Where has the time gone?!? Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner! Today, MIFFS Board of Directors and Staff are hard at work at our annual retreat, strategizing and planning the year ahead. The MIFFS Staff had quite a busy month in October attending the NCSARE conference in Indiana, the National Farm Viability Conference in Minnesota (photos
here
), the JSRI 30th Anniversary Celebration here in Michigan, the Community Based Organizations Workshop in Tennessee, the Harvest Gathering at the WIA Farm (photo
here
), and many other fun events.
We have a few additions in the office recently. We would like to welcome our student employee, Haley! She will be working with us on many projects to help connect resources and plan events. We also welcome our two African Fellows, Ingrid and Mercy for the months of October and November. They are part of the Professional Fellows Program Advancing Young Women Agribusiness Entrepreneurs and Innovators: A Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda-US Partnership, which is a program of the U. S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of Citizen Exchanges and MSU. For more information about this program, click
here
.
Every year at the MFFC (Michigan Family Farms Conference) we have an awards ceremony to recognize farmers and individuals in the community that really have given 110% This year, the planning team decided to open up the nominations to all of you. There are three awards that are given out annually; nominations and more information are available
here
. The awards ceremony will be followed by our outstanding keynote speaker, Pakou Hang, co-founder and executive director of the
Hmong American Farmers Association
. She is not one to be missed and we are so fortunate to have her speak at our conference. Check out her TED talk
here
and join us to hear her inspiring message on February 8.
We look forward to seeing you all at our 17
th
MFFC. Registration for sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities is open and we’d like you to check them out
here
. There’s no reason to hesitate – sign up and secure your participation today, spaces are limited and going fast! If you are interested in registering for the event as an attendee, click
here
for more information.
Early Bird pricing is available only until December 31 so register TODAY!
It is with great joy that we announce the receipt of the USDA 2501 Program award to support underserved farmer networks in Michigan: “Nurturing Resilience Through Farmer-Led Networks.” We are grateful to be chosen for the three year grant to support MIFFS. Read the press release
here.
On the same topic of funding, there are grants from NCSARE available with deadlines coming up soon! See the resource section below for more information.
There are many ways to help out MIFFS, one of them is coming up this month. Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a great way to show your support financially to the non-profit. It's also a great time of year to make a tax deductible donation! Keep us in mind and to make a donation, click on the donate button on the website or get the link
here.
Another way to contribute during your holiday shopping is amazon smile. Click the icon at the bottom of the page for more info.
Monday is Veterans Day and we celebrate and recognize all that are with us and ones we have lost for their service. Those who live in freedom will always be grateful to those who helped preserve it today, on Veterans Day, and everyday in the future and past. Thank you for your service.
With Energy & Gratitude,
The MIFFS Team
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Resources, Workshops, & Opportunities:
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MIFFS will be hosting 2 sessions at Glexpo this year!
Bilingual Farmworker Produce Safety Training Tools for Farm Managers and Crew Supervisors.
This free workshop will train farm managers and crew leaders to conduct successful produce safety training programs that meet the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and contribute to a positive workplace culture that supports produce safety. Gain tools and resources for building a culture of produce safety among farm employees. Explore evidence-based strategies for adult education, including tips for non-English speaking and low English literacy audiences.
Making Your Certification(s) Work for You.
Join food safety and organic certifiers, buyers, and farmers for a panel discussing how to communicate your certifications, or lack thereof, with potential buyers.
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Sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are available for the 2020 Michigan Family Farms Conference
, titled: "Nurturing Resilient Farms: 2020 & Beyond." Celebrating 17 years, the conference is still going strong thanks to your support! We hope you'll join us for a fun day of networking, learning, and resource sharing. For more information and a link to the sponsorship form, click
here
. Registration for the event is
here
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The Michigan Good Food Fund
Catalytic Investment Award
is designed to help entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level, including preparing for financing. Awards will be used for a variety of purposes, including infrastructure investments, capital expenditures, and predevelopment. Click
here
for more info.
Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 PM EST November 8, 2019 with winners to be announced in early December.
MGFF will also be hosting a
free training on farm sustainability. The training, "Bees, Books, Soil, and Stories" on December 9 in Grand Rapids, will include info on soil health, pollinators, marketing and finance for your farm business. Please use the link
here
to register. Travel assistance is available.
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Farmers and ranchers have a critical insight when it comes to improving their systems. Whether they need to limit off-farm inputs, reduce erosion, create more time for family or community activities, learn marketing skills, or find other ways to enhance their livelihoods, farmers and ranchers can turn to the
North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE)
for grant opportunities and information. The 2020 Youth Educator Grant Program call for proposals is now available. Proposals are due November 14, 2019. The 2020 Farmer Rancher Grant Program call for proposals is now available. Proposals are due December 5, 2019. For more information click
here.
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Michigan farmers can now mediate a wide range of disputes at no cost through the Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program (MAMP) thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. The bill enables the MAMP to mediate agricultural issues involving leases, farm transitions, organic certification, next-door neighbors and more. To request free mediation or for more information, call (800) 616-7863 or go online at www.agmediation.org. All calls are confidential.
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WE LOVE YOUR #2s! GET $ FOR YOUR #2s & SORT OUTS!
Did you know that the
Food Bank Council of Michigan
buys fresh, Michigan produce that might otherwise go to waste? Since 1990, the Council has partnered with Michigan farmers to help move their fresh produce, dairy and eggs in the secondary market. We love all produce, even if it’s not that pretty, from A (apples) through Z (zucchini)! Join the food bank network in helping Michigan families access Michigan’s amazing bounty. Contact Kath Clark at the Food Bank Council of Michigan [email protected] or 517-614-3290.
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As farmers and ranchers pick up the pieces and work to rebuild in the wake of natural disasters, the financial, physical and emotional weight of navigating recovery can be overwhelming. Click
here for resources available
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¡Produce Safety Alliance se complace en anunciar la disponibilidad de su sitio web y materiales asociados en español!
El nuevo sitio web en español
es un repositorio de materiales educativos, actualizaciones de la Norma de inocuidad de los productos agrícolas frescos de FSMA, información sobre el instructor e instructor líder de la Alianza e datos de contacto del equipo de la Alianza y sus colaboradores. Con una creciente población doméstica de habla hispana de la fuerza laboral agrícola y un gran volumen de productos importados anualmente de países latinoamericanos sujetos a la Norma de inocuidad de los productos agrícolas frescos de FSMA, este sitio web servirá como un recurso crítico para los productores, instructores, miembros de la industria y funcionarios reguladores de todo el mundo. Se desarrollarán y/o traducirán al español más materiales que serán agregados al sitio web en el futuro. Un agradecimiento especial para la Dra. Laura Acuña-Maldonado (Asociada de extensión en español) y a el Sr. Rob Way (Desarrollador de productos multimedia y administrador de base de datos) por su arduo trabajo para hacer que este sitio web sea una realidad.
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A new online tool
can help farmers and ranchers find information on USDA farm loans that best fit the needs of their operation. The tool is especially helpful to farmers who are new to farm loans and need help finding the right type of loan for their business needs
.
If you’re looking for financing options to operate a farm, buy land, or both, you can
answer a few simple questions
about what you’re looking to fund and how much money you need to borrow. You will receive information within minutes on which types of loans may best fit your needs. This new tool is especially helpful for beginning farmers and ranchers as well as those who are new to FSA farm loans.
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Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
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. For more info click
here
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Greater Lansing Food Bank
’s
Garden Project
is accepting applications for Temporary Program and Plant Propagation Support member who will be responsible for greenhouse production of vegetable transplants and will assist staff with educational and promotional outreach to the community, workshops, trainings, resource allocation and working with volunteers. More info
here
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Harvest Thyme Farm
is seeking a highly motivated individual interested in running a produce farm. Our goal is for this to be a multi-year growth position with the end result of this person managing most of the daily operations of the farm and be involved in the long-term planning of the farm. This will be a year-round position in which you can expect to work 40-50 hours per week during the peak summer season and 10-20 hours per week in the off-season. More info
here
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Fair Food Network
is seeking a Program Manager for our Nutrition Incentive Impact Hub. The Nutrition Incentive Impact Hub is a coalition of core partners, consultants, advisers, and practitioners working to advance the field of nutrition incentives. The Program Manager will be responsible for managing and facilitating the coalition’s provision of training and technical assistance to the field. This position can be based in our Ann Arbor or Detroit, MI offices. To learn more and apply visit:
https://fairfoodnetwork.org/careers/nutrition-incentive-impact-hub-program-manager/
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KBS
is seeking a Science Coordinator for the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program (lter.kbs.msu.edu) at Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), an off-campus academic unit of Michigan State University (MSU). The Science Coordinator will support the LTER efforts to promote transformational science at the LTER. This is an annual (12 month) Academic Specialist appointment with competitive salary and benefits. More info
here
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The
Basso Lab
is seeking two motivated undergraduate students who want to gain experience in various aspects of ag research and precision farming. The Basso Lab specializes in the integration of precision agriculture technologies to improve the profitability of Michigan farmers. Undergraduate students are also encouraged to pursue their own research projects under the mentorship of a senior member of the lab. Students are expected to work 10-15 hours a week, but schedule is flexible. Hourly rate starts at $12 per hr. Send a short resume to Richard Price ([email protected]), or contact him with any questions. More info
here
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NSAC
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is seeking a passionate, experienced, strategic and collaborative policy leader who will build upon the Coalition’s accomplishments over the past 30 years and help lead the charge to even bigger victories in the future. The Policy Director must be deeply committed to serving the sustainable agriculture movement and its federal policy work and to becoming an integral part of our high-performing, passionate, and diverse team. The Policy Director is a full-time, salaried position and is based in Washington, DC. More info
here
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Physical Address: 2438 Woodlake Circle, Suite 136, Okemos, MI 48864
Mailing Address: 480 Wilson Road, Room 172, East Lansing, MI 48824
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