Market managers are the face of your community’s farmers market and they certainly do have their work cut out for them. It’s not easy juggling the needs of a diverse group of vendors every week, from where their selling space is located in the market layout to monitoring what items are being sold that day.

It’s a challenge keeping attendance up each week while recruiting new, unique vendors that will attract even more customers. Probably the least favorite part of the job is enforcing the market’s rules and regulations. Most of the time everyone gets along just fine, but some managers would agree that occasionally a referee’s whistle might come in handy.

A broad skill set is required to do this job, and one Midwestern state organization is ahead of the game in offering a unique educational initiative for farmers markets.

Michigan Farmers Market Association

Established in 2006, the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) is a statewide organization that promotes local food consumption by connecting more Michigan farmers to consumers through farmers markets. Through their efforts, the number of markets in Michigan has grown from 90 in 2001 to 300 this past season. MIFMA is also making a difference by offering their innovative Market Manager Certificate Program.

The voluntary program is designed to encourage farmers market managers to pursue leadership and management skills, offering market organizations validation that their manager is a trained professional. This year’s program kicked off in mid-January with two days of in-person classes at the Flint Farmers Market.

The year-round facility in the City of Flint hosts more than 50 indoor vendors each week with additional outdoor vendor space added during summer months. The location also serves as a hub for market-related outreach educational programs throughout the year.

MIFMA’s 32-hour market manager program continued with seven webinars throughout January and February. Tuition costs $350 for the combined on-site classes and webinar series. Twenty-nine participants registered for the 2024 Farmers Market Certificate class, with additional attendees there to earn continuing education credits toward recertification.

Amanda Shreve serves as the program’s executive director and explained the behind-the-scenes planning and effort that goes into such a program. “Each year we start planning for the Market Manager Certification Program in September. It starts with a review of the program from last year, evaluations, staff reports on what went well and what could be improved,” she explained. “We then start bringing in speakers for the year ahead.”

Proud graduates of the MIFMA Farmers Market Certificate Program. Photo courtesy of MIFMA

According to Shreve, the most recent census of Michigan farmers markets showed that 49% of markets have managers that have gone through the program. The association’s website also serves as a reliable resource for vendors, offering educational programs on assorted market-related topics throughout the year.

Registration for the market manager webinar series was also open to non-members and included the same supporting resources available to those attending the complete program. Webinars could be selected individually and registered for through the MIFMA website. The price per online class was $50 for non-members; MIFMA members received a $25 discount.

Some of this year’s webinars included “Managing Risk at the Farmers Market,” “Planning for Events and Entertainment,” “Conflict Management and De-escalation,” “Food Assistance Programs at the Market” and “Earning and Managing Financial Support for Your Market.”

Recertification

The basic management program is offered each year. Upon graduation, participants receive a certificate and are encouraged to re-certify every three years. Twenty hours of professional development are required for recertification. Qualifying educational units are offered throughout the year at MIFMA workshops, via webinars and in educational sessions offered at a yearly conference. The annual conference is designed to reach farmers market managers and community-driven marketplace stakeholders with information about emerging trends in the state’s market community.

The two-day, late February event which took place in East Lansing included speaker sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions, networking opportunities and an education-based exhibit hall.

Speakers at this year’s break-out sessions presented topics including marketing through social media, budgeting, insurance and development of community partnerships for food assistance programs. Michigan’s cottage food law guidelines and safe food sampling at market cooking demonstrations were also covered.

For more information on MIFMA and their educational programs, visit mifma.org.

by Gail March Yerke