Michigan Food & Farming Systems is a statewide, non-profit organization connecting beginning and historically underserved farmers to each other and resource opportunities; ensuring social justice, environmental stewardship, and profitability. 
Hello MIFFS Supporters!
The Fall equinox is upon us, or so the calendar says so! That means it is time for harvest events to celebrate the fruits (or vegetables) of the labor. MIFFS and Ascension Genesys will co-host a harvest gathering at the WIA (Women In Ag) farm in Grand Blanc to celebrate the harvest and diverse communities working to build a vibrant and resilient food system in Michigan. There will be many activities along with teaching stations for interactive learning and networking. The event will be held on the campus of Ascension Genesys at the WIA Farm Development Center on October 25 from 10am to 2pm. Click here for the Facebook event and more details. If you are interested in bringing students or a large group, email here to set up a reserved arrival time.

We are equally excited that in just four months we’ll be seeing you all at our 17 th  annual Michigan Family Farms Conference. MIFFS and the conference planning team have a lot of work to do over these next few months, and we could really use your support! 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! If you are interested in registering for the event as an attendee, click here for more information.
If there are any questions about the items here or any MIFFS programs, please contact us via email or phone listed below. When we are not out in the field, we are in the office 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
The MIFFS Team
Resources, Workshops, & Opportunities:
CSA Labor Models & Specialty Crops On-Farm Field Day
October 14, 2019 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birch Point Farm 7506 E. Birch Point Road, Traverse City, 49684
Michelle Ferrarese is the owner and operator of Birch Point Farm, which offers a successful CSA program every year. Join us at Birch Point Farm for a farm tour and discussion about CSA Labor Models and Specialty Crops! Register Here! For questions about the field day, please email josh@mifma.org, or call (517) 432-3381.
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
The Michigan Good Food Fund  Catalytic Investment Award application is  open! This 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.  The focus of this award is to help good food businesses on how the business is helping to provide access to local, healthy and affordable foods. Click here for more info.
Michigan AgrAbility has partnered with Holland area farmer, Doug Ver Hoeven, in establishing a demonstration farm where farmers can see and try a variety of assistive technology tools and equipment before investing in aides that can sometimes carry a hefty price tag. Included in the demonstration items are lifts, ramps, outdoor mobility vehicles, hitch attachments and simple overhead door handling equipment. Smaller items such as pruners, antivibration gloves and easy attachments for hydraulic hoses are just a few of the items incorporated into the project. The farm is open for individuals or groups by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact Michigan AgrAbility at 800-956-4106. For additional information, contact Bev Berens, 616-886-1909 or bberens@essmichigan.org
Food: whether you grow it, raise it, process it, sell it, or just buy it and eat it – the future of farmland affects Ottawa County residents. Attend the November 8th event: Redefining Farmland Preservation for brunch and explore how Ottawa leaders are deploying new strategies to support agricultural industry into the future, as well as review the data that is helping to drive these decisions. Click here for more information and to register for this free event.
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.
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 kclark@fbcmich.org or 517-614-3290. 
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
¡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.
Applications Now Open for Rural Renewable Energy Projects! In order to help farmers and ranchers save money and utilize renewable energy, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loans to farmers and rural businesses interested in making energy efficiency improvements. The program also supports the purchase of wind, solar or other renewable energy systems, and provides grants to help farmers with energy audits and renewable energy development. More info here .
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.
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
The Community of Food, Society & Justice Conference will engage students, faculty, staff, farmers, and the community in rigorous dialogue around these challenges. The conference will be structured around a foundation of interdisciplinary scholarship that agrees that recognizing structural relations of power are necessary in order to confront race, class, and gender privileges on these issues and others. Please click here to access the conference schedule, registration, and the call for posters 
Jobs:
Fair Food Network is seeking a consultant to help us grow our in-house evaluation and business analytics capacity, including a personnel/hiring plan and improved infrastructure to optimally manage, query, and analyze our data. We anticipate this specific engagement to be between 12-18 months. The consultant whom we engage for this short-term outcome may be considered for staffing the position that is eventually created. While Fair Food Network is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the consultant does not need to be based in Michigan. More info here .
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
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 (priceri1@msu.edu), or contact him with any questions. More info here
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
Support:
Physical Address: 2438 Woodlake Circle, Suite 136, Okemos, MI 48864
Mailing Address: 480 Wilson Road, Room 172, East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517.709.8271 Email: info@miffs.org