| Are you thinking about starting
a farmers’ market? Have you started a farmers’ market
and want it to grow? Then you’re in the right place. The Farmers’
Market Alliance of Western Pennsylvania has many resources
for you. The Farmers Market Alliance of Western
Pennsylvania can help with your particular needs.
The Farmers’
Market Alliance of Western Pennsylvania offers its members
a basic set of services: access to affordable market insurance,
promotional materials and programs, workshops and training, a market
web site, opportunity to network with other market managers and
vendors, answers to those thorny problems that so many markets face
sooner or later, and more.
And…. Farmers’
Market Alliance of Western Pennsylvania can provide in-depth
assistance just for you:
- Creating a new market
- Finding more vendors
- Facilitating the creation of a formal market organization to
lead an existing or new market
- Strategic planning, problem solving, and goal setting
- Site planning and development
- Building linkages to community organizations
Here are just a few samples of the basic organizational documents
that markets need, these examples are in Microsoft Word Format for
your convenience:
You might also want to check out some of the following web and
print resources:
Farmers Market Consortium
Resource Guide
www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/Consortium/ResourceGuide.htm
www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/Consortium/FMCResourceGuide.pdf
The Resource Guide promotes a free flow of information
between the programs that support farmers markets. It is divided
into four types of projects: market development, producer training
and support, consumer education and access, and market promotion.
The Resource Guide describes each of these four types, followed
by an overview of the participating programs and a list of the most
recent projects that support farmers markets.
Resources for Farmers’
Markets
www.farmersmarketsusa.org/
This site might not be the best resource, but it is a good starting
point for an overview of what is going on with farmers’ markets
around the country. It links to many other websites with information
on specific locations, as well as information about various associations
of farmers’ markets. Some links are outdated, however.
ATTRA: National Sustainable
Agriculture Information Service
www.attra.org/
Looking for the latest in sustainable agriculture and organic farming
news, events and funding opportunities? This website features all
that, plus in-depth publications on production practices, alternative
crop and livestock enterprises, innovative marketing, organic certification,
and highlights of local, regional, USDA and other federal sustainable
ag activities.
Growing for Market
Newsletter
www.growingformarket.com/
Growing for Market is America's most respected source of information
about growing and selling vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and
plants. GFM is a monthly magazine about small-scale farming, sustainable
agriculture and farm direct marketing. It covers farmers markets,
farm stands, Community Supported Agriculture, and selling locally
to restaurants, supermarkets, natural food stores and florists.
GFM covers cut flowers -- one of the most profitable crops for local
growers -- in every monthly issue.
North American Farmers
Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA)
www.nafdma.com/
North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association is a trade
association dedicated to nurturing the farm direct marketing industry.
Its actions are driven by those whose daily lives are dedicated
to this way of life. Its members support their family farms by selling
millions of dollars worth of farm-grown produce directly to consumers
at farm stands, farmers’ markets, pick-your-own farms, consumer-supported
agriculture, agritourism venues, and other ever-growing innovations
in direct producer-to-consumer agricultural marketing methods.
Benefits of Selling at a Farmers’
Market
www.nhfma.bizland.com/BF-MAR-2004-briefing-htm.htm
USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service General
Farmers Market Information
www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/
How to Price Your
Products
www.farmersmarketsnm.org/vendors.htm#price
If you’re wondering how to price your products at the farmers’
market, it’s helpful to know what the prevailing wholesale
and retail prices are. These web sites have up to the minute information
about current prices that you can use as a reference point for pricing
your own products.
www.ams.usda.gov
Click on Market News, then Fruits, Vegetables & Ornamentals.
This web site provides wholesale prices for produce at terminal
markets around the country.
www.newfarm.org
Go to Grassroots OPX for pricing on organic and sustainably-raised
produce from producer-only markets around the country.
Farmers Market Nutrition
Program (FMNP): Information for Farmers
www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=128754
The Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) (WIC)provides resources
in the form of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits,
vegetables, and herbs from farmers’ markets in Pennsylvania.
The purpose of FMNP is to provide fresh, unprepared, locally grown
fruits and vegetables to WIC recipients, and to expand the awareness,
use of and sales at farmers’ markets.
Senior Farmers Market
Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=128985
Provide resources in the form of fresh, nutritious, unprepared,
locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs from Farmers markets,
roadside stands and community supported agriculture programs to
low-income seniors; Increase the domestic consumption of agricultural
commodities by expanding or aiding in the expansion of domestic
Farmers markets, roadside stands, and community support agriculture
programs, and; Develop or aid in the development of new and additional
Farmers markets, roadside stands, and community support agriculture
programs. SFMNP benefits are provided to eligible recipients for
use during the harvest season. In Pennsylvania FMNP operates from
June 1st until November 30th. This is the major growing season in
Pennsylvania.
The Food Trust
www.thefoodtrust.org/index.php
The Food Trust is responding to the contemporary epidemic of diet-related
disease and malnutrition by working to increase access to affordable
and nutritious food and helping people to improve their diets. Founded
in 1992, the Trust's mission is to ensure that everyone has access
to affordable, nutritious food.
Food Alliance
www.foodalliance.org/
Food Alliance is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable
agriculture by recognizing and rewarding farmers who produce food
in environmentally friendly and socially responsible ways, and educating
consumers and others in the food system about the benefits of sustainable
agriculture. Food Alliance operates the most comprehensive third-party
certification program in North America for sustainably produced
food. Food Alliance certified™ distinguishes foods
produced by farmers, ranchers and food processors who use environmentally
and socially responsible practices.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania
www.ruralpa.org/
"Starting & Strengthening Farmers Markets in Pennsylvania"
(35 pgs), 2nd edition
Free from:
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania
200 North 3rd Street
Ste. 600
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 787-9555
Direct Farm Marketing and Tourism Handbook-
University of Arizona
ag.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/dmkt.html
This guide is designed to help farm and ranch operators (and other
individuals who grow or process food products) market their products
and services directly to the consumer.
The Green Book
www.agr.wa.gov/Marketing/SmallFarm/greenbook.htm
With today's increasingly competitive food and agricultural markets,
more farmers are turning to direct market sales to capture a higher
percentage of the retail food dollar. To help farmers who want to
enter this growing market, the Washington State Department of Agriculture
(WSDA) has updated its guide to direct farm marketing. Commonly
called The Green Book, for its green cover, the 116-page handbook
provides regulatory and marketing advice for farmers interested
in selling at farmers markets and roadside stands or directly to
local consumers, grocery stores, cafeterias and restaurants.
To get a free copy of The Green Book, send your address via
e-mail to smallfarms@agr.wa.gov,
phone Sanger at (360) 902-2057, or download it from the Internet
at /www.agr.wa.gov/Marketing/SmallFarm/greenbook.htm
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200607/ideas.asp
“Great ideas from Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Austin, and
Pittsburgh” an article by Jennifer Hattam
Books: (from:
greenleaf.uncg.edu/farmermarkets_farmers.html)
- Corum, V., Gibson, E. & Rosenzweig, M. The New Farmers
Market: Farm Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers & Communities.
2001. New World Publishing.
- Gibson, Eric. Sell What You Sow! The Grower's Guide to
Successful Produce Marketing. 1994. New World Publishing.
- Hamilton, Neil. The Legal Guide to Direct Farm Marketing.
1999. United States Department of Agriculture.
- Ishee, Jeff. Dynamic Farmers Marketing: A Guide to Successfully
Selling Your Farmers Market Products. 1997. Bittersweet
Farmstead.
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