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 […]
Information
Partnership with DACF helps farmers’ markets process SNAP/EBT.
October 21, 2019 Categories
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 […]
With just 5 weeks of planning, a farmers’ market blossoms in Waterboro
October 4, 2019 Categories
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 […]
A partnership in Bangor brings new shoppers to markets
September 24, 2019 CategoriesThis 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 […]
Snapshot Week Photo Competition
July 15, 2019 CategoriesMaine 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 […]
Apply NOW to accept WIC this season
February 5, 2019 CategoriesThe 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 […]
EBT Equipment Options for your Farmers’ Market
October 10, 2018 CategoriesLet’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’ […]
Low-tech and no-cost methods for accepting EBT
October 10, 2018 CategoriesUPDATE -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 […]
Buying your own EBT Equipment
October 10, 2018 CategoriesIf you’re looking to purchase EBT equipment for your SNAP program, without the help of a grant to subsidize the cost, then you should fall into one, or ideally all, of these categories: Our market has offered SNAP for years; Our vendors are dedicated to keeping this program sustained; We have enough shoppers using SNAP/EBT […]
Information booths at markets
August 21, 2018 CategoriesInformation booths (“info booths”) are popping up at more and more farmers’ markets in Maine. The primary service they provide to markets is that they offer a central location for shoppers to pay for all of their goods. At a busy market, the information booth cuts down on the transaction time for vendors, since they no longer […]