[FMC] FarmersMarketCoalition.org Peas n' News

[Farmers Market Coalition]

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PEAS N\' NEWS

     April 15, 2008          
              download a PDF version of the Newsletter [2] 

NEW FARMERS MARKET CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING DVD AVAILABLE [3]
	A new tool is available for farmers market managers and other
professionals that work with farmers markets. “Shared Wisdom,
Selling Your Best at Farmers Markets” is the title of a new video
that helps farmers do a better job of display, merchandising and
customer service at farmers markets.
Filmed on site at several
markets, this […] 

	more… [4] 

FARMERS MARKET NETWORK HOLDS FIRST REGIONAL TRAINING [5]
	On March 18th and 19th, farmers market leaders convened in Monterey,
California from as far as New York City and New Orleans in order to
facilitate a two day training for managers and vendors. This event,
hosted by the Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)
marked the first training […] 

	more… [6] 

AS FARM BILL DEADLINES LOOM, WE HONOR A REMARKABLE CAREER [7]
	by Don Wambles, President of the Farmers Market Coalition
 Springtime marks the beginning of a new season. After the cold, wet
days of winter, farmers are ready to begin spring plantings in
preparation for market season. Consumers remember the last fresh
tomato from last year and are anxious for this year’s first
strawberry. Market organizers […] 

	more… [8] 

TRANS•ACT RESEARCH TAKES SHAPE FOR SUMMER ‘08 [9]
	This summer, FMC will be sponsoring a Fellowship that will
work
closely with marketumbrella.org [10] on trans•act, a visionary
research project that will pilot a social capital evaluation tool at
eight markets in the Los Angeles area. Readers familiar with
marketumbrella.org’s Sticky Economic Evaluation Device (SEED), will
not be surprised that the tool being developed through […] 

	more… [11] 

LEARN & SHARE OPPORTUNITY: FMC SEEKS PRODUCT VERIFICATION AND VENDOR
RECRUITMENT TOOLS [12]
	Mention in casual introductory conversation that you’re a farmers
market manager and you’re likely to elicit responses like “Oh,
that must be so much fun!” with the implication that your job
involves little more than sipping lemonade in the shade, chit-chatting
with shoppers, and getting as much free produce as you could possibly
want. […] 

	more… [13] 

MEMBER INTERVIEW: COMMUNICATION IS KEY FOR NEW STATE FARMERS MARKET
ASSOCIATION [14]
	This interview was conducted earlier this spring with Susan Sauter,
founding board member and
treasurer of the West Virginia Farmers
Market Association (WVFMA), formed in 2007 with start-up funding from
a Specialty Crops grant. WVFMA recently became a member of the Farmers
Market Coalition. 

	FMC: Susan, we understand that you wrote the grant that helped get
[…] 

	more… [15] 

MARKET MANAGER BOOT CAMP RALLIES MICHIGAN TROOPS [16]
	This article was written by Dietrich Bronner, Chair of the Michigan
Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) and President of Frankenmuth
Farmers Market. MIFMA has been an FMC member since November 2007. 

	Making way for the local foods revolution, farmers market managers
from around Michigan marched to East Lansing on March 4th, enlisting
in an all-day Farmers Market […] 

	more… [17] 

FMC LISTSERV A NEW NETWORKING TOOL [18]
	If you’re not already one of the 130 people who’ve subscribed to
the FMC listserv in the last several weeks, you can do so by signing
up here. As the network grows, the listserv will offer great
opportunities to
learn and share with members of the farmers market
community from across the country.                 more... [19]       
             
	Summit Report Available 

	Staff at USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) have been hard at
work since November’s first ever National Farmers Market Summit, and
the final draft of the Summit Proceedings Report [20] is now available
at their web site. You can read about the 12 priorities identified by
the 75 Summit participants, as well as some of the strategies and
opportunities for collaboration discussed at the event. Even if
you’re not tempted by this seminal 82 page document, take a moment
to visit the newly redesigned AMS farmers market web site [21]. 
	Mark Your Calendars for National FM Week 

	Sources at AMS indicate that the Secretary of Agriculture has
permanently designated the first week of every August (Sunday through
Saturday) as National Farmers Market Week. Velma Lakins, Agricultural
Marketing Specialist at AMS, says that the
designation “allows our
constituents to start the planning process before we officially
announce the Secretary’s Proclamation each year.” A proclamation
from the Secretary announcing this year’s Farmers Market Week
(August 3rd-9th) should be announced shortly. 
	Support FMC with a Membership or Donation 

	It’s a little late for the 2007 tax season, but contributions to
the Farmers Market Coalition are tax-deductible to the full extent
allowed by the IRS. Whether you’re a farmer, market manager,
director of a statewide farmers market agency or association, or just
love farmers markets, becoming a member of the Farmers Market
Coalition will support our ever-growing network of leadership devoted
to strengthening farmers markets for the benefit of farmers,
consumers, and communities. Download [22] and mail FMC’s member
application or join on-line [23] via our secure Paypal system. 
	If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, click here [24] to
unsubscribe or edit your
settings. 

Links:
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[1]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/wp-content/plugins/st_newsletter/stnl_iframe.php?newsletter={nid}&code={code}
[2]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/peas_n_news_april_08_fmc.pdf
[3] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[4]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/new-farmers-market-customer-service-training-dvd-available/
[5] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[6]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/farmers-market-network-holds-first-regional-training/
[7] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[8]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/as-farm-bill-deadlines-loom-we-honor-a-remarkable-career/
[9] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[10] http://marketumbrella.org/
[11]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/trans%e2%80%a2act-research-takes-shape-for-summer-08/
[12]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[13]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/learn-share-opportunity-fmc-seeks-product-verification-and-vendor-recruitment-tools/
[14] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[15]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/member-interview-communication-is-key-for-new-state-farmers-market-association/
[16] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[17]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/market-manager-boot-camp-rallies-michigan-troops/
[18] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/
[19]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/2008/04/14/fmc-listserv-a-new-networking-tool/
[20]
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5066926&acct=frmrdirmkt
[21] http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
[22]
http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/fmc_membership_application.pdf
[23] http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/joinus
[24] http://dev.farmersmarketcoalition.org/newsletter/?account={code}
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