Formulario de aplicación para Mercados Agrícolas de Michigan

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Este formulario de aplicación está disponible únicamente en inglés.

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Michigan Farmers Markets - Application to Participate

From farms to families, Fair Food Network (FFN) connects people to the power of food to grow community health and wealth. Our signature program, Double Up Food Bucks, serves as a national model for healthy food incentives by doubling the buying power of SNAP recipients, helping families bring home more fruits and vegetables while boosting business for local farmers. Through Fair Food Fund, our impact investing arm, we invest in early stage entrepreneurs who are strengthening communities and local economies through food. Together, we are pioneering and proving innovations that can be owned locally and scaled nationally, for lasting change in communities across the country. The Double Up program provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries with a one-to-one match to purchase healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables at participating locations.

Fair Food Network (FFN) is now inviting Michigan farmers to begin participating in the 2021 season of the Double Up program. Applications are being collected by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) which partners with FFN to help facilitate Double Up Food Bucks at farmers markets throughout the state.

 

This application is for farm businesses or organizations that operate farm stands, food share programs, or CSA farms who do NOT reimburse individual vendors for SNAP sales.

 

Note: Farmers that accept silver Double Up tokens for Michigan-grown produce at a farmers market that is participating in Double Up Food Bucks and are getting reimbursed by the market for Double Up sales, do not need to apply to FFN to continue to participate in this manner. This application is for farmers that sell Michigan produce at venues, including their own farms, that are NOT currently participating in the program. Farmers markets, where locally grown fruits and vegetables are direct marketed to customers and where site administrators reimburse individual vendors for food assistance sales, need to apply through a different application and can contact the Michigan Farmers Market Association at foodaccess@mifma.org for more information about the 2021 program season. Grocery and Corner stores are encouraged to contact the Fair Food Network office with questions at 866-586-2796 or email info@doubleupfoodbucks.org. Thank you for your interest!

To apply as a direct marketing site, complete the following online application by 11:59 pm January 31st, 2021, and send attachments to Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) at foodaccess@mifma.org. Call (517)432-3381 if you have questions about applying.

 

To qualify to participate in the Double Up program, direct marketing sites must:

  • Be able to accept SNAP benefits – if you do not yet accept SNAP benefits, MIFMA offers a series of resources to help you get started. Visit https://mifma.org/for-markets/snap/ to learn more.
  • Have a SNAP Permit number for USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). • Have a point-of-sale device to operate SNAP/Bridge Card transactions
  • Demonstrate sufficient capacity to handle the accounting and reporting associated with Double Up.
  • Have a designated person who is responsible for Double Up implementation If you need additional support to meet these qualifications, please reach out to foodaccess@mifma.org or call (517)432-3381 for more information.

 

Priority will be given to direct marketing sites which:

  • Have demonstrated experience accepting SNAP benefits (minimum of one season of experience is preferred)
  • Are providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables for individuals and families utilizing SNAP as a part of their food budget in communities not currently served by the Double Up program

Sites that participated during the 2020 market season do NOT need to reapply.

 

Please complete the following application

1. Is your farm/organization currently authorized and equipped to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits?

2. What is your USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) number (located on your SNAP permit)?

3. Please provide the contact information for the application process Name of the Business, Organization, or Farm you are applying on behalf of:

4. Demographics (these questions are optional, if you prefer not to respond, please select “prefer not to respond” for each question.) We are gathering this information in order to gain a broader understanding of who is applying to our program to better understand the needs and representation of our communities as well as further our commitment to contributing to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The information provided in the section below is kept separate from your application and is not used to determine approval for participation in the Double Up Food Bucks Program.

5. Please provide the following information for your farm/organization:

(important program communications will come to this email)

6. What is the preferred method of contact for the primary contact?

7. Public Phone Number

(If different than above)

8. If your farm/organization has an online presence, please provide links to the following:

9. 2021 Seasonal Information

10. Please provide the following information for the business or organization that is (or will be) fiscally responsible for accepting SNAP (EBT) benefits. This may be different than the name of your farm or farm stand.

11. What is the tax status of the fiscally responsible organization?

12. Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the fiscally responsible organization (or individual):

*For information on how to apply for an EIN visit this link: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

13. What mailing address should additional program supplies be mailed to as a part of the Double Up Food Bucks program?

14. What year was your farm first in production?

15. What year did your farm first start selling direct-to-consumers?

16. Provide the farm/organization’s total SNAP/Bridge Card sales ($) for 2020, if applicable.

17. Please describe the specific type of point-of-sale device your market uses to accept SNAP benefits. Is it wireless or hard-wired? What is the name of the company that you received it from?

18. Please describe benefits and/or challenges you have experienced since beginning to accept SNAP benefits. Or, if this will be your first season accepting SNAP benefits, describe any benefits and/or challenges you might expect this season.

19. In what ways does your farm/organization sell produce directly to consumers? (Check all that apply)

20. Please estimate the percentages of sales at your farm/organization on various types of products. (i.e. 70% fresh produce, 20% value-added products, 10% corn maze/seasonal activities, however sales break down for your farm/organization)

21. If you operate a CSA model, please describe your CSA model. (e.g. member-based, weekly or monthly subscription, pick-up options, number of shares/subscribers, etc.)

22. If you operate a mobile delivery route, please describe your mobile delivery route. (e.g. who does it reach? What locations does it go to? How do consumers pay for and receive produce from your mobile delivery route?) Please note if your schedule is consistent or changes. If it does change, how frequently?

23. If you operate a farm stand, how many locations do you sell at where your farm/organization is the only business selling to consumers? (You will be asked later to list any farmers markets where you are on of multiple vendors present).

24. If you operate a farm stand, how many registers do you have at each of your locations and how many staff members do you have at each location?

25. If you operate a farm stand, please describe your first farm stand. Provide an address or location you use to direct consumers to it. If this farm stand is open year-round, please list January 1 as your start date and December 31 as your end date.

27. Please briefly describe how you estimate the average weekly customer attendance at your farm stand location(s)

28. If you sell at farmers markets, please list the names of all of the farmers markets where you plan to sell in 2021. The list should include only farmers markets where there are multiple farmers and/or vendors present.

29. Do you sell any fruits or vegetables that have not been grown in Michigan?

30. If you sell any fruits or vegetables not grown in Michigan, please estimate the percent of produce you sell that is grown in Michigan and not grown in Michigan. Please describe the policies and or practices to verify the point-of-origin for produce, especially produce form outside of Michigan.

31. If you sell any fruits or vegetables not grown in Michigan, can consumers easily distinguish between Michigan and non-Michigan produce? Please describe signage and other practices that communicate product origin to consumers.

32. Tell us what interests you most about your site participating in the Double Up Food Bucks program and what you hope to gain from participating in the 2021 season.

33. Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your farm/organization?

This completes the online portion of your application. You will be sent a copy of your responses, please print or save a copy for your records. If you notice any mistakes, please send an email to foodaccess@mifma.org describing the corrections that need to be made.

In order for your application to be complete, you MUST submit a W9 signed in 2021. The W9 form can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

This document can be uploaded here or emailed to foodaccess@mifma.org. Please contact MIFMA if you have any challenges sending in the documentation at (517)432-3381.

Site selection is scheduled for late February 2020 at which point all sites will be notified of the decision made.