MARKET JOBS ON OUR WEBSITE ALONGSIDE RESOURCES, SHARED THROUGH A VIRTUAL LEGACY BINDER, TO GUIDE MARKETS THROUGH PERIODS OF LEADERSHIP TRANSITION. MIFMA WILL MEASURE THE IMPACTS OF EXPANDED RESOURCES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL FOOD MARKETING FIRM, INCORPORATING QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPENSATION INTO THEIR ANNUAL MARKET LISTING UPDATE. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR DATA COLLECTION YEARLY FROM THE MORE THAN 100 MARKETS TO ASSESS IMPACTS AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

PROMOTING MICHIGAN FARMERS MARKETS TO RESIDENTS AND TOURISTSAND TRACKING IMPACTS ON CONSUMER ATTENDANCE AND SALES