Welcome to Our New Assistant Director, Jack Riffle!

Jack Riffle’s dedication to agriculture and community has brought him to the Farmers Market Federation of New York, though this destination wasn't always clear to see. Despite growing up surrounded by agriculture, farming never occurred to him as a possible vocation. After attending Hamilton College, he spent six years teaching in Boston and New York City. 

His increasing awareness of social inequality, issues around food justice, and the climate crisis led him to leave teaching and apprentice on a farm in Westmoreland, New York. After two seasons in Westmoreland, he transitioned to managing a farm and education center in New Hampshire. 

Though the Covid-19 pandemic ended his stay there prematurely, his time in New Hampshire planted the seed of an idea that is currently blooming as Local Foods Mohawk Valley — a local food collective based in Clinton that encourages community access to local food year-round and reduces farmers' opportunity costs of selling and marketing their products.

Jack is thrilled to start his role at The Farmers Market Federation of New York and leverage his understanding of the challenges that market farmers face and his experience in local food activism to support the Federation's mission. When he isn't behind a computer, he enjoys hiking in the Adirondacks with his girlfriend, playing chess, and walking his dog.

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Jack begins working full-time at The Farmers Market Federation of NY on June 21st! He’ll be out and about at several farmers markets over the summer. Please help us to welcome Jack to the team! — Diane

Announcing Farmers Market Week 2023

This year, the USDA will be declaring Farmers Market Week to be August 6 – 11! The Federation is excited to be once again providing a unified theme for the celebration, as well as messaging, social media posts, and activities to help you with your own market’s celebrations!

This year’s theme will center around the idea that “Farmers Markets Bring People Together”. This is especially important as we watch opposing factions across the country fight to turn people against those who might be different from ourselves. But farmers markets are unique — we stand together and we bring people together. It is this important distinction that makes farmers markets a key component of our communities.

We are thrilled to be hosting a Zoom meeting in early July to showcase this year’s Farmers Market Week Toolkit that we will be providing for your own celebrations across the state. Mark your calendars for the 2023 Farmers Market Week, August 6th through 11th, 2023.

Let’s make this year’s celebration a statewide festival of local food, fun, family, and all the unique qualities that make us all come together for the betterment of ourselves and our community.

Monthly Members & Friends Meetup: June 2023

Grown By, an Online Market Platform

Many farmers markets have created an online presence to help their farmers reach customers who do not participate in face-to-face markets. The online market reaches those who prefer to shop online rather than in person, those who cannot make it to the market during its normal operating markets, or those who prefer to shop for locally grown foods, but, for various reasons, do not want to shop in person. These online shopping platforms have proved to be successful in adding sales to their participating farmers.

But these online markets do not currently reach SNAP customers, as USDA FNS did not allow SNAP to be used in any way other than a face-to-face experience. In the last couple of years, USDA FNS has been working with MarketLink to build the processes to allow SNAP online. The purpose was to be able to bring direct marketing farmers and farmers markets into online SNAP.

Grown By is an online market that was developed in New York State by Mike Parker and his partners. This platform has worked directly with MarketLink and USDA to allow users of the Grown By platform to accept SNAP for purchases as soon as USDA gives the okay.

At our next Monthly Members and Friends Meetup, June 27, will be an opportunity for markets and farmers to learn more about the Grown By platform. Mike Parker will give a presentation on Grown By, and how it can help markets and farmers reach new customers to purchase local foods online. This will be your chance to learn more about Grown By and get your questions answered by the experts.

This presentation is free to attend. Plan to join us on June 27th at 1 pm. No registration is required.

Attend the Meetup

It’s That Time of Year Again… Coupons Are Here!

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.

1. Make sure all coupons are facing the same direction.

2. Band coupons together in uniform increments. 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. Also, bundling them in uniform increments helps us to know when coupons are sticking together and the count is inaccurate.

3. Segregate different coupons from one another. Each coupon type is processed on its own.

4. 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.

5. Let the ink dry before they are packed tightly into a box. Wet ink causes the coupons to stick together and can cause miscounts.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. We always encourage frequent mailings of coupons. Waiting until the end of the season means a pile-up of coupons and takes us longer to get through everyone’s coupons.

9. 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.

10. 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!

11. Find a redemption form on the Federation website at https://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/resources.

Please be sure to follow these steps to ensure quick, accurate processing of your coupons. Coupons that arrive without following these steps may be delayed in processing until others done correctly are completed.