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Alaska Market Beet:

News for and by Alaska's Farmers Market Community!

Spring is right around the corner and we're gearing up for an epic market season!

Spring Annual Meet-up! Save the date: on April 9th we'll host our one day Market Summit and Annual Meeting
Annual AFMA Market Survey: for updated market listings + letting us know what you want to see, and what you might have for inclusion, in our Alaska Farmers Market Toolkit, a 2020-22 Alaska Specialty Crop Block Grant project.

Register (for free) for the 2021 AFMA Summit, April 9th, 8am-5pm!

2021 AFMA Market Survey - Complete by 4/12

2020 brought a slew of new challenges to your plates and you adapted quickly and effectively. In 2021, we wish you the best of luck as you plan for the season ahead. Thank you for bringing fresh, healthy, local food to our communities even during a worldwide pandemic.

To help customers find your market, we are updating our Alaska Farmers Market Directory. Your listing will include location, date range you will be operating, hours of operation, the forms of payment you accept, and any other information that customers may need to have a successful market experience!

Also, this will be your chance for letting us know what you want to see or resources you are willing to share, for inclusion in our Alaska Farmers Market Manager and Specialty Crop Vendor Toolkit, a 2020-22 Alaska Specialty Crop Block Grant project.

Please complete the survey by April 12th. You can complete it online by visiting the link above, or by requesting that we call you (just reply back to this email). All non-directory specific questions are optional - you may skip any question for any reason. Thank you so much for helping create a better future for Alaska's farmers markets and food system.

2021 AFMA Market Survey - Complete by 4/12

Meghan's Corner

Hi everyone! It’s that time of the year again–time to take the Alaska Farmers Market Association 2021 Market Survey! As always, our quick survey will walk you through updating your market so we can ensure our information is as current as possible. Once completed, your market will be listed on our website’s directory, which is also utilized by the Division of Agriculture, so shoppers will be able to find you easily. Help us market your market successful!

This year it’s even more important to complete the survey than ever because we want to hear from you directly to inform our Farmers Market Toolkit. Let us know what topics you would like addressed in the Toolkit and what would be most useful to your market’s success. Your participation on this is completely voluntary and not required for your market to be included in the directory, but we would greatly appreciate your feedback.

By completing the survey you also receive free AFMA shwag for your market to give away during the season! Please complete the survey by April 12th, 2021. You may still make updates to market listings after this date, but there may be a delay in getting your listing updated. Be on the lookout for a call from me regarding the survey–if you don’t fill it out or have trouble with it, I will call and walk through the questions with you.

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

All farm, food, and market essential workers, age 16 and up, are now eligible for the COVID19 vaccine.

More information:
http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/default.aspx

Join us for part TWO: Scaling Up, March 30th

Alaska Food Code allows the sale of non-potentially hazardous foods sold directly to the consumer without a permit as long as certain conditions are met.

What are the next steps for businesses who are have outgrown cottage food and want to become a regularly permitted facility? Presenters from the Alaska DEC and MUNI of Anchorage Food Safety and Sanitation programs will go over the minimum requirements for small food businesses and resources to assist you. You can hear from small businesses who have made this jump to the next level of growth.

Co-sponsored by the Alaska Food Policy Council, Alaska Farm Bureau,
and Alaska Farmers Market Association

Copyright © 2021 Alaska Farmers Market Association, All rights reserved.

Alaska Farmers Market Association is a Local Foods Program
of parent organization COOK INLETKEEPER.

Our mailing address is:
3734 Ben Walters Ln, Homer, AK 99603

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Alaska Farmers Market Association · 3734 Ben Walters Ln · Homer, AK 99603-7738 · USA