CA Alliance of Farmers' Markets August Newsletter

AUGUST NEWSLETTER

In This Newsletter

Program Highlights
Job Opportunities
In the News

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Program Highlights:

Local Food Promotion and Marketing Internship

This summer we welcomed the inaugural class of the Local Food Promotion and Marketing Internship program. This internship was created out of a need for more farmers' market professionals in the industry and a desire to increase marketing for farmers' markets. We believe that attracting, recruiting, training, and retaining new market professionals from diverse backgrounds is critical to the future success of the farmers’ market industry. To do this we developed an internship curriculum that served in conjunction with direct work at 8 farmers' markets throughout California. We recruited students interested in either/or local food systems, and marketing, and partnered with 8 farmers' market sites to host interns. Time has flown by and we just wrapped up the whole program this week! We are so grateful to all the host sites and interns who participated!

Here is what Bellamy Cramer, our intern placed with Coastside Farmers' Market in Pacifica, and Nayeli Rubio, placed with Downtown Berkeley Farmers' Market in Berkeley, have to say about their experiences this summer:

"Above all, this internship has opened my eyes to the immense amount of work it takes to get food from a farm to a table. I have learned to appreciate the true value of food and the people who grow it. I now see farmers' markets as a necessary solution to unjust and unsustainable food systems. I also see the need for increased communication and awareness of local food systems in the general public, but also to reach and uplift communities most disproportionately impacted by food injustice. I plan to keep working to support this industry in my college career and beyond."

"I'm grateful for the experience I've gained this summer in farmers' market operations and planning. It's been so cool to put my food systems interests into practice at my local community level. This internship really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone, whether it was through getting more comfortable with graphic design or by talking to strangers! Being a part of farmers' market operations has been a valuable experience as I prepare to take on future project planning and management."

Cheers to you Bellamy and Nayeli, along with the rest of our interns, for completing our inaugural internship program. We hope it was impactful and fulfilling for you all, to see a local food economy in action and to learn about the farmers' market industry intimately. Good luck with your future endeavors, we are so proud to have been a part of your journey, too!

Market Manager Certification Program

This year, the Alliance has offered an all-virtual market manager training for new market managers or seasoned managers who need a refresher! This training was built off of the "Market Manager Manual" originally developed by the California Department of Food ad Agriculture. Thanks to our Steering Committee members for stepping in and facilitating the program! Below is what Loren Norman, Berkeley Farmers' Markets Market Manager, took away from the training:

"I'm so happy about my experience with the market manager certification training with the California Alliance of Farmers' Markets! The content of the course provides key context and guidance for best practices and has provided a productive platform for market managers all over the state to share our experiences, providing insights and feedback that empower us to do our work even better than before. The most important takeaway for me is the important role market managers play in our food system. When we do our work well, we enable farmers to engage in direct marketing, we incubate small businesses, and we provide a hub for our communities to connect, help each other, and access damn good food."