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This is a brief newsletter because we are in the midst of some exciting changes. The most imminent is that we're moving from our former offices on North Lancey St. in Pittsfield, just across the Mill Pond to 165 Sebasticook St. The new site is easy to find, has plenty of parking, and is located on the ground floor, for much improved accessibility. (Our phone number remains 207-487-7114.) It was important to us to find a first floor office, but we have also faced a growing need for storage space.  Signage, maps, reports, tents, and all the related paraphernalia take a lot of space, and we're delighted to have found a new office with a little room to grow, still right in Central Maine!

New  MFFM SNAP Program Coordinator
 

We are pleased to announce that James DeBiasi will be joining the MFFM team as our new SNAP Program Coordinator. Currently living and working in OR, Jimmy will be relocating to Maine next month. Expect to see Jimmy visiting Maine Harvest Bucks markets and related meetings beginning in June.

The SNAP Program Coordinator is primarily responsible for the oversight and implementation of farmers’ markets SNAP and SNAP nutrition incentive programs at markets throughout the state. Jimmy will be working with markets at varying degrees to assist with the implementation, operation and growth of SNAP and incentive programs. He will also manage relevant grant budgets and reports and seek opportunities for additional funding.

Jimmy will be based out of MFFM’s Pittsfield offices, and will be spearheading the Maine Harvest Bucks program at all 35 participating markets, even while he gets to know the Maine landscape and our farmers’ market network. We are looking forward to welcoming him to the Federation, and hope you will join us in helping him get to know Maine’s farms and farmers’ markets!


 
New this year: shoppers may use Maine Harvest Bucks to purchase food bearing seedlings! Shoppers have long been able to use SNAP benefits to purchase vegetable and fruit seedlings. Now, thanks to a slight policy change at the USDA, Maine Harvest Bucks may be used for seedlings as well. This is good news for early season farmers' markets. (Download the above graphic for use on social media from our website.)
 
At this point, markets participating in Maine Harvest Bucks this year should have returned their Pledge Sheets (those were inside the front cover of the MHB manuals mailed last month) and should be preparing to order their vouchers. (Contact assistant@mffm.org if you're a market manager or EBT/MHB point person and need a copy of the 2017 voucher, or info about how many to order.) The budget has been confirmed for this year, and we plan to get details out to participating markets by May 12th.



Grow Your Own Organic Garden
 
The venerable Tom Roberts of Snakeroot Organic Farm taught our "Grow Your Own Organic Garden" class again this year (April 5th, statewide). The class is organized by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, which provides the curriculum and handouts (including printouts of the slides, fliers, and seed samples).  This program consistently attracts an audience with a high degree of interest and engagement. The importance of local food and sustainable agricultural practices naturally is a theme throughout (farmers' market friendly themes!). And since food-bearing seedlings may be purchased with SNAP or Maine Harvest Bucks, growing a garden is accessible to a wider audience, making this kind of program an excellent "friend-raising", educational opportunity to engage with the community in early spring.
 
Expanding WIC Access in Rural Maine

Since fall 2016, we have been partnering with the Maine Centers for Disease Control to help recruit farmers to become WIC authorized. Although in many parts of the state there are a significant number of farmers participating, in some areas, there were few or none. In March, Tina Bernier of the CDC traveled to both Houlton and Machias to offer in-person trainings organized by MFFM. (We've been working to strategically recruit farmers in other areas as well, including Madison and Dexter.)

The Women, Infants, and Children program focuses on providing certain nutrient-dense foods to young families. The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is the WIC program that most impacts local farmers, since FMNP checks can only be redeemed for local produce, direct from farmers.

Occasionally we hear from farmers in more populous parts of the state who wish to become WIC authorized, but don't seem to get enthusiastic support from the CDC. It's important to understand that the CDC staff would love to authorize every farmer who qualifies, but they have limited resources, particularly staff time. Since there are still large areas with NO farmers accepting WIC checks, they must focus on adding new farmers in those areas whenever possible. (If there are no farmers in a particular region to accept the checks, they tend to go unredeemed, which means less food on tables, and potentially less future funding). 

We appreciate the support of the CDC staff, who go out of their way to work with farmers on the WIC program, and who make a point of staying abreast of farmers' market issues and policies. This year we hope to pilot  some WIC nutrition incentive projects, and hope these efforts continue to increase statewide redemption numbers. The WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program helps some of Maine's most vulnerable residents access more fruits and vegetables from local farmers, which is a win-win effort. 



Maine Farmers' Market Snapshot Week 2017

Does your market want to be included in the 2017 Maine Farmers' Market Report? Want free resources to celebrate National Farmers' Market week in early August? Stay tuned: signup for Snapshot Week starts in May! (Our statewide farmers' market promotion work has already begun, with advertisements appearing in Zest and Downeast magazines.)
#lovemainemarkets
Rural Business Development Project Update

Last August, we welcomed Vance Corum, of Farmers' Markets America, to Maine to work on a Rural Business Development project with us. He spent several days in each of several rural market towns, interviewing market members, community leaders, and shoppers. From there, he created massive (80 page!) reports for each market. 

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to have long conversations with Vance. It helped his work immeasurably. (The participating communities were Norway, Bucksport, Belfast, Calais, and Presque Isle.)

Secondly, for those markets that are awaiting reports, we now have drafts of them all! The work took longer than Vance anticipated, but with drafts in hand, we expect to have edited copies available in the coming weeks. (Vance's time on the project has concluded, but MFFM Board members and staff will edit and share the reports, which are packed with useful data and suggestions.)

Outcomes of this project include new partnership initiatives for rural markets (more to come on this!), and an MFFM pilot project to offer stipends to help cover the cost of recipe testing for value-added products. Our goal is to help small businesses thrive at farmers' markets, enriching communities at the same time!
www.mainefarmersmarkets.org

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Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets · PO Box 313 · Freeport, ME 04032 · USA

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