Michigan Food & Farming Systems is a statewide, non-profit organization connecting beginning and historically underserved farmers to each other and resource opportunities; ensuring social justice, environmental stewardship, and profitability. 
Dear MIFFS Supporters,

June! The heat is on, at least for the last couple of days...glad to see we have a few more days of "Spring" coming up next week. With summer on the horizon, we are excited to get back to workshops and field days. Join us TODAY for the DGA (Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship) Program Pasture Walk that is happening in Ann Arbor at 11am. Registration and more info here. There is also a farm tour happening through MSUSOF in a couple of weeks: NW Michigan Farm Tours from Saturday June 25 to Monday June 27. The tour is free for farmworkers and most beginning and aspiring farmers. Email brandtk7@msu.edu for more details. 

Join the Michigan Statewide CSA Network for a summer meeting with CSA farms and CSA farm support organizations to hear about upcoming projects, ask questions, share information, and network with others who are passionate and knowledgeable about CSAs! The meeting will be online and registration is live here.

We are excited to bring the team back together to start planning for the 2023 Michigan Family Farms Conference! We had our first meeting this past week and we would love to see more of our supporters join us. If you are interested in learning more about what we do or joining our planning team, email john@miffs.org and we can set something up to chat! Our next planning team meeting is scheduled for June 21 at 10am.

Lots of farms and organizations across the state have reached out to us to get the word out about the many job opportunities available:
  • Green Things Farm Collective: Seasonal Full-time Production Crew Member/ Farmington Market Specialist info here
  • TLD Operations Manager info here
  • Titus Farms is seeking many positions! Info here
  • MSU Student Organic Farm crew apply here
  • Eastern Market Partnership Food & Health Fellows info here
  • Bluestem Farms farm crew info here
  • ANC Food Hub Food Access Coordinator info here

One last item: if you missed the announcement the White House's recent commitment to allocating more funds towards strengthening local and regional food systems, check it out here.

With Energy,
The MIFFS Team
  • Post Harvest Handling Workshop. June 27, 12-1:30pm. A produce Buyers Panel where you will learn from a panel of wholesalers and distributors about what they are looking for from their farmers in terms of quality and food safety. We will have panelists from 4P Foods, Common Market, Sweet Green and Wegmans! Come prepared with your burning questions for these industry leaders. Register here

  • Public Tour of the MSU Student Organic Farm. June 25, 1-2pm. Student Organic Farm, Horticultural Teaching and Research Center, Holt. Join us for a public tour of the Student Organic Farm, our first in person tour since before the Coronavirus Pandemic. We'll be covering the history of the farm, principles and practices of organic farming, our markets and partnerships, as well as insights into four-season hoop house vegetable production. More info here

  • MSU Hop Chat Series 2022 Wednesdays, noon. MSU Extension will be hosting a series of interactive Hop Zoom meetings this season to allow easy communication between producers and MSU faculty, educators, and specialists. These informal bi-weekly sessions will include weather, crop, and pest updates. Bring your field notes too! We want to hear what’s going on in your hopyard. Registration is free but required. Register for the series here

  • Preserving MI Harvest- Celebrating Juneteenth: African-American Cuisine. June 16 1-2pm or 6-7pm. African-American cuisine has influenced American cooking for decades. Join us as we discover the history of Juneteenth, safe food preservation methods, and recipes with guest speaker Crystal White. Join MSU Extension Educators to learn the latest methods and research for preserving foods at home. Let us help you fill your pantry and freezer by preserving food safely at home.
Phone: 517.709.8271 Email: info@miffs.org