Market Votes to Proceed with Food Stamps/Debit Card Acceptance

The Vermillion Area Farmers Market (VAFM) Board of Directors met Sunday, January 25 to discuss grant work, this year’s market plans, and plans to acquire a wireless EBT machine for acceptance of food stamp/debit card payments.

We are currently working on grant applications and funding requests to help facilitate this process.

Updates to follow!

WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)

There is a program to provide WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) recipients with coupons to use at their area farmers market.  For information (FAQ) on the program, click here.

As of August 2008, the program has been implemented in 38 states and 5 Tribal Jursidictions, but it has not yet been implemented in South Dakota or any of its Tribal Jurisdictions.  If you operate a farmers market (or are a vendor) in South Dakota or on one of the Reservations in the state, contact your WIC Director to see if you can help get the program going here.

The WIC Director for the state of South Dakota is Rhonda Buntrock: rhonda.buntrock@state.sd.us

SD Market Looking for Food Stamp (SNAP) Acceptance Info?

If you are a farmers market vendor, board member, or market manager in the state of South Dakota, and you want information about accepting food stamps/SNAP at your market, contact Sandy Vanneman in the Dept. of Social Services at (605) 773-6527.

Accepting food stamps/SNAP at your market can help lower income individuals and families get access to the healthy foods you and your vendors offer, and keep those food dollars in your local community.  You do not need electricity or a land-based phone line at your market to participate in this program.

Seed Swap Event!

Cross-posted from Flying Tomato Farms.

Mark your calendars for a Seed Swap Event–Tuesday, February 17, 7:15pm at the Vermillion Public Library Community Room.  All gardeners and wannabe gardeners are invited to bring seeds, seed catalogs, and expertise to share or, if you’re an absolute beginner, just bring yourself!

Refreshments will be provided, as well as some labels and envelopes for divvying up the seeds.

We’ll also be having the first Community Garden meeting of the season directly following the seed swap, during which you’ll be able to learn about the community garden and be the first to claim a plot for the 2009 season.

Hope to see you there!

Season Dates are Set!

The Vermillion Area Farmers Market will once again be setting up on Thursdays at the Clay County Fairgrounds on the corner of Cherry and High Streets in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Our season starts on May 21, and continues through October 22, 2009.  Our annual Harvest Dinner Event is tentatively set for Saturday, October 24.

Please call Rebecca at (605) 202-0252 for vendor information.

Upcoming Events for Growers and Producers

(Cross-posted from Flying Tomato Farms)

My inbox has been filling up with announcements of upcoming events for growers and producers.  Here’s what I’ve heard about thusfar (and feel free to expand in the comments if you know of any others I haven’t listed):

SDSU classes: Organic Vegetable Production January 25-29 and High Tunnels/Season Extension February 5-19.  Both classes will be held at the Northern Plains Biostress Lab on the SDSU campus, both are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-5pm.  They’re $88 plus $106 in fees.  Add $20 if you’ve never been enrolled at SDSU.  Contact the SDSU registrar’s office to sign up: 800-952-3541.

Upper Midwest Regional Fruit and Vegetable Growers Workshops and Conference: January 21 (Beginning Growers Workshops), January 22 & 23 (Conference).  All at the St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, MN.  Call the MFVGA office for information and registration: 763-434-0400.  Scholarships are available.

Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society (NPSAS) Winter Conference: February 13 & 14 at the Huron Event Center in Huron, SD.  Theme is “Marketing Sustainability” with workshops on poultry and livestock production, soil fertility, IPM, and preserving food.  Full registration fees are $145 for farm or family, $125 for single person.  Register here.

SD Cooperative Extension/SD Specialty Producers Farmers Market Workshop: February 28 in Brookings, SD.  Agenda and location yet to be determined, but time will be dedicated to the Buy Fresh Buy Local program.  Contact Rhoda Burrows at 605-688-4731 or rhoda.burrows@sdstate.edu.

Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Organic Conference: February 26-28 in Lacrosse, WI.  This is a big conference, with 6 workshop session and over 60 workshops to choose from.  They also hold their Organic University on February 26.  Organic University registration: $150.  Conference registration: $175.  Online registration and information here.