OKEMOS, Mich. — Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) will receive $674,760 in USDA Farm Bill funding over three years to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. This funding is available through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program), managed by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE).
The award will provide funding to support the annual Michigan Family Farms Conference and it will support MIFFS in aiding historically underserved farmers/ranchers and farmer veterans to own and successfully operate viable farms/ranches in Michigan. The goal of the project is to strengthen and support the resilience that farmers build together by expanding peer-to-peer farmer networks for beginning and historically underserved farmers. MIFFS will collaborate to host linguistically appropriate USDA workshops and listening sessions to identify and address challenges farmers face in accessing Farm Bill programs as well as celebrate successes. The 2501 Program funding supports adaptive resilient demonstration field trips to bring farmers and ranchers together to learn and share new innovations.
The mission of MIFFS is to connect beginning and historically underserved farmers to each other and resource opportunities; ensuring social justice, environmental stewardship, and profitability. The innovative farmer-led networks build stronger communities, and support resource sharing, peer-to-peer discussions, and mentorship opportunities. MIFFS is currently planning the Seventeenth Annual Michigan Family Farms Conference, “Nurturing Resilient Farmers – 2020 & Beyond,” which brings together farmers, veterans, youth, educators and many others to network and learn through a series of diverse educational workshop tracks and inspirational keynote speaker. The conference will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
“MIFFS is thrilled to receive funding through USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program. This funding is critical support for beginning, veteran, and limited resource farmers across Michigan, and the new three-year grant period will allow MIFFS to sustainably build stronger programming to increase equitable access to resources for historically underserved farmers. New changes to the program under the 2018 Farm Bill protect and ensure our ability to effectively serve the needs of diverse farmers and ranchers in Michigan by collaborating with USDA to build stronger equity into USDA Farm Bill Program Access and Delivery for everyone.” – Jen Silveri, MIFFS Director of Field Operations.
For more information and to register for the Annual Michigan Family Farms Conference go to miffs.org/mffc. For more information about the USDA 2501 Program visit https://bit.ly/2MYyr91
— Michigan Food & Farming Systems
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