A Farmers Market Association Fulfilling Your Triple Bottom Line Farmers Market Federation of NY –...

A Farmers Market Association

Fulfilling Your Triple Bottom Line

Farmers Market Federation of NY – A Case Study

Creation of the Farmers Market Federation of NY

• Developed a board of directors

• Structured a committee system

• Sought member input

• Developed a strategic plan

Developed partnerships to:

• Create successful programs

• Get our message out

• Make our voice heard

Who are our partners?

• State Dept of Agriculture• Land Grant University• Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators• State Health Dept• State Agency operating food stamp program• Statewide grower organizations• Consumer groups• National organizations –

– Farmers Market Coalition

How do we benefit our state’s markets and their farmers?

• Program Development

– increase customer traffic at markets– Increase sales for farmers – Promote increased consumption of local foods– Create top of mind awareness of farmers

markets

Statewide promotions

• Banners • Tote bags• Bumper

stickers• State Fair• Brochures

2009 New York State Fair with Biz Kid$

NYS Farmers Market Wireless EBT Program

• Makes open air markets accessible to food stamp customers

• Debit and credit capability creates new wooden economy within the market

• Creates retail excitement

• Adds sales and profits for farmers.

• Media kits help markets promote the program

• Encourages markets to develop community partnerships

Incentive programs benefit everyone

• Creating partnerships in the community

• Creates food access for low income consumers

• Builds traffic for farmers markets

• Increases revenue for market farmers

Services offered by a statewide organization can benefit both markets

and farmers …

• Cost savings programs– Liability insurance programs

• Market development– Working with communities to develop new

farmers markets– Assisting with market infrastructure

development– Creating new marketing opportunities

• Market basket programs; food bank partnerships

Market Manager Training

• Annual conference for market managers– Developing professional standards for market

management– Market manager training manual

• Farmers Market Information Days– Programmatic training; WIC Vegetable and

Fruit Check Program, FMNP, EBT, regulatory

• Market Manager Mentoring Program

Networking & Communications

• Quarterly Newsletter• Website • NYFarmersmarket-L

listserve

Advocacy

• Keeping farmers market issues at the forefront with local, state and federal policymakers

– Strengthen current programs; ie FMNP, FMPP

– Promote state level programs – funding for a farmers market grants program

– Safeguarding agricultural interests - food safety issues, zoning regulations targeting agriculture, labor regs, insurance regs

Advocacy

• Advancing the industry –– Active member of the state Food Policy

Council– Member of the state agricultural marketing

program – Pride of NY– Advisory committees for marketing programs

at land grant university– Advisory committee for legislative agricultural

committees

Continuous Member Input - keeps the organization relevant

• Round table discussions at conferences and workshops

• Visioning sessions

• Member surveys

• Member inclusion in committees

Keep the membership informed and involved.

A statewide Farmers Market Association can …

• Bring markets together to share information and resources

• Provide cost saving benefits

• Provide services to promote markets, increasing customer traffic and farmers sales and profitability

• Advocate on behalf of farmers markets

• Educate and inform

Helping markets fulfill their triple bottom line …

• Serving farmers with marketing opportunities

• Serving consumers with access to fresh, nutritious local foods

• Serving host communities with programs and services that make the market an economic, social, and nutritional benefit to the community

Diane EggertFarmers Market Federation of NY

Diane.eggert@verizon.net315-637-4690