FMC invites interested individuals to nominate themselves for candidacy in the upcoming 2024 annual Board of Directors election. Five seats are available for this election cycle. Our volunteer Board of Directors is composed of individuals with proven leadership in farmers markets or sustainable food systems, aligned with FMC’s mission to strengthen farmers markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities. As we progress and implement our strategic plan, FMC remains dedicated to providing exceptional service to our members and the farmers market community. The Board seeks candidat ..read more

USDA-AMS recently released the Request for Proposals under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs (also referred to as FMPP and LFPP). This year, they have implemented changes to the program which come as a result of FMC recommendations to make the program more effective in meeting the needs of farmers market operators.  New Turn-Key Category In 2023, USDA crafted a new category within the FMPP grant program known as the turnkey project type. This project type was designed to ease the application process for organizations applying for smaller dollar grants to conduct marketi ..read more

USDA Announces Grant Funding and New Resources Available for Local and Regional Food Systems Development Release No.: 46-24 Contact:  Public Affairs (202) 720-8998 PA@usda.gov WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of approximately $26 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to help local and regional food entities develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting application ..read more

In an effort to understand the evolution of farmers markets over the last 50 years, FMC’s Dar Wolnik is seeking market stories that share how individual farmers market organizations got their start.  As a market leader, consultant, researcher, and now as FMC’s senior program person, Dar has studied the modern farmers market movement in the U.S. for more than 20 years. Her work has included gathering market histories (both written and oral), interviewing founders, current staff, and community stakeholders, as well as staying up to date on other researchers’ analysis of markets. From this w ..read more

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of the Farmers Market Coalition’s Executive Director, Charisse McGill. We extend our deepest condolences to Charisse’s friends and family, in particular, her dear daughter, and to the farmers market community as a whole. Charisse was a devoted mother, daughter, community leader, businesswoman, and advocate. She poured an abundance of energy, enthusiasm, and joy into all she did. As friends and colleagues, we will miss her terribly. As a community, we know the loss of her passion, leadership, and innovative spirit will be felt ..read more

In an effort to understand the evolution of farmers markets over the last 50 years, FMC’s Dar Wolnik is seeking market stories that share how individual farmers market organizations got their start.  As a market leader, consultant, researcher, and now as FMC’s senior program person, Dar has studied the modern farmers market movement in the U.S. for more than 20 years. Her work has included gathering market histories (both written and oral), interviewing founders, current staff, and community stakeholders, as well as staying up to date on other researchers’ analysis of markets. From this w ..read more

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of the Farmers Market Coalition’s Executive Director, Charisse McGill. We extend our deepest condolences to Charisse’s friends and family, in particular, her dear daughter, and to the farmers market community as a whole. Charisse was a devoted mother, daughter, community leader, businesswoman, and advocate. She poured an abundance of energy, enthusiasm, and joy into all she did. As friends and colleagues, we will miss her terribly. As a community, we know the loss of her passion, leadership, and innovative spirit will be felt ..read more

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE University of Wisconsin and Farmers Market Coalition Awarded USDA AFRI Grant to Grow Customer Base at Farmers Markets January 16, 2024 – The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is excited to announce an award from the USDA Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant program to strengthen the capacity for farmers markets to attract new customers. A competitive agriculture science grant within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), AFRI grantees aim to improve rural economies, nutrition ..read more

by Dar Wolnik, Farmers Market Support Director As a founding member of the World Farmers Market Coalition (WFMC), we at the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) participate in as much as we can, including the Academy studios held on Zoom where different components of farmers market organization are discussed among peers, facilitated by WFMC’s Head of Strategy, Robin Moon. On the most recent Academy call, we discussed how individual markets and associations like ours can assess their impacts on food and civic environments via mapping using a free tool, KoBo Toolbox. These Academy calls are currently ..read more

Reporting by FMC Policy Intern, Sarah Hale. Last week, for the culmination of this year’s chapter of our Farmer Fly-In Project, the Farmers Market Coalition had an intense two-day fly-in to Capitol Hill. Here’s a recap of our engaging and rewarding interactions with legislators and their staff. September 13, 2023 We began the day with an energizing constituent coffee with Sen. Joni Ernst (IA). Bob Shepard, a farmer and market manager from Iowa, and I had the opportunity to converse directly with Sen. Ernst about the invaluable role of farmers markets, especially in smaller towns like Washingto ..read more