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,

Happy December 2021! It is hard to believe we are saying goodbye to 2021 but I cannot say it is coming too soon! The year has brought a lot of challenges but we also saw so many opportunities that came out of the relief programs. We welcomed a new team member and said goodbye to another; wrote grants and provided technical service for many; met new producers and said goodbye to many loved ones. It has been a challenging year that we continue to embraced, connecting our communities, producers, and friends to the much needed resources that the pandemic has brought forth.

The planning team is hard at work getting the 18th Annual Michigan Family Farms Conference ready for you to attend! We have the dates so be sure to mark down March 16-19 on your calendar to join us. There will be sessions in the afternoon and also in the evening and bonus news--the conference is FREE this year!! We are working on registration and will have it ready in the coming weeks and hope you can join us for our first virtual conference event! We are also looking for nominations for our annual awards; please submit nominations at bit.ly/mffc2022awards

There is a new program at USDA with crop insurance- "USDA is rolling out a new insurance option specifically for agricultural producers with small farms who sell locally. The new Micro Farm policy simplifies record keeping and covers post-production costs like washing and value-added products." MIFFS will be putting together some more information about the program and we will send out soon! Also at USDA there are multiple FSA Program Technician positions available across the state with salaries ranging from $31-56K. Some of the required duties include carrying out daily office functions to adequately administer programs, ability to effectively communicate with peers, and successful interpretation of procedures and regulations. If you would like more information about the positions, please reach out to MIFFS and we can connect you with the FSA office; call 517-709-8271 or email info@miffs.org

This time of year brings sentiment to many, remembering and reflecting on what we have accomplished. It also reminds us that there is work to be done and resources needed. In the spirit of the season, if you find there is someone that you just cannot find the right gift for, donate to MIFFS! We welcome your gift as a gift for others! Follow the link here to make a donation.

Enjoy Your Holiday!

With Energy,
The MIFFS Team
Michigan Family Farms Conference Updates
The planning team is continuing to work on our virtual conference for 2022! The dates are set! March 16-19 will be our days to come together and celebrate, learn, network, story tell, and so much more. We will be opening registration in the next couple of weeks and are excited to continue with our re-envisioned 2022 conference. Nominations for our annual awards can be submitted at https://bit.ly/mffc2022awards

The planning team is always looking for new voices and ideas and there are many ways to get involved. Send us an email at john@miffs.org if you would like more info about how to get involved or join us for our next planning meeting on Tuesday, December 14 at 10am via the Zoom link here with the password: MFFC
  • ¡La Conferencia del Agricultor Latino está de regreso! La séptima conferencia anual del agricultor latino comienza el 8 de diciembre. La serie de seminarios virtuales es gratuita y, como siempre, las sesiones se llevarán a cabo en español. La serie incluirá presentaciones informativas, visitas virtuales a granjas y oportunidades para conectarse con otros agricultores, educadores agrícolas, y patrocinadores. Registro

  • What's on your mind, Virtual Network? December 15. In this meeting, we’ll take some time to reflect on your experience in local food this year and provide direction to MFIN’s course beyond 2021. Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) is a space for learning, sharing and working together to get more local food to institutions. Over the past year, we have used that feedback to develop aims, values, and priorities to guide our work. This process needs your input before we roll it out in 2022. Register here 

  • Managing Organic Milk Quality on the Farm. December 16. This hybrid course will introduce attendees to the key raw milk parameters that influence organic dairy product quality & shelf-life and how to control these parameters at the farm. In the self-paced module of this course, attendees will learn about the four raw milk parameters that impact processed product quality: somatic cells, total bacteria, spore-forming bacteria, and flavor & odor profiles of raw milk. Attendees will then learn, in-depth, how to control these parameters through best practices for farm management from our instructors. Register here

  • The Beginning Farmers Developing and Educating Managers and New Decision Makers (DEMaND) Webinar series. January-February 2022. Are you planning to be the next generation farm operator? Whether you represent the transition of generations, or that of employee to owner or as a new entrant to the business, a fresh look at management will be necessary.  The program will feature 5 weekly online sessions to help you learn key financial management strategies important in running your operation. Register here
COVID Vaccine & Resources
Phone: 517.709.8271 Email: info@miffs.org