FMM Pro: SUNY Farmers Market Managers Professional Certification Program
In a partnership between the Farmers Market Federation of NY, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County and SUNY Cobleskill and funded by NYS’s Fresh Connect Program; a new online curriculum has been created to train and certify farmers market managers. This course is offered to members of the Georgia Farmers Market Association through a partnership between GFMA and FMFNY. The course will include all aspects of managing and growing a successful farmers market. The course will be offered online through Moodle.com under the sponsorship of Cornell University.
The curriculum will consist of 22 workshops covering 3 basic topics:
Nuts and Bolts of Managing Markets
Reaching Out to the Market Community
Building Market Systems
Program participants who complete the full curriculum will receive a certificate signed by the three partnering agencies and will have earned the title of Certified Market Manager. As a FMM PRO Certified Market Manager, graduates of the program will:
Be fully knowledgeable in today’s best practices for managing farmers markets
Learn tactics to expand and optimize their farmers market
Be equipped to build successful relationships with farmers and shoppers
Be able to use their certification to leverage support and funding for their market
Requirements for Certification
Complete the full series of sessions within the 3 modules on moodle.com.
Complete all homework assignments for each section and receive a passing grade. You may resubmit an assignment if you receive a fail the first time.
Complete all quizzes for each section, scoring a minimum of 80%. You have two chances to complete the quiz to receive the minimum score.
The full curriculum must be completed within 12 months, although the program was designed to be completed within 6 months.
Continuing Education Requirements Post-Certification
(to maintain your certification you must:)
Participate in the annual Food For Thought Conference (hosted by the Georgia Farmers Market Association) each year, attending the sessions for Post-Certification Credit; OR
Participate in Market Manager Training Webinars (minimum of 2 annually) as offered by the Georgia Farmers Market Association
Cost of the Online Certification Program
$150 for unlimited access to the course for one year and official certification upon completion
If you are not a current member of the Georgia Farmers Market Association, you will be given the opportunity to pay for your membership while you enroll.
Once you have paid for the FMM Pro Course, you will receive a password to enter the curriculum on moodle.com. You will have one year to complete the course. Successful completion will earn the participant a Certificate as a Certified Market Manager signed by the Farmers Market Federation of NY, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, and SUNY Cobleskill. You will also receive a certificate from the Georgia Farmers Market Association Certifying you as a Georgia Certified Market Manager. Your Certification will remain valid as long as you maintain 2 credits bi-annually as Post-Certification training.