Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) is a statewide, non-profit organization c onnecting beginning and historically underserved farmers to each other and resource opportunities; ensuring social justice, environmental stewardship, and profitability. 
Hello MIFFS supporters!
Thank you for a successful MFFC Conference! We are looking forward to our next conference and will be starting the planning next month for MFFC 2020. If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please email [email protected] for more information.
Conference, summit, and workshop season is in full swing! We will be out and about for the next couple of months meeting and greeting as much as we can. There is a plethora of information available and we have translated many materials in Spanish, contact us if you would like some sent out to you!
Spring is just around the corner- hold tight and it will be here soon! Until then, get those seeds started and think warm!
Community Events
The West Michigan Growers Group, in partnership with MSU Extension and the Downtown Market are hosting the 5th annual Growers Fare: CSA Open House this Saturday March 9th , from 10am-1:30pm at the Downtown Market.
Excited for fresh vegetables this summer? Local meats or pastured eggs? Thought about joining a CSA but haven't made the plunge? Not sure what CSA is but want to find out? 
Meet & greet with local farmers at our FIFTH annual Growers Fare! Learn how to become a member of a local farm and receive shares of the harvest throughout the season. 
Head up to the second floor of the Downtown Market to listen to live, hometown folk music while visiting your favorite West Michigan farmers! There will be activities for kids, too!
The Downtown Market Market Hall will also be featuring veggie specials all day!
Growers’ Conference “Appreciating Ag Employers”
Wednesday March 13, 2019 8:30 registration and networking 9:00 start time 
Growers registration: $10 pre-registration or at door
Other registrations: $20 Pre-Registration or $25 At door 
Van Buren Conference Center, 490 South Paw Paw Street, Lawrence, MI 49064
This event is intended to showcase topics guided for employers of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers. For registration information call: 269-539-5189
Mark your calander for another upcomuing event: The Southwestern Michigan Migrant Resource Council’s Preseason Conference, which will also be at the Van Buren Conference Center on May 22nd . 
March 20, 2019  8:30-3pm. VanBuren Conference Center, Must register but free event!
We have great topics lined up for this year’s conference. We are bringing in Gary Zimmer as our Keynote speaker to talk about how carbon drives nutrients in our soils. He will also discuss incorporating composts, biologicals and cover crops into your current system. Other topics include: improved sprayer technology, organic transition, DEQ permits for wetlands, Lessons from a farmer on building soil health and how to prevent agriculture’s next SWD. You can find more information or to sign up go here: https://vanburencd.org/event/farming-for-the-future-2019/ 
Or give us a call at 269-657-4030 x 5
Join fellow farm to institution leaders for a regional meet-the-buyers style event in Bangor, MI on March 26th, 2019 . This networking event provides an opportunity for local and regional food suppliers and institutional food service buyers to connect around local food. 
Who should participate? 
● Institutional Food Service Buyers interested in purchasing local food products from farmers and vendors in their region. 
● Food Suppliers interested in selling local foods to institutional food buyers in the region. Farmers, food hubs, processors and distributors of any scale are welcome.
Register by March 19 at CMMarketplace2019 . 
Thursday, May 16, 2019 , 9am - 4pm
Cost: $55 - $100 
Location: Forget Me Not Farms, 9380 Whiteford Center Rd, Ottawa Lake, MI 49267 
Speakers: Lindsay Daschner of Forget Me Not Farms & Susan Sharp of Open Sky Farm 
Lindsay Daschner will share her experience forcing anemone, ranunculus and other flowers in bulb crates and in-ground in her gutter connect greenhouse, as well as coppicing woody materials and marketing nursery stock. Susan Sharp will discuss forcing flowers at Open Sky Farm and everyone will have the opportunity to make interesting kokedama balls and hypertufa containers.
Michigan Good Food Fund just announced applications are now open for scholarships to attend the  Be Well Fabulous Black Woman Tour — a three city conference intended create a sacred space of business + wellness support for black female leaders and entrepreneurs .  Provided by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, the fund invites good food business owners to  apply for a $50 scholarship  toward attending a one-day stop on the Be Well Fabulous Black Woman Michigan Tour. Tap into this amazing network of women to take your business to the next level! Learn more about the conference and how to apply. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.  
Community Resources
Food Literacy for All is a community-academic partnership course started in 2017. Structured as an evening lecture series, Food Literacy for All features different guest speakers each week to address diverse challenges and opportunities of both domestic and global food systems. The course is designed to prioritize engaged scholarship that connects theory and practice. By bringing national and global leaders, we aim to ignite new conversations and deepen existing commitments to building more equitable, health-promoting, and ecologically sustainable food systems. Food Literacy for All will take place for the third year on Tuesday evenings during the winter semester of 2019. More info here
Food Literacy for All is a community-academic partnership course started in 2017. Structured as an evening lecture series, Food Literacy for All features different guest speakers each week to address diverse challenges and opportunities of both domestic and global food systems. The course is designed to prioritize engaged scholarship that connects theory and practice. By bringing national and global leaders, we aim to ignite new conversations and deepen existing commitments to building more equitable, health-promoting, and ecologically sustainable food systems. Food Literacy for All will take place for the third year on Tuesday evenings during the winter semester of 2019. More info here
If you are a farmer or rural entrepreneur in the Midwest, you are invited to use a free Grants Advising service of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Our Grants Advisers help you decide whether a grant would be the best way to achieve your goals. If so, he or she will help you identify a grant program that best fits your goals and help you outline a plan of work for you to follow to meet the application deadline and all application requirements. If not, the Adviser will suggest other resources you may choose to approach. Examples might be federal, state or local loan programs, loan guarantees, as well as resource information and resource persons. For more information and to be on the e-list for program announcements, please feel free to contact one of our Grants Advisers: Martin Bailkey, at (608) 698-9478, [email protected] or Kitt Healy, at (630) 346-4749, [email protected] http://www.michaelfields.org/grant-advising-resources/
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award up to $4.16 million to fund the Risk Management Education Partnership Program. The purpose of this competitive program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk. More info here
The National Young Farmers Coalition recently launched their Finding Farmland Calculator. Use this calculator to build scenarios for purchasing farmland. You can compare detailed estimates of total costs, monthly payments and affordability metrics, then download the results to have on hand when meeting with a loan officer.
Jobs!
King's Hill Farm in Mineral Point, Wisconsin is seeking new tenants to farm its 40 acres of highly productive vegetable and fruit land beginning in the 2019 growing season. Farming acreage is served fully by irrigation, water well and pumps. For more information, visit  kingshillfarm.com  
Bluestem Farm is a year-round diversified organic farm in northern lower Michigan. If you’re using your left hand to picture it, we’re located in about in the fingernail of the ring finger. Our farm is made up of 80 acres of gardens, woods, and pastures, with about 9 acres in certified organic vegetable production. We also have four hoophouses that produce both summer and winter vegetables. Fair wages, great team, free organic food, full time. Bluestem Farm in East Jordan, MI is hiring 2-3 paid field crew workers for the 2019 growing season. Now accepting applications online at bluestemfarm.net/work
The City of Taylor is seeking a qualified Master Market and Community Gardener to perform the day-to-day functions and processes at the Taylor Farmer's Market and the 23rd District Court Goodwill Garden. The ideal candidate is a results-oriented individual who achieves those results in a team atmosphere. This candidate has the capacity to maintain positive and proactive communication with the community, the staff, and city leadership. More info here
Complete an online application at  www.cityoftaylor.com/jobs
Growing Hope is hiring for a Field Trip & Volunteer Assistant. Applications accepted until March 29th, 2019. More information and application available here  
Heartside Gleaning Initiative is hiring part-time Gleaning Coordinator. The main duties include gleaning from Grand Rapid's Fulton Street Farmers’ Market, distributing produce to individuals and partner agencies, developing and maintaining farmer and volunteer relations, and overseeing volunteers and interns. This is a part-time position that requires the employee to work approximately 10 hours per week, 22 weeks per year during the gleaning season (May - October). More info here
Support the many faces of farming:
Become a member of MIFFS and help us support the many faces of farming.

Joint Membership be tween MIFFS and National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) is also available.
We greatly appreciate any and all donations. Whether you’re giving to a specific program, project or our general fund, thank you! Donation options include Michigan Family Farms Conference, Women in Ag, Vets in Ag, or Tilian Farm Development Center.
Your contribution, in any capacity, is welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for playing a critical role in making Michigan farming an attractive and viable livelihood. 
Sincerely, MIFFS
Physical Address: 2465 Woodlake Circle, Okemos, MI 48864
Mailing Address: 480 Wilson Road, Room 172, East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517.709.8271 Email: [email protected]