Monthly Seasonal Newsletter from Mass Farmers Markets | |
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Reminder: National Farmers Market Week is August 6 through 12
We want to know: what is your market planning for that week? Please send us your plans and we'll help promote them.
Email marketing@massfarmersmarkets.org. Thank you!
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MFM Won a Cummings Grant
Remember when we announced that MFM won a prestigious grant from Cummings Foundation's annual grants program? Read more about what we plan to do with the funds. We won a $90,000 grant, spanning three years.
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Youth Tomato Contest is August 7th
Spread the word! We're looking for youth age 2-18 to participate in our second annual Youth Tomato Contest which will be at Central Square Farmers Market on Monday, August 7th.
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As you may know, there is a very serious farm situation is unfolding in Massachusetts and Vermont due to flooding.
Want to help? Here are two ways to donate to the farms that were flooded: CISA is fundraising for farms in central Massachusetts; NOFA-VT is supporting farms in Vermont.
Devastation at Flats Mentor Farm: We were deeply saddened to hear about the devastating impact the recent floods have had on Flats Mentor Farm, a cherished vendor at our Central, Copley and Davis Square Farmers Markets. Spanning 70 acres, the farm suffered extensive losses, with nearly all of their crops destroyed.
Read more about Flats Mentor Farm and Governor Healey's recent visit to view the flood damage.
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Was your farm impacted by the storm? MDAR wants to know.
In an effort to assess the scale of the impact, MDAR asks stakeholders to share damage reports from impacted farms to help the agency evaluate the extent of the situation. Farmers are encouraged to contact MDAR Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff Alisha Bouchard at alisha.bouchard@mass.gov and Director of Produce Safety Michael Botelho at michael.botelho@mass.gov with a report. Farmers should also reach out to Sue Scheufele, Production Agriculture Leader, at UMass Extension Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. She can be reached at sscheufele@umass.edu or by calling (508) 397 3361.
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Attention 2023 FMNP Farmers Market Members
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The 2023 Farmers Market Nutritional Program Coupon (FMNP) Instructional Mailing was sent out to participating farmers. Please refer our website for more information.
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New Market Managers need to go through the training provided by MDAR; a video can be found here.
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All returning Market Managers should read through this slide deck to keep updated on the latest program updates.
Reach out to coupons@massfarmersmarkets.org with any questions.
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Congratulations to Bill Sell - Market Manager for The City of Framingham Farmers Market - on winning the Framingham Citizen of the Year Award! Sell was recognized for his efforts in reviving the City of Framingham’s Farmers Market. Read the full article here. | |
In Memoriam: Belle Rita Novak died on July 12, 2023 at the age of 81. Belle Rita started volunteering at age 10 when she would read to sick children at Springfield Hospital. She volunteered across the span of her life including her synagogue, Sinai Temple. She served as president of the Forest Park Civic association for three years. In 1998, Belle Rita founded The Farmers Market at Forest Park which she managed for 23 years.
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Belle would be proud for us to announce that her beloved Forest Park Farmers Market is celebrating 25 years in operation! | |
Member Benefits include:
Fiscal Sponsorship, Access to Group Liability Coverage, Support & Assistance, Biweekly Members Meeting, Speaker Series, Market Managers Conference, Promotion & Marketing Support, Farmspread Marketing, WBUR Advertising, Discounted Constant Contact Email Marketing Services, FREE Annual membership to Farmers Market Coalition, Attendance and Voting rights at our Annual Meeting, Vendor Job Search Assistance, Fundraising through Car Donation, and Google Ads for your market
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National Farmers Market Week (NFMW) is August 6th through 12th. This is a nationwide celebration of the important role farmers markets play in our communities and local food system. Mass Farmers Markets will be promoting farmers markets in various media in the run-up to NFMW, and has compiled ideas and resources to help market managers plan events for the week.
The resources can be found here on our Statewide Market Managers Forum.
Not a part of our Statewide Market Managers Forum? This is an online forum where those involved with farmers markets across the state have discussions, share resources and get notifications about important industry events. It's not just for market managers - anyone involved with farmers markets is welcome to join. Also, by being a part of the forum, you'll be notified about MFM's regular Market Manager Zoom meetings, where market managers and other partners catch up, ask questions, talk about interesting or exciting happenings at their markets, and brainstorm with other managers. MFM often schedules special topics and guests for these meetings. If you'd like to join, please email Rick Grudzinski, MFM's director of Member Services, at memberservices@massfarmersmarkets.org.
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Send us your special events to add to our calendar
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Send us your photos so we can promote you through our channels
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Marketspread (formerly Farmspread) makes finding farmers markets easy for customers across the state.
Vendors: keep shoppers updated on seasonal or weekly offerings, connect your website and social channels.
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We have created a private online space via Basecamp for member markets to collaborate, share ideas and resources, ask questions, and support each other. If you haven't joined us yet, please email us and we'll get you set up.
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Walden Mutual Bank believes anyone can make positive, lasting changes in our local food ecosystem! We are a new, digital bank, providing deposit accounts for all (individuals and businesses) while lending to local, sustainable food, farm, and community businesses across New England and New York. The mutual part of our name means we are cooperative, which means we are owned by our community of account holders (and allows us to build a bank for the next 100 years!)
We would love to work with farms and food businesses involved with Mass Farmers Markets! Check us out at waldenmutual.com or reach out to us at partners@waldenmutual.com. We’d love to hear from you!
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About Mass Farmers Markets
2023 marks MFM's 45th year working on behalf of farmers markets throughout the state. We help create, sustain, and promote farmers markets and the many benefits they bring. We help connect more individuals to local and healthy food through farmers markets systems. At the core of MFM's mission, we support social and economic development and the health of individuals statewide - collaborating extensively with community partners and other stakeholders
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