Farmers Market Boot Camp
Just hired? Join us for the 2023 Farmers Market “Boot Camp” on Thursday and Friday, February 9-10 from 12-3 PM.
Designed to move fast and cover the basics of running a farmers markets, market managers will get practical, grounded, and timely tools needed for opening day and beyond.
Not a manager, but just elected to the board of your local farmers market? Board members get a look behind the info booth to see what goes into market operations, as well as their role in sustaining a strong market organization and building a great team.
In addition, OFMN will host two "State Days" for Ohio participants, with dates to be announced in January. One session will focus on food safety, Cottage Food Law and labeling. The second will focus on nutrition incentive programs in Ohio.
The goal here is for everyone to learn where to go for information and who to contact at key agencies in Ohio, such as the Department of Agriculture and Produce Perks. Learn about who can help with SNAP, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and more!
For more information, or to register yourself and your board members, click the picture above!
Market Manager Certificate Program
Like any other professional, we believe a farmers market manager should be paid for his/her/their work. And like other professionals, market managers should commit themselves to continuously learning and advancing their careers through educational and networking opportunities such as webinars, conferences and volunteering.
To that end, the Ohio Farmers Market Network is proud to announce the 2023 Market Manager Certificate Program!
It wouldn’t be unusual if we pointed to the fact that like most things, farmers markets could be analyzed and approached like a venn diagram, showing “logical relations between a finite collection of different sets.”
We believe the shape of a farmers market venn diagram is a star, with each point representing an integral part of a successful farmers market.
The Market Manager Certificate Program (MMCP) was designed for individuals with some experience in farmers market management. While not required for participation, students may find the content more advanced than topics covered in the annual Ohio Farmers Market Conference, such as mission, vision and values, events and entertainment, and food assistance programs.
The 2023 MMCP will include presentations on the following topics:
- Licenses, Permits and Regulation
- BUDGET: Six Letters That Don't Always Add Up
- TikTok: Time for Change?
- Nutrition Incentives
- Market Transitions: New Management
- AI, Is That You?
- And more!
Given the investment of time and money, this program may be of more value to those seeking to advance their career in market management, those with ownership interests in a farmers market, or those invested in developing a strong, sustainable market in their community. Again, while experience is not required for participation, the benefits exist for individuals committed to this field of study.
The 2023 Market Manager Certificate Program includes the following:
- 8 webinars hosted live every Tuesday beginning February 14, 2023
- Templates, worksheets and other supplemental documentation to support your learning
- Q & A with speakers during live webinar presentations
- Access to professionals and colleagues with knowledge and experience
- One year membership to the Ohio Farmers Market Network
Students are encouraged to participate during live webinars, but this is not a requirement. All webinars will be recorded and available for viewing on a Google drive after the live presentation, along with all documents shared during the webinar.
OFMN wishes to recognize and reward farmers market managers who commit to certification and professional development, and those markets who hire and support certified market managers. As such, OFMN will:
- Recognize graduates of the MMCP on OFMN website with his/her/their name and market association, and;
- Provide a $20 discount to Certified Farmers Market Managers (CFMM) for the Ohio Farmers Market Conference hosted by OFMN, and;
- Provide a printed form of recognition such as a certificate, ID card and pin;
- Recognize CFMMs at the Ohio Farmers Market Conference.
We hope you’ll join us in our pursuit to advance our markets, our vendors and the glue that binds it all together - our market managers!
- COST: $175 for Market Manager Certificate Program or $30 per individual webinar.
- REGISTRATION: Registration coming soon!
- DATES: Webinars every Tuesday, February 14 - April 4, 2023 from 7-8:30 PM
- COMING SOON! ASSISTANCE: Apply for a $150 scholarship!
We're always looking for dynamic presenters involved in farmers markets, local food and farming, and/or small business to share their expertise and passion during the Market Manager Certificate Program.
Do you have a topic you want to share with our market managers?
Landon Adams
Sarah Banzhof
Shannon Barnette
Sally Buchanan
Casey Burdick
Michelle Chippas
Allison Chrien
Kathy Custer
Adrienne Davidson
Emily Diefendorf
Jennifer Fickel
Kristie Fisher
Cherry Street Local, Rush Creek Gardens
Jena Grosschmidt
Jaime Hadji
Erin Harvey
Christine Hawks
Sam Heighton
Britiny Hubbard
Audrey Hylton
Ava Johnson
Gwen Laurens
Brandon Lester
Market
Amber Locke
Amanda Lukas
Sarah Maar
Dan Madigan
Cait Masarik
Michael Maxwell
Bailey McCoy
Suzanne Montgomery
Ross Olson
David Persinger
Mitch Price
Kevin Scheuring
Sam Sharkey
Karen Stiles
Lynda Suda
Sarah Taylor
Sam Sharkey
Julialynne Walker
Mandy Way
Market
Daniel Weber
Michelle White
Jillian Woltz
Dana Workman Stacey
Continuing Education
The OFMN Continuing Education program is designed for CFMMs who have completed the MMCP and wish to pursue additional educational and advancement opportunities in the field of farmers market management.
Like any other professional, a farmers market manager should be paid for his/her/their work. But like other professionals, market managers should commit themselves to continuously learning and advancing their careers through educational and networking opportunities such as webinars, conferences and volunteering.
Certified Farmers Market Managers must earn 10 points annually, from March 1 through February 28/29. Points must be earned in a minimum of 3 categories: conferences, meetings, webinars, trainings and volunteering. The cost to recertify is $20 annually.
Each year, OFMN will provide a list of pre-approved activities that qualify for CE points. Each activity has been evaluated on the basis of its relevance to farmers markets, general industries that are useful to market managers such as marketing and food safety, and other “locally” focused and food related events.
A current list of pre-approved activities and their attributed points can be found here.
If an event is not listed on the pre-approved list of activities, a market manager may petition OFMN to add an event or to simply award points for participation. Each event will be evaluated based on the following information:
- What event did you attend?
- How many hours did you spend at said event?
- What did you learn that will be useful in market management?
Did you attend an event you think is worthy of CE points?
Click here to submit your request.
What happens if you’re not in good standing?
(ie: you don’t get your 10 hours in a year)
We know that life happens and sometimes, it’s not the way we plan it. As such, OFMN will handle all instances of missed hours on a case-by-case basis. However, our general policy will be as follows:
- Market manager will lose certification after 2 years of less than 10 CE points, and;
- If a market manager does not recertify after the second year, he/she/they must take MMCP again, and;
- Each year remains individual in terms of points (ie: points missed from year one does not have to be made up in year 2, year 2 requires only 10 points).
Recognition
OFMN wishes to recognize and reward farmers market managers who commit to certification and professional development, and those markets who hire and support CFMMs. As such, OFMN will:
- Recognize CFMMs on OFMN website with his/her/their picture, name and market association, and;
- Recognize farmers markets on OFMN website with their logo and website, and;
- Provide a $20 discount to CFMMs for the Ohio Farmers Market Conference hosted by OFMN, and;
- Provide a printed form of recognition such as a certificate, ID card and pin
- Recognize CFMMs at the Ohio Farmers Market Conference.
PLEASE NOTE: This program is being launched immediately with a “Launch & Learn” in 2019 with market managers who graduated from the MIFMA MMCP in February 2019. Managers will participate in the CE program as designed, and asked for feedback throughout the year.
Let's Connect in Real Life!
Our work strengthens farmers markets throughout Ohio, but has greater impact where markets collaborate with one another, their farmers and food producers, and stakeholders within their communities. As such, the Ohio Farmers Market Network hosts regional meetings and moderates a list-serv for each region.
While regions are loosely designated, we encourage our members to join a region that feels appropriate to their market. Please review the map/list below for general regional designations.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s connect!
