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. 
Happy May! It looks like Spring (and Summer) are finally and hopefully we will see some more great produce coming our way soon. We are excited to announce the date of the 2019 Michigan Family Farms Conference (MFFC) will be February 9. If you are interested in presenting at the conference, follow the link to the RFP here. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2018.
Tilian Farm Development Center
MIFFS staff joined many of the Tilian farmers for a Farm Work Day last Friday. The main projects included mending the deer fences and repairing part of the gravel drive. The weather cooperated to make this day a great success...hopefully the infamous Ann Arbor deer will not be frequent visitors!
Tilian is excited to welcome farmers Matt of Blue Shirt Farm and Adrien of Marilla Field & Flora. We look forward to all of the wonderful products grown by them and all the returning Tilian farmers this season.
WIA Farm Development Center
The Women in Agriculture Incubator Farm is excited to partner with Hurley Medical Center to provide produce as a part of the Hurley Food FARMacy program. Food FARMacy is a food insecurity strategy that increases access to healthy food options for Hurley's patients.
Alliance for African Partnership
MIFFS will be partnering with the African Women in Ag to host a tours of the WIA Farm Development Center and Detroit Agriculture as a part of the Alliance for African Partnership at MSU. The first tour will be this Friday and provide an opportunity for starting farmers at WIA to share experiences with the African Women in Ag. The second tour of Detroit Ag will be May 11. More information about the Alliance for African Partnership can be found here.
2018 Farm Bill
2018 is a Farm Bill year that has many potential changes. The National Farmers Union site, 2018farmbill.org/ has good information about the farm bill in general along with updates on a regular basis. The NSAC site sustainableagriculture.net/ has a blog that updates frequently on changes as well as a weekly roundup each Friday.
Upcoming Events
The Needs & Values of Wholesale Produce Buyers
Kalamazoo Valley's Food Innovation Center is partnering with Family Farmed. Meeting the needs and values of produce buyers is fundamental to creating a health long-term relationship. How to actively seek buyers is just the start. Who is your customer and why do they buy? Maintaining the relationship requires attention to details from bunch sizes, labels, and lot codes, contracts, pricing, communication, sequential planting, quality control, trends and more. Learn to make your farm a highly desired source of fresh produce. This workshop will include an opportunity to meet with local wholesale buyers. Experienced farmer and trainer Atina Diffley will lead the training on May 2, 2018 from 8:30am-4pm. Light breakfast and lunch included with $15 registration fee. Register here .
Community Resources/Announcements
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.
MIFFS Land Chat is a Michigan-based online forum to connect those who have land to lease or sell with those who need land to farm. It's that simple.
Post what you have or what you need and be as descriptive as possible.  
Get Free Help with USDA Paperwork
MIFFS has field staff available to help navigate USDA programs and paperwork, a service that is provided free of charge through our farmer networks. All producers interested in applying for EQIP funding or High Tunnel initiatives should contact local USDA offices and Conservation Districts to request a Conservation Plan as soon as possible.
Contact Jen Silveri at jen@miffs.org for more information.
Looking for free resources on important legal issues? You can find information on workers, business structures, land matters, food safety, sales & contracts, value-added tourism, and insurance.
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.
Stay Connected!
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
Mailing Address: 480 Wilson Road, Room 172, East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517.709.8271
Email: info@miffs.org