Absolutely one of my favorite presentations. I believe in a systems approach to my work so how I decide what I work on has a lot to do with how that project could be replicated or how organizing skills would be furthered with my input. This presentation-a version that I saw at Kellogg F&S meeting 5 years or so ago-was a real eye opener for me as a movement builder. I hope it is the same for you.
Two Loops: How Systems Change from The Berkana Institute on Vimeo.
SO glad that 2013 is finally bringing some good news to the national food movement.
VERY happy to see my New Orleans colleague (and old boss) Richard McCarthy hired as the new E.D. of Slow Food USA. His background is ideal for the job: born in Germany, raised in New Orleans, he spent his university time in the U.K. with his British grandparents. Since founding Crescent City Farmers Market in 1995, his extensive travel (I wish I could find the picture of us at Terra Madre 2008 with our overall-wearing Mississippi farmer in tow) and his deep interest in world movements have continued to benefit the US farmers market movement. Honestly, there is no one that fits the SF job better in 2013; they now have a coalition builder, an outstanding visionary and a good guy.
Can’t wait to see what he can do up there.
RMC and New Orleans Slow Food Founder Poppy Tooker celebrating (well something else, not this news in this 2006 picture.)
The founder of SF USA, me and RMC at the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans’ first fundraiser.
here are my questions:
1. Did the market sit with their vendors and explain the plan to add benefit program shoppers and is there a rule in this market (as there is in some markets) that all vendors must take the tokens (that have products that are able to be purchased with food stamps by law)?
2. . What if a vegetable farmer refused to take SNAP simply because of their own beliefs? How would a market handle that?
I’d love to hear some thoughts from markets and market vendors.
Vendor in Braintree, MA Refuses To Sell Pies To People On Food Stamps.
Wow, two stories posted today about vendors publicly disagreeing with markets. Not my favorite subject but certainly a necessary one to acknowledge.
I wonder if anything could have been done (in either case) to reduce the scope of these problems by assessing the problem ahead of time or maybe by asking for outside facilitation. I often hear stories from markets about disagreements they have with vendors. The best markets respond quickly and fairly to those issues and whenever possible, create more avenues of transparent governance to ensure that increasingly complex market projects do not leave loyal vendors behind.
So, as we expand the reach of markets, I think we need to make doubly sure that our main partners-the farmers-understand how decisions are made and are included when possible. Of course, it is possible that in both cases that there was nothing that could be done to avoid this conflict. In any case, let’s hope that the markets and the farmers rebound quickly from this.
Market suit story
One of the 35 or so short films I did for MarketUmbrella a few years ago to show the resiliency and enterprise in our farmers, fishers and markets. This one was designed for new vendors to watch so that they could understand what “setting up” at the market meant.
All are available on YouTube.
Last year, I posted the original graph that FMC and CFSC created to show food stamp (SNAP) redemption at markets since the 1990s.
This is the most updated published graph:
By the way, 2012 redemption was over 16 million. FMC will have an updated story this week or next.
Great job folks.
Today, the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) submitted recommendations to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service regarding their collection of data about farmers markets. These recommendations were developed in response to a request for comments on proposed revisions to USDA’s National Farmers Market Manager Questionnaire. Changes proposed by USDA include the addition of on-farm markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations to their annual information collection.
The USDA Farmers Market Directory offers the only comprehensive census of farmers markets currently available. In the letter, FMC supports efforts to maximize its accuracy, reduce market manager burden, and systematically improve the collective understanding of farmers market characteristics as well as those of on-farm markets and farm subscription programs like CSAs. We support elimination of the lengthy Farmers Market Manager Survey (currently conducted every four years, with a two+ year analysis/publication window) in favor of a more concise, timely, efficient annual data collection process.
We invite you to read FMC’s recommendations on our website, here where you’ll find a link to the letter submitted earlier today. As FMC President Bernie Prince points out in the letter, “market manager participation is crucial to ensure accuracy, and communication to the respondent population must be clear, consistent, and offer sufficient response windows.” We support annual data collection, coupled with the Farmers Market Directory update, that focuses only on a small set of questions clustered around an annual research theme. This theme should be identified in collaboration with other agencies and organizations (like FMC) each year and actively communicated to farmers markets well in advance. FMC pledges its continued efforts to help farmers markets engage in regular measurement and communication of their impacts.
As you prepare for a stellar 2013 season, what priorities do you think USDA should focus on in their national research efforts? We urge you to make your thoughts heard before the January 4th comment deadline. Please read FMC’s recommendations and consider endorsing them on behalf of your organization or yourself as an individual. Simply visit the regulations(dot)gov online form (here). In the Comment box, type “As a member of the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), I endorse the recommendations submitted by FMC on January 2nd.” Of course, please add any additional suggestions you have for the agency as it relates to the collection of information about farmers markets, on-farm markets, and CSA operations. The deadline to submit comments is this Friday, January 4, 2013.
Happy New Year, and thanks for your ongoing support for stronger farmers markets!
Sincerely,
Your friends at FMC
My brilliant colleague Wayne Roberts adds some thought-provoking ideas to the New Year. Now I understand how the four systems of food: production, logistics, nature and cities could be the cause (any or all of them) of a serious crisis and a real panic. So once again, how can markets and direct marketing farmers work to ensure a safe (uninterrupted) food supply?
The report from Fair Food Network, Market Umbrella, Roots of Change and Wholesome Wave offers some helpful data and analysis of the incentive programs used in farmers markets. All 4 of these organizations are involved with incentive campaigns at different levels and have begun to see the effects of the many campaigns that they have run. It is clear to me that cash incentives have been successful in reducing the early barriers for markets hoping to attract lower income shoppers. However,the ability of the market organizations to create and manage these campaigns remains a cause of concern in some networks and states.
I am curious as to how incentives could be used in more ways (two examples might be how to attract new vendors or thanking neighbors who live with the impact of the market ) and how other incentives besides a cash match could be developed.
See the report here. FYI- It is only opening on computers; it does not seem to open on tablets at this point.
“The hardest work in building FlashFood from theoretical to actual will likely be the networking itself, although the team has a strong head start on connecting with vendors. “We have been speaking a lot with organizations that already do work with restaurants to cover perishable food,” says Irwin, citing Food Donation Connection as an early partner. “But the difference between us and the organizations that are out there right now is that we account for late at night. Restaurants don’t always know how much they’re going to have left over, so we’re trying to fill this donation market of food that’s unexpected and needs to be transported really rapidly.” That means prepared dishes that can’t be frozen down for storage (unlike, say, leftover chicken breasts), or trays of food from weddings or conventions that were never served. FlashFood intends to find mouths for those leftovers within an hour.”
This is an encouraging evolution. Technology actually moving the dial to answer issues like late night restaurant leftovers and prepared foods.
How might markets support these entrepreneurs? What about mobile markets? Could this be one of the answers as to how mobile markets can be sustainable and still serve the most needy?
The Dane County Farmers’ Market (yes the one held in Madison surrounding the beautiful state capital since 1972!) has had Larry Johnson as its manager for the past decade. Recently, he offered some tips for emerging vendors on market selection. I for one am always happy to see this sort of SWOT analysis so that those that are making their decision about where to invest their time and money are armed with some good perspective. Larry has been at it for a long time and offers some sound advice, among them ideas for how to know what a “good” market should have:
“… Not all farmers markets are created equal. A good market has a good organization (board or core group of volunteers and/or vendors) that lay the groundwork or rules for the vendors. Having a dedicated manager is also important, according to Johnson, for maintaining the quality of the market, by making sure rules are followed. Johnson said as manager of the Dane County Farmers’ Market, he’s very intentional about food safety, licenses and such. He even goes out to vendors’ farms to make sure they’re producing what they’re selling, in order to maintain “integrity of products.”
Important
I would recommend linking this article on your website or even printing some out for your market vendors.
Interesting from the point of view of how farmers market have been working on full access to all citizens. If folks are discouraged from getting needed assistance, then the emergency food services will be overwhelmed and a potential road to better health intervention and access to community engagement is cut off for the most at risk population.
Sad. Scary.
I wonder what the community food system could do to change this policy in Georgia?
just something fun to look at for today.
Helping Farmers Markets Grow 