http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2013/05/31/michigan-tracks-cattle-from-birth-to-plate/
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farmers/farming information
Nutrition Assistance Report Part II
More quotes and odds and ends from the Nutrition Assistance Project Report. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis, Nutrition Assistance in Farmers Markets: Understanding Current Operations by Sujata Dixit-Joshi et al. April 2013.
I hope this is helpful to those readers that don’t have the time to read 799 pages!
Here is a link to my original post about this report
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Stated purpose of project:
“To seek innovative ways to increase SNAP participants access to farmers markets (fms) and direct marketing farmers (dmf)”
Questions being asked in this project:
1. What are the characteristics of fms and dmfs and do they vary by SNAP authorization status?
2. What procedures are being used to add SNAP programs at fms and dmfs?
3. What is the nature of incentive programs?
4. What organizations serve fms and dmfs?
Three studies to be done in next few years:
FM Operations (was completed 2013)
FM Client Survey
Orgs administering SNAP at FMs Survey
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Details from FM Ops study:
2 phases of Operations study:
1. Nine markets were interviewed in depth, selected by FNS based on regions and demographic of poverty level in area.
2. 1682 farmers markets and 570 direct marketing farmers were surveyed between January and May 2012, Organized in 4 study strata:
Stratum 1: Snap authorized FMs and DMFs with redemptions from July 1, 2010- August 31, 2011
Stratum 2: SNAP authorized FMs and DMFs with no redemptions from July 1, 2010-August 31, 2011
Stratum 3: SNAP authorized FMs with redemptions from July 1, 2007- August 31, 2010 but none since in 2011. (FNS did not track DMFs separately before 2010.)
Stratum 4: Never SNAP authorized
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3.9 Farmers Markets Operating Budget
“In CY 2011, farmers markets relied on multiple funding sources for their operating budget. A vast majority of the markets depended on vendor fees: only 10 percent of the markets did not collect any vendor fees. Sponsorship from business organizations (28.7%), fundraising events (24.7%), and government organizations were also important sources of funding for the markets’ operating budgets. About 10 percent of the markets received funding from State government.
About 76 percent of the farmers markets charged the vendors a flat fee. Among the farmers markets that charged vendors a flat fee, almost one-half implemented a flat fee per season while about 40 percent implemented a flat fee per market day. Fewer than 10 percent of the markets assessed vendor fees as a percentage of sales, and less than 2 percent charged vendors based on the size of their rental space.”
5.3.1 Type and Characteristics of Outlet Where Direct Marketing Farmers Reported the Most SNAP Sales
“In CY 2011, a majority of the direct marketing farmers selected farmers markets as the outlet where they had the most SNAP sales.
… data suggest that direct marketing farmers who had prior certification may discontinue SNAP participation because they sell at outlets where they can use the market’s authorization to redeem SNAP. A sizeable majority of the direct marketing farmers in all three strata used their own authorization to redeem SNAP benefits at the outlet (Table 5-12).
In all three strata, receiving retail value of products was cited by 54 percent of the respondents in strata 2 and 44 percent of respondents in Stratum 1 (as reason for using the direct marketing outlets). About one-third of the direct marketing farmers in Strata 1 and 2 indicated that convenience was the most important driver for selling products at the outlet. A few reasons included location of the market (proximity to the farm, busy area, etc.); high volume of customers, particularly SNAP, WICFMNP and SFMNP customers; role in starting or operating the market, and to serve the local community.”
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Details of benefit programs at market (fms) and with direct marketing farmers (dmfs):
In 2009, 18% of the markets had access to card processing; by 2011, it was 35% (Briggs et al)
In 2011, 71.8 billion was redeemed in SNAP benefits and 11.7 million at farmers markets which is .016%
Markets with no incentive program had an average of $867 per season in SNAP sales and those with incentives averaged $2587 per season (p38)
(Expect more to come on this blog from this report….)
Louisiana Farmer Honored
Each year the Crescent City Farmers Market selects a local food hero to feature on wooden tokens that may be purchased at the market welcome tent using credit or debit cards, then spent with vendors at the market. Other local food heroes memorialized on CCFM tokens include Commander Palace Chef Jamie Shannon (1961-2001), Mississippi farmer and CCFM vendor James “Billy Corn” Burkett (1928-1995) and cooking school pioneer Lee Barnes (1951-1992) and Eula Mae Doré (1929-2008).
2013’s token honors Jim Core, who passed away during 2012 after a long illness. His wife Gladys and grandson A.J. continue to run the family market business, assisted by sister-in-law Gay. The Cores are anchor vendors at both the Crescent City Farmers Market and the Covington Farmers Market.
Gladys Core, Jim’s widow and herself a mainstay at the markets for their farm’s many years as anchor vendors.
Jim Core, LA farmer honored on 2013 CCFM token
Food First
Well done critique of the food politics that we currently live and die with. Yes instead of encouraging “fencerow to fencerow” agriculture (even for seemingly well meaning reasons), we need to assess our true needs and grow the proper food accordingly and grow it well with less inputs and environmental destruction in every succeeding generation. And instead of running into each other over middling legislative issues, we need a movement of big ideas like food sovereignty and human rights to push fairness for all that allows everyone to chime in as needed and to allow us to move past crisis campaigning. When, for example, will the US food organizers work side by side with the rest of the world’s organizers? When will we embrace true import-replacement strategies? When will all pieces of the food chain be valued?
Farm Bill Fiasco: What is Next for the Food Movement?”, a Food First Spring Backgrounder
By Christopher Cook
Deciding how America will nourish itself and sustain its farms would seem a top policy priority— yet as the US Farm Bill demonstrates, sustainably grown, healthy food and livable incomes for farmers and workers remain an afterthought in a process controlled almost entirely by agribusiness and a handful of farm-state legislators. Despite strong public opinion supporting local food, farmer’s markets, organic agriculture, food workers’ rights and access to fresh produce, agribusiness and commodity interests continue to dominate food and farming policy.
That’s largely due to their prodigious lobbying clout: agribusiness spent $137 million last year muscling Congress to do its bidding and another $46.6 million on federal candidates (about 60 percent Republican) in 2010. This phalanx of power includes commodity producer groups like the American Corn Growers Association; corporate food processors and purveyors such as Kraft and Dean Foods; the Farm Bureau; dairy and meat industry giants; and seed and petrochemical corporations like Monsanto.
On the other side, armed with ideas and passion but little money, stand hundreds of groups from across the US pressing Congress on an array of policies—including commodity subsidy reform, fair prices for farmers, public monies for local foods and small farmers, and conservation and nutrition funding. With a handful of lobbyists and diverse interests, they fight doggedly for small wedges of the Farm Bill pie.
But is the Farm Bill a productive venue for food movements to make meaningful change in food and farming policy?
40 organizations
Food Tank, one of my favorite new think tanks, is highlighting organizations worldwide doing good work. It’s a good list, although a bit of a surprise what is here and what is not…
http://foodtank.org/news/2013/05/forty-organizations-that-are-shaking-up-the-food-system
Quote I like
If the market only speaks with its supporters, then it runs the risk of arming its detractors.
Richard McCarthy, MarketUmbrella founder and its E.D. for 18 years, now Slow Food USA Executive Director
UC Berkeley Occupy Farm is plowed under by police but already replants
By Judith Scherr and Doug Oakley
ALBANY — About 50 Occupy the Farm activists returned to a piece of land Monday evening to replant vegetables plowed under earlier in the day after UC Berkeley police arrested four protesters.
At the same time, a group of Albany residents opposed to the Occupy group brought a contingent of their own to the parcel along San Pablo Avenue.
“We want a grocery store here,” said Sylvia Paull, one of the anti-Occupy protesters. “We spent five years working with UC and Albany trying to get one here.”
The Occupy group said it would return next weekend to tend to the most recent crop it planted Monday evening.
“We’re not giving up on this land,” said Occupy spokeswoman and UC Berkeley student Lesley Haddock. “It’s one of the best pieces of farmland in the East Bay and UC wants to make it a corporate development. We don’t want development.”
http://m.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/police-raid-albany-occupy-farm-compound/nXpxj/
A book recommendation for evaluation geeks (like me)
Accounting For Social Value
When organizations use social accounting practices, they are able to measure their performance in terms of benefits accrued to key stakeholders such as their communities, human resources, and those investing in the organization. This innovative change in accounting can lead to a fundamentally different perspective on the value of an organization. Through case studies of organizations that have implemented social accounting in the United States, Canada, India, and Scotland, Accounting for Social Value provides a unique perspective for understanding key issues in this growing field.
Jenga Mwendo
Jenga is the founder of Backyard Gardeners Network in Lower 9th Ward, raw food entrepreneur and in this video, is talking about her excellent work in the lower 9th ward section of New Orleans. Jenga’s garden will be on my Slow Food tour May 18th. If you believe in community food systems at their most collective and grassroots level, you may want to check her work out more and support her efforts:
This is one of my favorite pieces about New Orleans, written by Jenga as a response to a unworthy story by NYT about lower 9:
Jenga’s response to NYT
USDA report: Nutrition Assistance in Farmers Markets: Understanding Current Operations
I have begun to take notes on the 799 page report released by the USDA last week (authored by Westat) on nutrition assistance programs managed at markets/with direct marketing farmers.
This (FM Ops) is the first completed phase of the 3 phases of research. Next will be a FM Client Survey, followed by a survey of organizations administering SNAP at farmers markets.
First, the data collection info:
2 parts to this research of FM Ops
First, 9 markets were interviewed in depth, picked by FNs based on their FNS regions and level of population below poverty level:
Eastern Market, Detroit MI
Peachtree Road, Atlanta GA
South Boston, Boston MA
Clark Park, Philadelphia PA
Market On The Square, Mobile AL
Fort Pierce, Ft. Pierce FL
Wytheville, Wytheville VA
Sitka, Sitka AK
Overland Park, Overland Park KS
Second, 1682 farmers markets and 570 direct marketing farmers were surveyed organized in 4 groups:
1. Those that were SNAP authorized and had redemptions between July 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011-77.4% (FMS) and 68.2% (DMFs) response among this group
2. Those that were SNAP authorized but had no redemptions between July 1,2010 and August 31, 2011- 69% (FMs) and 65% (DMFs) response among this group.
3. Those that were SNAP authorized and had redemptions between July 1, 2007 and August 31, 2010, but had no redemptions after August 31, 2010 – 56.8 % (FMs) response among this group -FNS did not differentiate FMs from DMFs until 2010 so there is no individual data on DMFs.
4. Never SNAP authorized- 51.8% (FMs) response among this group. Same issue as above in tracking DMFs so no numbers for that group in this stratum.
Westat also conducted focus groups with 2 markets in DC and Maryland, with some fascinating input from the participants:
“They don’t all make you feel that way, but sometimes you come across one that makes you feel a little bit like, ‘Oh, another EBT card.’ I don’t think they all do it and it’s not every time, but few and far between. They make you feel a little embarrassed, like a second class citizen.”
Much more to come…..
Women farmers doubled
Posted by Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, on April 29, 2013
“A study released today by USDA’s Economics Research Service, Characteristics of Women Farm Operators and Their Farms found that the number of women-operated farms more than doubled between 1982 and 2007. When all women involved with farming are added up – including primary and secondary operators – they are nearly one million strong and account for 30% of U.S. farmers.”
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib111.aspx
FMC Discover You Can program participants for 2013
• Bellingham Farmers Market, Bellingham WA
• Bushwick Farmers Market, Brooklyn NY
• City Market, Kansas City MO
• CitySeed, New Haven CTCommunity Farmers Market, Bowling Green KY
• Countryside Conservancy, Peninsula OH
• Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, Evanston IL
• Downtown Farmer Market, Salt Lake City UT
• Durham Farmers Market, Durham NC
• Farmers Market Association of Toledo, Toledo OH
• Foodchester, Inc. Pleasantville NY
• Greater Springfield Farmers Market, Springfield MO
• Green City Market, Chicago IL
• Hub City Farmers Market, Spartanburg SC
• Lancaster Market, Lancaster NY
• Las Vegas Farmers Market, Las Vegas NV
• Mainstreet Farmers Market, Statesboro GA
• Minnetrista Farmers Market, Muncie IN
• Moscow Farmers Market, Moscow ID
• Neighborhood Farmers Market, Seattle WA
• New Orleans Food & Farm Network, New Orleans LA
• North Central Texas Farmers Market/Cowtown Farmers Market, Fort Worth TX • Omaha Farmers Market, Omaha NE
• Oregon City Farmers Market, Oregon City OR
• Rochester Downtown Farmers Market, Rochester MN
• SD Weekly Markets, San Diego CA
• Seacoast Eat Local, Exeter & Dover NH
• Smart Markets, Fairfax VA
• Teller County Farmers Market, Woodland Park CO
• Ypsilanti Farmers Market, Ypsilanti MI
©2013 Hearthmark, LLC dba Jarden Home Brands. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Hearthmark, LLC dba Jarden Home Brands, Daleville, IN 47334. Hearthmark, LLC is a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH).
Vermont Feasibility Report
Very proud to release the Vermont Feasibility Market Currency Report this week. I was contracted last fall to do this work by Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Marketing (VAAFM) in partnership with Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT).
The focus was whether there were opportunities to merge the coupon (FMNP and incentives) and SNAP programs into a universal currency for all of Vermont’s farmers markets (and also ultimately assist CSAs and other direct marketing outlets) in order to streamline the systems now being used.
The final report covers technology issues, market capacity, costs and outreach for the Vermont farmers markets and offers recommendations for streamlining through pilots and policy and further analysis.
This link takes you to my website where the report is listed.
I am happy to talk about the report or to answer any questions.
Dar
Building a Racially Just Food Movement | IATP Food and Community Fellows
“Undoing racism in the food system requires more than good intentions. We must act, employing thoughtful strategies to attack polices and practices that uphold systemic racism. Additionally, and equally importantly, ridding ourselves of the internalized thinking associated with racism is a lifelong and intergenerational work. It requires a systematic process for learning about the social construct we call race, its history and various manifestations. Organizations in the food movement should hold mandatory, frequent, on-going anti-racism trainings. There are many good anti-racist trainers throughout the United States including DR Works, The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and Crossroads.
Finally, food movement organizations must do things differently. All organizations planning food security, food justice and food sovereignty conferences should include a track that addresses racism in the food system. Major national conferences should have several workshop offerings in the track.”
Building a Racially Just Food Movement | IATP Food and Community Fellows.
Helping Farmers Markets Grow 