Do you enjoy shopping at the Market and supporting your favorite vendors? Then consider joining us as a Friend of the Market! It’s a fun way to get more involved in fostering a thriving local food community.
Every Saturday from May through October, the Market comes to life with farmers and makers and thousands of shoppers eager to stock up on high-quality food and goods from their favorite vendors. But did you know that the work of the Market extends well beyond the vibrant marketplace you experience?
As an anchor in the local food system, the Mill City Farmers Market plays an important role in supporting a healthier community through educational and food access programs, partnerships, and grants for local, sustainable farmers and food makers. Much like on the farm, this work is year-round, and critical to ensuring that local our food system can flourish and grow. Support from donors and Friends of the Market make it possible!
In 2020, support from Friends of the Market helped to:
Create a safe and healthy marketplace during COVID-19
- Launched the first preorder pick-up market in the state
- Trained and built online stores for farmers with technological and language barriers
- Shared best practices with markets around the country to ensure local food economies remained strong
Support farmers and food makers
- Established a Farmer Relief Fund
- Provided more than $40,000 to nine local farmers and food makers through the Next Stage Grant program
Ensure access to healthy local food
- Increased food distribution as part of our food donation program by 58%
- Purchased nearly 10,000 pounds of fresh produce from 13 farms for free distribution in South Minneapolis
- Matched all EBT transactions dollar-per-dollar up to $10
MORE REASONS TO JOIN!
By joining the Friends of the Market at any level, you become part of a circle of supporters that receive exclusive communications and perks designed for folks who are devoted fans and passionate about making a difference in the local food community.
