Dear MIFFS Supporters,
November 2021!! How did the year fly by?!? The MIFFS Team would like to take a moment to welcome Lakwiita, Communications and Outreach Coordinator to our staff! Check out the bio and a couple of pics in the next section! We have a couple of items to talk about and will be looking forward to many new projects on the horizon.
This Veterans Day (and everyday for that matter), we want to recognize the MIFFS Vets in Ag Network that has been serving Michigan veterans since 2014 by providing one-on-one veteran led support in accessing USDA programs and services, grants, resources, education, and mentorship. As part of our 2022 outreach efforts, MIFFS Vets in Ag Network will be traveling the state providing hands-on workshops in beekeeping, pest management, plant production, accessing USDA programs, as well as offering USDA navigation services for veterans. MIFFS is asking for your support to help us raise $5,000 to offer these valuable education and community building events FREE to our military veterans throughout the 2022 growing season. To donate click here now
The Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program (PRS Grant) is still accepting applications and uses a simplified process that takes much of the difficulty out of applying for the grant. A D-U-N-S number is required to apply and if you do not currently have one, there is a DUNS site specific to the grant application here. The application asks for your information and the COVID related expenses that you are requesting. There is not a requirement for paperwork related to the costs (like invoices or receipts) to be filed at the time of the application. The deadline for application is November 22 at 11:59pm and the grant is not on a first come-first serve basis; all applications submitted by the deadline meeting the requirements will be considered for funding. For more information and a link to the application portal, click here.
Enjoy the Colors or the Snow (if you're UP north!)
With Energy,
The MIFFS Team
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New MIFFS Staff Member: Lakwiita! |
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My name is Lakwiita Garbarini (La-kweeta Gar-ba-ree-nee) and it is a great pleasure to join the MIFFS team as the Communications & Outreach Coordinator. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest (all three states!) and moved to Michigan in the summer of 2020 to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA in a farm-to-school, school garden and nutrition program at Northwest Education Services in Traverse City.
I hold a B.S. in Business Administration from Walden University and a Profitable Small Farms Certificate from Linn-Benton Community College. I am also a certified Spanish language interpreter and have served the Spanish speaking farmworker and immigrant community for over 22 years as an interpreter, translator, immigration paralegal, and social justice advocate.
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I am the first person to farm in my family in two generations. However, all of my great grandparents were farmers from a diverse array of traditional agricultural communities. I learned to keep seed and garden from my maternal grandmother. From my paternal grandfather, I heard stories of how his grandfather, an illiterate immigrant market gardener, planted, tended, and harvested his crops according to the phases of the moon. From my father I heard the stories of how his maternal grandfather, a Chickasha (Chickasaw) farmer born and raised in Indian Territory, continued to grow our sacred tunchi (corn) and the Three Sisters long after he had left home, in the middle of downtown Stockton, California. These teachings and stories inspired me to follow my own passion for agriculture from a very young age. Over the years, I have worked in a wide variety of agricultural settings, everywhere from dairy farms to school gardens – and I love it all!
My passion is empowering and supporting underrepresented and underserved farmers so that they can provide nourishing, culturally appropriate foods in sustainable, healing, and empowering ways, to their communities.
When I am not working, I enjoy being outdoors, gardening, working with animals, cooking, researching, creating, reconnecting to, and practicing my Chickasha culture, and enjoying the world with my two beautiful sons.
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Michigan Family Farms Conference Updates |
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The planning team is back together working hard to imagine what the 2022 Michigan Family Farms Conference might look like. One thing is for sure, the conference will happen! We are currently looking for keynote and speaker referrals for the conference and they can be submitted here.
The planning team is always looking for new voices and ideas and there are many ways to get involved. Whether you can attend bi-monthly meetings, want to be a part of a sub-committee curating a conference track, or want to share your ideas one-on-one, we want as much community and farmer input as possible. Just send an email to info@miffs.org and we’d be happy to chat with you! Some financial compensation is available for participation; we strive to compensate folks for their time and efforts and will be prioritizing compensating those who are experiencing current financial challenges. Join us for our next planning meetings on Tuesday, November 9 & 23 at 10 am via the Zoom link here with the password: MFFC
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Fair and Equitable Hiring on the Farm: Tips to avoid legal issues and build a great workforce Dec 2, 2pm. We all want workers that appreciate the job and support the farm or ranch’s goals, no matter where they’re from. We know that skill can be found within a huge range of backgrounds. But, many farmers don’t realize how the law defines discrimination, and whether their hiring and management practices could hold up to the scrutiny. This is an opportunity. By learning how the law sees discrimination, farmers can avoid legal problems and spot better ways to ensure we are attracting the best workforce possible. Sign Up Here.
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The Office of Community Food Systems will host webinars Monday, November 8th and Tuesday, November 9th at 2:30pm, to help interested applicants learn more about the 2022 Farm to School Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA) and put together a grant package. A Frequently Asked Questions document will also be available through the Farm to School Grant Applicant Resources Page of the FNS website. Register here for November 8 and here for November 8.
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Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 101 for Organic Food Processors. This fall the CCOF Foundation has partnered with university extension educators and other organic certifiers to host a series of webinars that reviews the basics of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations as they pertain to organic food processors. It is a great series for small or mid-sized processors (organic or non-organic) who are still figuring out how they need to comply with FSMA. See below for recordings/registration links for the webinars in the series. Learn more about the entire series on the CCOF website.
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Map of Michigan Beginning Farmer Resources. The Map of Beginning Farmer Resources in Michigan is an interactive tool showing over 70 programs for beginning and aspiring farmers in Michigan. View the map here. Listings feature short videos, a website link, a program description, a list of programs offered for beginning and aspiring farmers and contact information. Two online trainings will share out how to use and share this resource. Farmer Toolkit: Map of Beginning Farmer Programs demo: November 9 Noon-1pm Register here
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NAFSN'S Finding Your Future in Food Systems webinar series will provide participants with connections and insights to help them identify next steps for their careers. The four-part series features speakers from job-creating organizations and businesses, some working locally in their communities, others with national and international scope. Series information and registration here
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COVID Vaccine & Resources |
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Phone: 517.709.8271 Email: info@miffs.org |
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