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  • From: Jackie Maher <mn_gardener AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] FY05 DIRECT MARKETING $$$ ACTION ALERT
  • Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 03:19:35 -0000

My extention agent just sent this out today and I thought you guys on the list may be interested in this. 
 
Jackie Maher
Shell Lake, WI
 
 
 
National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture
>
>FARMERS’ MARKETS NEED YOUR HELP!
>
>PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT NOW!!
>
>                                         July 9, 2004
>
>Please immediately call your Member of the US House of Representatives
to
>urge him or her to “support the Kaptur Farmers Market Amendment” next
>Tuesday to provide $6 million in funding for the new Farmers’ Market
>Promotion Program (FMPP).
>
>(Note that the FMPP is not to be confused with the Farmers’ Market
>Nutrition Program, which offers vouchers for low-income consumers to
buy
>fresh produce at farmers’ markets.)
>
>What does the amendment do?  Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) will offer a
floor
>amendment when the House of Representatives considers agricultural
funding
>on Tuesday.  Her amendment will provide $6 million in funding in
Fiscal
>Year 2005 (FY05) for the new Farmers’ Market Promotion Program
>(FMPP).  Though authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, the FMPP has never
been
>funded.
>
>Where does the money come from?  The Kaptur amendment pays for the
FMPP
>startup with an equivalent reduction in funding for new USDA
computers.
>
>The message is simple:  You are a constituent of Representative ____
and
>urge him/her to support the Kaptur amendment to provide$6 million in
>startup funding for the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP).
>
>Background: The 2002 Farm Bill authorized a new Farmers' Market
Promotion
>Program (FMPP) to bring assistance to thousands of family farmers and
>ranchers who direct market quality, locally grown fresh food directly
to
>consumers.  Administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the
>FMPP is authorized to provide grants to agricultural cooperatives,
local
>governments, non-profits, economic development corporations and other
>eligible entities working to establish, expand and promote local
farmers’
>markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) farms, farmstands, and
all
>other forms of direct marketing.  But the FMPP can do no good unless
it is
>funded.
>
>It’s easy to call.  Simply call the congressional switchboard at (202)
>225-3121 and ask for your representative’s office.  Once you are
>connected, ask for the aide handling the agricultural funding bill and
>give them the message.  If the aide is unavailable, just leave your
name,
>phone number and the simple message to support the Kaptur amendment on
>Tuesday, providing funding for the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program
with
>the receptionist answering the phone or on the aide’s voice mail box.
>
>Thank you for calling your representative RIGHT NOW!
>
>AdditionalBackground:
>
>• Demand for farmers' markets has grown tremendously in recent years,
with
>the number of markets growing 63% from 1994 to 2000.  Currently, some
>60,000 farmers sell at about 3500 farmers’ markets nationally with
over 3
>million consumers benefiting weekly at peak summer and fall weeks. 
Local
>community demand to expand such markets is strong.
>
>• Farmers and ranchers get a better price when they sell products
directly
>to consumers.
>
>• Direct marketing initiatives are a popular, efficient, economic
boost to
>communities.  But they require financial and other resources to get
>started and grow.  The FMPP will help farmers and ranchers create such
>markets…but only if it’s funded.
>
>• The FMPP will fund a broad range of direct marketing efforts, not
just
>farmers’ markets. It will also assist community supported agriculture
>farms (CSAs), institutional buying projects, roadside stands,
>pick-your-own operations, and other direct marketing approaches.
>
>• In tight budget times like these, the FMPP will help build local
>agricultural and rural economies crucial to the nation’s recovery. 
They
>make compelling economic sense as a modest national investment.
>
>• As a competitive grants program, the FMPP will provide assistance to
>innovative projects and creative partnerships, and will help leverage
>additional local and private dollars.
>
>Ask your representative to champion this small $6 million
appropriation so
>the FMPP can begin fostering direct markets between farmers and
consumers.
>
>THANK YOU FOR TAKING IMMEDIATE ACTION!
>
>National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture
>P.O. Box 396
>Pine Bush, New York 12566
>Phone: 845-361-5201 Fax: 845-361-5204
>e-mail: campaign AT sustainableagriculture.net
>http://www.SustainableAgriculture.net


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  • [Market-farming] FY05 DIRECT MARKETING $$$ ACTION ALERT, Jackie Maher, 07/09/2004

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