West Virginia Farmers Market Association
Invitation to Apply:
West Virginia Farmers Market Training Network
Application Deadline: January 31, 2014
The West Virginia Farmers Market Association is pleased to announce the launch of a recently updated program to provide training, networking opportunities and technical assistance to farmers markets. Developed in partnership with the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, the West Virginia Community Development Hub and WVU Extension Service, the purpose of the program is to strengthen the long-term viability of farmers markets and the income-earning capacity of their vendors. Funding is provided through a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
Through a competitive application process, 10 West Virginia farmers markets will be selected to participate in the Farmers Market Training Network during the 2014 and 2015 market seasons. Participating markets will attend training and networking events with other market managers over the two years, will receive assistance from experts on a topic of their choosing, and will receive a mini-grant of up to $1,500 to address their market’s needs. This package of resources will be free of charge to the markets selected for the program, provided they commit to the activities of the program and agree to collect data from their markets.
Participating markets will also become part of a statewide learning community and build relationships with other markets so that they can share knowledge and collaborate. The WVFMA will be organizing at least 4 Regional Farm Gatherings around the state each year, and participating markets will attend the Regional Farm Gatherings held in their own area, free of charge; and will also receive funding to send representatives to the annual Small Farms Conference in Morgantown in 2014and 2015.
The Farmers Market Association has identified 3 areas of need that are common among West Virginia farmers markets. Applicants must demonstrate their interest in working on a planning project designed to explore ways to strengthen their market, within one or more of these areas of need.
3 Areas of Need:
1.Business Planning: Participants will be eligible for assistance with business planning for activities such as data collection, multi-year budgeting, writing business plans, acquiring state business licenses or applying for federal 501C-3 status or other business-related activities.
2.Producer Development Planning: Participating markets will be eligible for assistance in planning for reviving and educating their existing producer base, making their organization appealing for current and prospective vendors and recruiting or developing new vendors or other strategies as determined.
3.Marketing and Promotion Planning: Participating markets will be eligible for assistance planning their marketing strategies, including branding and logo development, earned media, social media, events and inbound marketing and more.
This planning piece of this program will help markets develop strategies and prioritize their activities, while the minigrants will enable implementation related to the plan.
Farmers markets selected for the Farmers Market Training Program must commit to:
- Participate in the Farmers Market Training Network program from February 2014-December 2015.
- Identify a representative and a back-up representative from their market to be the primary points of contact throughout both years to the WVFMA for the purposes of this program. (The representative must be a board member or the official market manager and be capable of speaking on the behalf of your market. The primary point of contact may not be a VISTA.)
- At least one representative participates in regularly scheduled monthly conference calls with the other market representatives.
- Send at least 2 representativesto the Regional Farm Gathering held in their own area, annually 20142015.
- Send at least 1representative tothe Small Farms Conference held in Morgantown, annually 20142015.
- Identify their greatest area of need from the 3 areas listed above and work with theWVFMAFarmers Market Planning Toolkit to develop a strategy around that need with the help of the WVFMA or identified consultants.
- Collect and provide sales data monthly during both seasons (including vendor sales and customer headcount) using a simple sales tracking toolkit provided by the West Virginia Farmers Market Association.
- Complete a final report on their market’s project by December 1, 2015 using a simple form provided by the WVFMA.
- Maintain membership in the WVFMA during the 2014 and the 2015 membership seasons.
Markets will be selected according to ability to commit to and manage a project, clarity of need and geographic distribution across the state. If your market would like to participate in the program, please complete the short application form in Microsoft Word and email the completed form to by January 31. If you have any questions or if computer or internet access is an issue, contactKelly Crane, the West Virginia Farmers Market AssociationProject Coordinator at (304) 542-3331 to discuss alternative ways of submitting the application. Announcements of selected markets will occur by early February.
APPLICATION
Farmers Market Training Network – 2014-2015
- Contact Info
Name of Farmers Market: ______
Name of Primary Contact Person: ______
Primary Contact Phone Number: ______
Primary Contact Email: ______
Primary Contact Mailing Address: ______
______
Name of Back-Up Contact Person: ______
Back-Up Contact Phone Number: ______
Back-Up Contact Email: ______
Back-Up Contact Mailing Address: ______
______
- Market Info:
Physical Address of Market Location: ______
______
Web site: ______
County of Market Location: ______Avg. Number of Vendors: ______Year started: ______
Market Season: Starting month: ______Ending month: ______
Who has authority to make decisions for this market? Checkall that apply:
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West Virginia Farmers Market Association
Elected Board of Directors or Officers
Local Government Entity
Volunteers
A Local Business
A Local Nonprofit
Extension Agent
Market Manager
Other: ______
1
West Virginia Farmers Market Association
Is this a producer-only market?
Yes
No
Comments: ______
Does this market currently require vendors to report their sales?
Yes
No
Is this market a current member of the West Virginia Farmers Market Association?
Yes
No
Don’t know
- Market Capacity & Needs
This program is designed to serve farmers markets at a variety of sizes and levels of development. Please tell about your market, its needs and its strengths.
1.This program will provide assistance to markets in strategizing around their identified areas of need and utilizing WVFMA Farmers Market Planning Toolkits. Additionally, minigrants will enable the markets to implement activities related to the strategies they develop. Please rank the following training needs in order of preference for your market (1 being the most important, 3 being the least important]:
- ___ Business Planning
- ___ Producer Development
- ___ Marketing and Promotion
- Please Explain:
2.Describe an example of a time that your market worked together to successfully implement a project:
3.What is the most important thing your market could gain from participating in the Farmers Market Training Network?
- Certification from Authorized Representative of Farmers Market
I certify the information provided in this application is correct, and that we will notify the West Virginia Farmers Market Association of any changes. This application is submitted with the knowledge and permission of the leadership of this farmers market (Board of Directors or other governing structure). If our market is selected for the Farmers Market Training Program, we are committed to participate in the Farmers Market Training Network program from January 2014 through December 2015 (two full market seasons), and to collect and provide sales data during both seasons using a form provided by the West Virginia Farmers Market Association. I understand that if our market is selected, our market’s Board of Directors or other governing structure may be asked to sign an agreement to participate in the program.
Signature: ______Date: ______
Name: ______
Title: ______
Please check beside the following activities to indicate that you are willing to commit to these program requirements:
Participate in the Farmers Market Training Network program from February 2014-December 2015.
Identify a representative from your market to be the primary point of contact to the WVFMA for the purposes of this program. (The representative must be a board member or the official market manager and be capable of speaking on the behalf of your market.)
Participate in a regularly scheduled monthly conference call with the other market representatives.
Send at least 2 representatives to the Regional Farm Gathering held in their own area, annually 2014 & 2015.
Send at least 1 representative to the Small Farms Conference held in Morgantown, annually 2014 & 2015.
Identify our greatest area of need from the 3 areas listed above and work with theWVFMA Farmers Market Planning Toolkit to develop a strategy around that need with the help of the WVFMA or identified consultants.
Collect and provide sales data monthly during both seasons (including vendor sales and customer headcount) using a simple sales tracking toolkit provided by the West Virginia Farmers Market Association.
Complete a final report on our market’s project by December 1, 2015 using a simple form provided by the WVFMA.
Maintain membership in the WVFMA during the 2014 and 2015 membership seasons.
Please email this completed application to by January 31, 2014. If computer or internet access is an issue, contact Kelly Crane, the West Virginia Farmers Market AssociationProject Coordinator at (304) 542-3331 to discuss alternative ways of submitting the application. Other questions may be directed to this number as well.
This program is administered by the West Virginia Farmers Market Association in partnership with the West Virginia Community Development Hub and the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, with funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. Decisions regarding acceptance of markets to the program will be announced in early February 2014.
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