A Farmers Market Association Fulfilling Your Triple Bottom Line

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A Farmers Market Association Fulfilling Your
Triple Bottom Line

• Farmers Market Federation of NY A Case Study

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Creation of the Farmers Market Federation of NY

• Developed a board of directors
• Structured a committee system
• Sought member input
• Developed a strategic plan

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Developed partnerships to

• Create successful programs
• Get our message out
• Make our voice heard

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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

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How do we benefit our states 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

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Statewide promotions

• Banners
• Tote bags
• Bumper stickers
• State Fair
• Brochures

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2009 New York State Fair with Biz Kid
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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.

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• Media kits help markets promote the program
• Encourages markets to develop community
  partnerships

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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

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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

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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

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Networking Communications

• Quarterly Newsletter
• Website
• NYFarmersmarket-L listserve

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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

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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

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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.
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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

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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

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Diane Eggert Farmers Market Federation of
NY Diane.eggert_at_verizon.net 315-637-4690