The Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) invites farmers’ market organizers and direct-marketing farmers to sign up to accept SNAP/EBT on January 16th during the Maine Agricultural Trades Show. There are more than 160,000 people in Maine who purchase food with SNAP. Farmers and farmers’ markets can grow their customer base, and provide a critical […]
Meeting Start Time: 11:30 am Location: Washington/York Room (2nd floor of Augusta Civic Center) Please join MFFM Board of Directors and market farmers throughout the state for MFFM’s 2020 annual meeting. Hear updates from MFFM Board members and staff, and take a look back at highlights from 2019. Our annual meeting coincides with the 2020 Maine Farmers’ […]
The 2020 convention covers a breadth of topics of interest to farmers’ market members in Maine. Your market will make the most of the professional development opportunities on offer by bringing 3 or more members per market. This way, you’ll have the opportunity to cover more of the sessions, share your knowledge, and hold each […]
This year, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) partnered with the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) to help cover the cost of purchasing SNAP processing equipment for farmers’ markets. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, helps 1 in 8 Mainers (mostly children and […]
Kala Godard, of Four Hearts Farm, was driving up to an hour each way to various farmers’ markets to sell her farms’ goat cheese and other goat milk products. It was during the long commute, leaving her local community each week to sell in another town, that she began to think about launching a market […]
This article describes a marketing opportunity to attract new shoppers by partnering with local employers. In spring of 2019, MFFM was approached by the City of Bangor’s Wellness Committee to develop a program that will give their 500+ employees incentive to buy healthy food from the local farmers’ markets. Employer Partnerships Each year, the city’s […]
Maine Farmers’ Market Snapshot Week is our annual celebration of farmers’ markets in Maine. This event coincides with National Farmers’ Market Week, falling on August 4-10, 2019. Photo Competition This year’s Snapshot Week features a photo competition for shoppers and farmers. The competition will run for 2 weeks August 4 – 17 to give you […]
The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is a federal program providing supplemental nutrition to families with young children. In Maine it is administered by the CDC. Families are issued checks which they may use to purchase certain healthy foods. Most families also receive “Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program” checks every summer, and those checks may only […]
Let’s navigate the EBT equipment world together. This article addresses the free SNAP EBT Equipment Program and discusses additional options for ineligible markets. All markets that accept SNAP/EBT must possess a machine that processes the EBT transaction. Free Equipment? Free, wireless, SNAP-Only equipment is available via Maine Department of Health & Human Services for farmers’ […]
UPDATE -10.9.2019 – This information is dated. While it still remains a valid way to process SNAP transactions, there are much more convenient and free, or low-cost options available. The best step forward is to contact MFFM – email snap@mffm.org or call (207) 370 1524. If your market is new to accepting SNAP/EBT, or if […]