It's that time of year again... coupons are here!

July 15, 2021 Britni Gallo

It's that time of year again. Markets are brimming with fresh, seasonal produce and customers are anxious to bring home the best food produced by our farmers.

It also means that coupon programs are well underway and farmers will be sending them off to the Federation for reimbursement. Here are some thoughts on how you can make the redemption process go quickly and shorten the time it takes for farmers to receive their payments.

Make sure all coupons are facing the same direction. If we have to organize the coupons for processing, it slows the work down. It may also mean that the coupons will be set aside until all others are done.
Band coupons together. Putting organized coupons loose in a large envelope or box will not keep them organized! They are bounced around the mail trucks, thrown across the mail sorting process and the coupons become a jumbled mess. Again, if we need to organize the coupons for processing, the coupons will be set aside until we have the time to deal with them.
Segregate different coupons from one another. Each coupon type is processed on its own.
Be sure all coupons are stamped (signed if you have no stamp). BUT be sure the stamp is in the proper location and NOT on the bar codes. That means the bar codes cannot be read and slows the process down when the coupons need to be hand entered.
Let the ink dry before they are packed tightly into a box. Wet ink causes the coupons to stick together and can cause miscounts.
Remove all staples. While we ask that staples not be used when distributing coupons, they are often used. But staples damage the processing machinery, so we have to remove all staples to prevent damage. This slows processing down and may cause the coupons to be set aside and dealt with once others are done.
Be sure to include all information necessary to allow for a check to be cut. Include the redemption form and completely fill it out. Checks will be cut to the name indicated on the redemption form. Be sure the correct address is on the form for mailing your check. If nothing is included or the form is not complete, we cannot make payment. You can find the form here.
The more frequent you send coupons for redemption, the faster you get money. We always encourage frequent mailings. Waiting until the end of the season means a pile up of coupons and takes us longer to get through everyone’s coupons.
Be sure you use a secure envelope or packaging. We sometimes get envelopes that have been ripped open by postal sorting machinery. Coupons fall out and are lost.
We do our best to accurately process everyone’s coupons in a timely manner and get checks out. We appreciate your patience and your willingness to accept coupons as payment for your farm products! Have a great market season!

Farmers Market Federation of NY — 2021 Webinar Schedule: SNAP for Farmers and Farmers Markets

March 12, 2021 Britni Gallo

There are a lot of advantages to joining the SNAP program. As a farm, you are able to add new customers for your products, increasing sales and profits. Farmers markets will be able to make their markets more accessible to a wider segment of their community, as well as bringing more sales opportunities to your participating farmers and vendors. Joining SNAP is not hard to do, and New York State makes it easy and affordable for you! Learn how to join by participating in these free workshops offered by the Farmers Market Federation of NY via zoom.

Each topic will be repeated twice to allow you to participate in the date most convenient to you. These will also be recorded and posted on the Farmers Market Federation of NY’s website for future reference and referrals.

There will also be ample opportunity in each session for you to ask questions to help you make the decision to join the SNAP program and earn more customers and sales!

Enrolling in SNAP: Is It the Right Move for You?

The SNAP program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) holds the potential for farmers to increase their customer base and their farm revenues. This workshop will focus on enrolling SNAP for farmers markets; why you should participate and how you can apply to be a farmer SNAP retailer.

View the Webinar

Operating SNAP at a NY Farmers Market

Farmers Markets all across NYS have stepped up to operate a SNAP program in the markets, bringing new customers to the market and adding revenue to their farmers. This system operates on a central terminal system with one terminal in the market and tokens used as SNAP currency. This workshop will provide key information on operating the central terminal system and tokens in the marketplace. Learn what your rights and responsibilities are, what NYS can provide to help you with your program, and some basic promotions for your SNAP program.

Tuesday, May 4: Noon — 1:30pm

Attend the Webinar

We Are HERE for YOU: Market Managers Virtual Conference, March 1-4, 2021

February 17, 2021 Britni Gallo

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU

Bottom line, that is what the Farmers Market Federation is all about, and why we do what we do: provide resources to advance the professionalism among farmers market management, help to build experiences around local food, work to make markets accessible to everyone in their community, and support creating markets that can become a vital piece of their community fabric.

The year 2020 was incredibly challenging. You showed us how resilient Farmers Markets could be: restructuring, redesigning, and renovating in order to safely provide delivery of locally grown food for our customers and community. In addition, you made room for “Giving Back” to help families in need and meeting people where they are with projects such as Barryville’s “Victory Garden” and Aurora Farmers Market’s “Sharing the Bounty.”

We applaud you! It was no easy feat. But we know you, and you will not spend any time relishing your accomplishments, for a Farmers Market Manager’s work is never done. Here we are in February once again. It’s time to sow the seeds for a new market season, requiring tireless planning, sweat, and tears. Plus, with the pandemic still to consider, everyone’s resilience, patience, and energy are wearing thin. Challenges remain, but much progress is being made, and we can see light at the end of the tunnel.

We want Conference 2021 to help you reboot, recharge, refocus and realize how valuable what you do is for all of us.

So please join the many in the Market community who have already registered and click here to Sign up for Conference today! Take advantage of this unique opportunity to attend a Conference from the comfort of your own home or office space, without hotel beds, travel hassle, or dress code, and with 11 educational topic sessions, built-in fatigue breaks, networking opportunities, a virtual farm tour and Happy Hour! All for the reasonable price of $50.

Added Conference Bonus: If you aren’t able to attend one, some, or even any of the live sessions, by registering you will have access to all of what our Conference offers: presentation power points, session recordings, resource materials, and a list of other attendees to build your contacts. All these will be the ‘gifts that keep on giving’ for your Market as you plan for a new season.

Remember, The Farmers Market Federation of NY is here for you, and providing all that our Market Managers Conference ‘21 offers is what we do.

We thank you for being there for us and for all our Market communities around NY State.

Cheers!

CSA Innovation Network — Farmer to Farmer Exchange: Ecommerce Platforms

December 15, 2020 Britni Gallo

In early 2020 as COVID-19 hit the United States, consumers quickly moved to purchasing food directly from farmers. Farmers responded by moving quickly to online sales, contactless payments, and contactless deliveries. In order to assist farmers with choosing a software platform for their direct sales, the National Young Farmers Coalition produced a Farmer Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms. That guide focuses exclusively on farm-specific sales platforms and includes details on pricing, features, and links to additional information on 19 different platforms.

This report details farmer ratings for the five most popular of those farm-specific sales platforms plus four additional platforms that are not farm-specific and are used by many farmers. This report is designed as a companion piece to the Farmer Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms and will not repeat information contained in that Guide. Instead, it will augment the Guide with farmer-to-farmer ratings and details about farmer experiences using the platforms.

The information in this report was compiled through a national survey of farmers conducted by the CSA Innovation Network from 29 May to 30 June 2020. There were a total of 170 anonymous responses, with 143 farmers contributing data on the 23 platforms included in the survey, and 59 of those farmers contributing data on multiple platforms. This report highlights the 9 platforms that received ratings from at least 10 farmers. For information on additional platforms that did not make it into our top 9, see the National Young Farmers Coalition Farmer Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms the Lake Pepin Local Online Platform Comparison Chart for Aggregated Sales and the Resources at the end of this report.

View the PDF Here

"Reimagining Markets for a Brand New World" Farmers Market Managers Virtual Conference 2021

December 14, 2020 Britni Gallo

Farmers Market Managers Virtual Conference 2021 to highlight adapting Markets in our newly changed environment.

2020 showed us the dynamic resilience of Farmers Markets and their operators to restructure, redesign, and renovate for safely providing delivery of locally grown nutritious food for their customers. The 2021 NYS Farmers Market Managers Conference will highlight lessons learned through the 2020 season by looking at best practices and expand upon how markets can be reimagined as agents of change for future challenges while continuing to create successful marketplaces.

Three featured conference sessions to look forward to are the following:

ADA Requirements and Farmers Markets

We welcome guest speaker Stephanie Woodward, an attorney and disability rights advocate. Stephanie will help markets better understand the needs of the disabled community, ADA legal requirements, and how to improve market access and the market experience. She will talk about service animals, what is allowed, what is required, and how we navigate through the process. She will also highlight the issue of mask-wearing mandates – what are everyone’s rights and how to best protect everyone.

De-escalating Contentious Situations at Markets - Skills for resolving conflicts

Will Nassau is a de-escalation negotiator with Nassau Facilitation Services. Will’s presentation will help us to better resolve issues that have the potential to blow up on us – customers who refuse to follow rules, vendors that feel entitled. By using real-life examples, Will uses an interactive technique with the audience to learn to understand the behavior and diffuse the conflict before it gets out of hand.

Undoing Racism at Our Farmers Markets

Taisy Conk, Program Director of Community Food Action, and Iyeshima Harris, Project Director of East New York Farms will lead this session which focuses on how markets can develop strategies to reflect ethnic and diverse communities. This interactive workshop will provide a space to discuss how race and racism affect farmers markets’ staff, customers, and vendors. The facilitators and participants will share challenges, practices, and successes in building more just and equitable markets.

The conference will also feature interactive networking opportunities to allow managers to share experiences, ideas, and challenges; a virtual tour of the Kriemhild Dairy farm, built-in fatigue breaks, and a virtual Happy Hour hosted by Jim Farr of the Rochester Public Market and featuring John Urlaub, owner of the Rohrbach Brewing Company in Rochester, NY. Together they will lead us to celebrate farmers markets and a successful conference.

You can view the full agenda here

The conference registration fee of $50 per person will cover the full conference, including access to presentation documents and recordings. Register now for the 2021 Farmers Market Managers Conference: “Reimagining Markets for a Brand New World”. All registrations and payments will be done online through Eventbrite. Once registered, you will receive an email with your unique links to all conference sessions.

Register for Conference 2021

For more information, contact the Farmers Market Federation of NY at deggert@nyfarmersmarket.com or call 315-400-1447.

Planning for Winter Markets: Open Forum Recap

September 16, 2020 Britni Gallo

Scoping out what shape or form your winter farmers market could take this season adhering to COVID safety guidelines? Many good questions to consider, planning and design ideas were shared by our panel of market managers and participants during our September 3rd open forum. Here is a summary of what was discussed:

Please note that NYSDAM, at this time, does not foresee releasing any updates to the guidance for markets operating indoors in the winter. Instead markets are to follow current guidelines for the phases we are in within each region.

Surveying customers/vendors to find out what they prefer for their winter market.

Laura Crimmins of Kingston Farmers’ Market shared that they sent out a short survey to help get started with planning. The result was that a majority of customers/vendors wanted an in-person market, but would still want the ability to shop their market no matter how it was offered: online only with curbside pickup, stay outdoors (notify if snow cancellation, otherwise dress for the cold!) indoor market or hybrid model: keep online ordering capability AND have in person shopping when possible. Finding out what your market community would like to see in a winter market by way of a few question survey or just talking to customers could be a good start to formulating a plan.

Questions/aspects to consider when moving your market to an indoor location:

Will the space accommodate vendors/farmers at the recommended 10 ft apart allowing enough room for customers to shop safely at a 6ft social distance?
1. Rule of thumb for measuring capacity for people able to properly social distance in a market space is allowing 10x10 ft per person. This becomes even more relevant for promoting safety in an indoor market space.
2. How do you choose which vendors/farmers to include if your indoor space can’t fit them all? This is tricky. Steve Ridler of Troy Waterfront Farmers Market is first finding out which of his 80 vendors would like to participate in an indoor in-person market, then looking for a space that has ample capacity. For his large market he is looking at a closed supermarket space, gyms, warehouse, etc. The overall recommendation from market managers was to ask vendors what their preferences may be for this winter. Some may want to do business online only through the winter for reasons of logistics, health concerns indoors, limited inventory, etc.
Market Flow: Does the space have a separate entrance and exit to avoid crowding at one doorway? Also, having customers moving in one direction around the market could also help avoid bottle necks.
Crowd Control: How do you limit customers entering the market without having to make them wait in a line outside in the winter weather?

Allow for a space indoors and heated where people can wait to enter, mark the floor for spots that are 6 ft apart. That could also be a spot to post a menu of what vendor goods are available that day, so that people can know ahead what they will choose and move quickly through.
The Signup Genius app was used by some markets when they first opened in early Spring to help avoid crowding and could be brought back as a method to space out customer attendance.
Special times designated for certain groups could be established. For example, an early morning shift for the elderly and the immunocompromised, certain shopping times reserved for veterans or frontline health workers. It would have to be on the honor system as Steve pointed out, but his market established this when first opening in Spring and customers were appreciative.
Enforce to the greatest extent the ‘one per household allowed to shop’ rule.

Entertainment: Brenda Ryan of Down to Earth Markets suggested a DJ or piped in background music may have to suffice at her market this winter. Musicians or low-key entertainment take up space for shoppers and may encourage patrons crowding around or staying too long in the market.
Sanitation, air quality and heating:
1. Added janitorial service may be needed to keep the space sanitized and cleaned. This is especially a concern if the space is used by other groups during the week.
2. Investing in an air filtering system may be necessary as is required by some area indoor businesses according to local health department regulations.
3. Space heaters – there are certain safety regulations that must be adhered to for their use indoors.*

Online Shopping

Brenda R. commented that online shopping is likely more viable for markets in winter

Farmers/vendors are better able to manager their inventory when receiving preorders.
Customers can preorder and walk quickly through to vendors for pick up their goods.
However, there could be added costs and labor issues – would customer level justify providing this method of shopping.

Remaining an Outdoor market

Consider staying outdoors as long as you possibly can! On the calendar “Winter” doesn’t begin until 12/21. Can you trick your customers into thinking your summer/fall market is just stretching out a bit? (this will likely work better for downstate markets which may not be covered in snow by November….)
As mentioned above, online ordering can be utilized: customers preorder and can pick up curbside at a pickup spot set up by the market or they can move quickly through vendor tables to pick up individual orders.
Make sure space heaters and salamander heaters are to safety standards*

Contact tracing

DOH is not as concerned about shoppers in an outdoor open-air market where there’s less of a health concern for disease spread.
Down to Earth markets keep records of staffing, not customers. Name/Address/DOB is kept of staff and they do Health checks on them each day. (This is part of their market’s safety plan that markets are required to have on the premises)
Markets/Vendors have found it’s difficult to have customers fill out their info – too many people and not enough pens or ability to sanitize used pens.
Signup Genius could be utilized for customer tracing.

*Rochester Public Market shared their specifics for safe use of space heaters [PDF]

Call to Action: Local Farms Need COVID-19 Relief

September 16, 2020 Britni Gallo

The majority of farmers selling local foods have suffered severe market disruptions due to COVID-19.

U.S. Representative Alma Adams (NC-12) introduced the Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act (HR 8096) in the House of Representatives. The bill is a comprehensive approach to help small and mid-scale farms, farmers markets, and local food businesses cope with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act would:

Create a COVID-19 relief payment program for farmers, who sell in local and regional markets, based on their lost revenue.
Ensure Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) producers and low-income communities of color receive equitable access to COVID-19 relief programs.
Provide emergency response grants for farmers markets and local food enterprises to implement public health protections and COVID-19-friendly marketing practices.
Invest in the restoration and enhancement of local and value-added agriculture markets.

We hope to get this proposal included in the COVID-19 stimulus package being negotiated in Congress right now. Your voice can make a critical difference and help keep local farms in business.

Please call our US Senators and urge them to support local food in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill by introducing a Senate version of the Local and Regional Farms and Markets Support Act.

New York State Senators can be reached here:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Gillibrand.senate.gov
478 Russell
Washington, DC 20510
202 224-4451

James M. Hanley Federal Building
100 South Clinton Street, Rm. 1470
Syracuse, NY 13261
315 448-0470

Sen. Charles Schumer

schumer.senate.gov
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202 224-6542

James M. Hanley Federal Building
100 South Clinton Street, Rm. 841
Syracuse, NY 13261
315 423-5471

Find your senators: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Here is a script you may use (adapt as you like):

“Hello, my name is _________ and I am a constituent and a voter (tell them if you’re a farmer!).
I’m calling to urge you to support small and mid-scale local farms in the next COVID-19 relief package. Three out of four small farms are losing significant income because restaurant, farmers market, and agritourism sales have shrunk due to the pandemic. Many local farms in our community will be out of business by the end of the year if they don’t get targeted relief in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill.

Current USDA programs pay local farmers just pennies per pound on the crops they produce, which doesn’t come close to the losses local farms are suffering. The Local and Regional Farms and Markets Support Act has been introduced in the House of Representatives as House Bill 8096. Please introduce a Senate companion to House Bill 8096 so our local farms can receive the support that meets their needs in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill.

Thank you for your time."

If your call is routed to an answering machine, please leave a message. It will make a difference!

General tips

Your representative and senators were elected by you and upwards of a million to tens of millions of your fellow Americans, but by law they each only have a small team of correspondents on staff to read and respond to all of their mail.

Be patient and respectful to the staff member you reach — you want them on your side, don’t you?

The way to stand out is to provide a brief but specific personal story about how this bill would affect your life.

Do they want to hear from you? Yes! They need your support next election. But that doesn’t mean you’ll change their mind. On hot issues, their vote is often already made up. But on other issues, you could be their first constituent to weigh in. It is always worth the effort to let your representatives know your concerns about the issues that matter to you.

*Information above was partly provided by the Farmers Market Coalition Advocacy alert messaging

A State-Wide Food Drive in Celebration of Community Support for Local Farmers Markets

July 9, 2020 Britni Gallo

The Farmers Market Federation of NY has not promoted a statewide event in the past for National Farmers Market Week, but this exceptional year we feel it is important to do so. Give Back NY is a show of appreciation for our local communities for the tremendous support of farmers markets and local food since the COVID Pandemic began. We are inviting farmers markets to connect with the local emergency food programs/food pantries serving their region and assist with a food drive to take place at the market during Farmers Market Week, August 2-8.

WHAT: A week-long celebration of farmers markets that will emphasize food donations to local food pantries as a means of sharing the bounty! We hope to encourage consumers and farmers to offer donations to their neighborhood food program that serves the community on their visit to the farmers market during that week.
HOW: The Federation has put together a toolkit to help both food pantries and farmers markets prepare for and implement Give Back NY, including guidelines for communications, strategies for working cooperatively to benefit local food pantries, as well as communications and posts for building consumer awareness for the week-long celebration. To assist Farmers Market Managers with preparing for the event, the toolkit contains lists of emergency food programs in their area that Managers can contact for participating in the food drive and having a presence at the market that week. For food pantries, the toolkit contains details on participating in a farmers market and suggestions for communicating with the market, as well as their clientele. The toolkit will also contain signage and social media template material for both the farmers market and food pantry to use for promoting the weeklong Give Back NY celebration.
GOALS: to help alleviate hunger in our communities, inspire awareness in each community of local pantries and the work they do, and help develop a lasting partnership between markets, farmers and food programs that serve local families. Ultimately, we hope that Give Back NY will help launch a “give back” that keeps on giving.

Please join us in celebrating farmers markets, local food and farmers during the National Farmers Market Week, August 2 – 8, by participating in Give Back NY. View the toolkit for all the information, contacts and guidance you will need to partner with a local food pantry, promote the event and build a success food donation program to honor our communities.

Federation Membership is now FREE!

June 16, 2020 Britni Gallo

The Farmers Market Federation of NY is here for you! We are devoted to supporting farmers markets with resources, professional development opportunities, program administration and networking opportunities and a mutual vision for sustainable farmers markets. A visit to the Federation website, www.nyfarmersmarket.com will show the breadth or resources, opportunities and programs offered through the Federation.

New this year, membership in the Federation is absolutely free! The board of directors have agreed to eliminate membership fees to allow every market to participate in the Federation, its programs and services. To register your Federation membership we ask that you complete a form providing updated information on your farmers market. This information will be used to populate the database of farmers markets on the Federation website, www.nyfarmersmarket.com, populate an upcoming market locator app being developed by NOFA-NY, and update the SNAP market listing on www.snaptomarket.com.

Join the Farmers Market Federation of NY by registering your market here.

The Federation is also open to farmers and other food producers who participate in farmers markets. Farmer/Vendor Membership is also free of charge. Rather than a monetary membership, we ask that you provide basic information about your farm and marketing venues. This information will be used to create a local food map on the Federation website, www.nyfarmersmarket.com, to help guide consumers to your marketing venues.

Join the Farmers Market Federation of NY by registering your farm or business here.

Together we can build a system of markets that will provide exciting retail opportunities for consumers and vital outlets for farmers and producers to reach consumers and build farm profits.