Make it stand out
Events and Workshops
March Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
2025 WSFMA Farmers Market Bootcamp
Brand new market? Just hired or just elected? The 2025 Farmers Market Bootcamp offers a wealth of information to help you get ready for opening day!
We’ll take you behind the Information Booth to learn about core operational requirements, tools, and tips from seasoned market managers.
We’ll also help make sense of the alphabet soup of acronyms for licenses, permits, food access programs, and essential infrastructure. Perhaps best of all you’ll connect with other new (and returning) managers and board members from six states who share your passion and unique new job.
The 2025 Farmers Market Bootcamp is a collaboration between the Washington State Farmers Markets Association and five other states, including OFMA. It will feature a series of virtual training sessions via Zoom, structured in four parts:
General sessions: Two Thursdays, March 13 and 20, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (Pacific).
Board member session: Tuesday, March 18, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Pacific).
State-specific session: Each Partner will offer a session focused on state-level information. For OFMA, this will be our Annual Meeting and Leadership Training, held on Thursday, March 27, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (Pacific).
When you sign up for the Bootcamp, you'll be automatically registered for all four sessions. Attend as many sessions as you can — we hope you'll join us for all of them!
The regular price for markets from State Partners is $75. Markets from Oregon can use OFMA’s promo code for a $50 discount: enter OFMA25BC when selecting your Oregon ticket to receive the discount. (This discount is thanks to our partnership with WSFMA and USDA FMPP grant 24FMPPWA1211.)
Want to know more? Below are details of what will be covered at each session:
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The first two days of Boot Camp provide general farmers markets tools and training for anyone who has just been hired, is looking for a refresher, or is interested in updated information.
We encourage new (and returning) board members to attend to learn more about farmers market operations, their role in sustaining a strong market organization, and building a great team. -
New in 2025, we are offering an “add on” to Bootcamp for participants who are current or incoming members of a farmers market Board of Directors, Advisory Group, or other leadership position.
This session will focus on how farmers market organizations are unique, scaling governance and management to market size, and where to find resources throughout the year.
All Bootcamp participants are welcome to attend this session. However, content will speak to the specific roles and responsibilities of Directors and Advisors of farmers market organizations, not to the day-to-day management of a farmers market.
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Each State Partner will offer a session focused on state-level information.
For OFMA, this will be our Annual Meeting and Leadership Training, where we’ll come together to reflect on the work that’s currently shaping Oregon’s farmers markets.
This is more than just a meeting—it’s an opportunity to connect with OFMA and fellow market leaders, learn about key initiatives, and gain skills to shape the direction of your market in the year ahead.
Whether you're a long-time member market or a new market or supporter just joining the conversation, you’ll be part of the collective effort as we connect, learn, and grow together in 2025.
On the agenda for this year’s Annual Meeting:
OFMA’s organizational updates and accomplishments.
Meeting current OFMA board members and voting in new members.
Introducing OFMA’s adopted strategic plan, and learn how it aligns with your market’s work over the next three years.
Sharing stories from OFMA’s climate resilient grant recipients and how we are ensuring the continuation of this vital program.
And, introducing OFMA’s new Leadership Community of Practice, launching in April and facilitated by Sagdrina Jalal. Our kick-off session at the Annual Meeting will explore leadership styles through individual Enneagram assessments, helping us understand how we and others show up to the work of organizing markets.
This session will lay the foundation for deeper exploration of the Four M’s of Market Leadership from the Anti-Racist Farmers Market Toolkit in future Community of Practice sessions. Through tools like trust-building, strength finding, dynamic systems exploration, storytelling, synthesis, and emergence, participants will gain the ability to engage key stakeholders and activate meaningful change within their farmers market and broader community.
OFMA Annual Meeting & Leadership Training
Our virtual Annual Meeting is more than just a meeting — it’s an opportunity to connect with OFMA and fellow market leaders, learn about key initiatives, and gain skills to shape the direction of your market in the year ahead.
Whether you're a long-time member market or a new market or supporter just joining the conversation, you’ll be part of the collective effort as we connect, learn, and grow together in 2025.
On the agenda for this year’s meeting:
Presenting organizational updates and celebrating accomplishments.
Meeting current board members and voting in new members.
Introducing our newly adopted strategic plan, and learning how it aligns with your market’s work over the next three years.
Sharing stories from OFMA’s Climate Resilient Farmers Market Grant recipients and how we’re ensuring the continuation of this vital program.
Launching OFMA’s new Leadership Community of Practice facilitated by Sagdrina Jalal. The kick-off session for this six part webinar series will explore leadership styles through individual Enneagram assessments, helping us understand how we and others show up to the work of organizing markets. This session will lay the foundation for deeper exploration of the “Four M’s of Market Leadership” from the Anti-Racist Farmers Market Toolkit in future Community of Practice sessions. Through tools like trust-building, strength finding, dynamic systems exploration, storytelling, synthesis, and emergence, participants will gain the ability to engage key stakeholders and activate meaningful change within their farmers market and broader community.
Everyone who attends live will be entered into a drawing for a chance to receive a $500 gift certificate for market supplies!
Are you registered for the WSFMA Bootcamp? You've been automatically registered for OFMA’s Annual Meeting and don't need to register here.
April Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
Navigating Oregon’s Cottage Food Exemption: A Guide for Farmers Market Managers
In this session tailored specifically for farmers market managers, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the Cottage Food Exemption, which allows small-scale food producers to sell certain homemade products directly to consumers and/or retailers without needing a food establishment license or an inspection from the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA).
Jingyun Duan, Program Manager for ODA's Food Safety Program, will guide you through the eligibility requirements, the types of foods that qualify, labeling regulations, key steps for ensuring compliance, and how to direct vendors to seek licensing assistance from ODA if their products don’t qualify.
Additionally, we’ll provide a brief introduction to the Food Safety Program, highlighting valuable resources and support available to help you and your vendors navigate food safety standards.
After the presentation, we’ll open the floor for a Q&A session, giving you the chance to receive advice about ways to best support cottage food vendors at your market.
May Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
Heartfelt Connections: Keeping Community at the Heart of Fundraising
All too often, funders fall into the trap of leveraging their wealth to manipulate “thirsty” nonprofits into conforming, emphasizing and refocusing on outcomes of importance to the funder versus the outcomes that are most important to the communities being served.
In Part 4 of our Fundraising for Farmers Market webinar series, Pamela J. Oakes of The Profitable Nonprofit will encourage participants to re-examine and re-imagine nonprofit fundraising practices through an equity lens and explore shifting their own fundraising activities in ways that help to build community and further social justice.
From First Contact to Lifelong Support: Keys to Donor Acquisition and Retention
Engagement is at the heart of donor cultivation. A well-executed donor strategy can increase awareness about an organization’s mission, create authentic means by which donors can participate in the work, entice donors to stay in touch, and set in place the components enabling a nonprofit to foster community support, secure strategic partnerships, and amplify the organization’s impact.
In Part 3 of our Fundraising for Farmers Market webinar series, Pamela J. Oakes of The Profitable Nonprofit illuminates best practices of donor acquisition and retention and the keys to sustaining a large base of vested supporters.
Understanding Entity Selection and Tax-Exemptions
Join us for an insightful seminar designed to guide farmers market managers through the complexities of business entity selection and tax-exempt applications. Led by Lindy Laurence from Rational Unicorn, this session will cover:
Entity Selection Types: Learn about entity types and the different IRS tax-exempt categories to understand which approach best suits your organization's needs.
Successful Tax-Exempt Applications: Discover strategies to increase the likelihood of your tax-exempt application being approved. Lindy will share how Rational Unicorn has successfully helped several farmers markets and similar organizations obtain 501(c)(3) status in 2024.
February Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
January Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
Elevating Native Perspectives & Practices at Farmers Markets
At this special virtual gathering, we’ll celebrate the culmination of OFMA’s 4-week Native Knowledge Sharing Learn-a-Long, where we invite market staff to read and reflect on this new digital toolkit.
Facilitated by toolkit authors S.A. Lawrence-Welch (Nêhiýaw & Métis) and Vawn Jason Borges (Kānaka Maoli), this session will offer space to discuss meaningful and sustainable ways integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural awareness into farmers market operations.
Building stronger, more respectful partnerships with Indigenous communities offers a valuable opportunity for market staff seeking to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at their markets to ensure that Oregon Farmers Markets are welcoming and accessible to all. Join us as we talk through actionable strategies for increasing economic opportunities and cultural representation for Native community members in Oregon’s local food systems.
December Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
OFMA Strategic Plan Feedback Forum
As a membership association, feedback from farmers markets is vital to achieving our mission. At this virtual forum, we offer market staff space to review and discuss OFMA’s long-term vision for supporting Oregon farmers markets.
Hear directly from board members about the 2025 - 2028 strategic planning process, core goals, and anticipated outcomes. Then, share valuable experiences and insights about the proposed approaches to ensure the plan reflects your market's needs and priorities.
Join market organizers from across the state as we collaboratively plan the future direction of OFMA.
Future-Proofing Nonprofits: Thriving Through Revenue Diversification
Attendees will discover key tactics for searching for grant money, capitalizing on fundraising events and easy strategies for inviting like-minded corporations who share a passion for the cause to partner together for impact!
Before the webinar, read Pamela's Hot Tips on locating funding organizations.
November Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
October Peer Learning Circle
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
Understanding Legal Structures and Tax Status for Farmers Markets
Farmers markets come in many different sizes and shapes, and have many options regarding their legal structure and tax status, and varied legal requirements for their formation, registration, reporting, and operations.
Participating in this webinar will help you feel confident in your understanding of the important features of your own farmers market’s legal structure and tax status, and ensure that your farmers market is operating in full legal compliance with the relevant state and federal laws and regulations.
Presented by Nonprofit Association of Oregon and David Atkin, a senior attorney with the Center for Nonprofit Law.
Dreamweavers: The Power of Nonprofit Storytelling
Learn how to craft a compelling, aspirational narrative about your market organization that will not only ignite marketing campaigns and promotional activities but will set your fundraising efforts on fire!
Lead by Pamela J. Oakes, owner of The Profitable Nonprofit, a global business development company for purpose-driven, mission-minded, socially-innovative do-gooders, dedicated to changing the world.
<— Please note event date change.
September Peer Learning Circle
This monthly virtual forum makes space for market staff from across the state to come together to share insights, experiences, and best practices in managing and operating farmers markets.
Facilitated by OFMA staff and Oregons farmers market organizers, these circles provide a supportive environment for peer-to-peer learning, allowing market staff to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned market organizer or new to the role, Peer Learning Circles are opportunities to network, learn from others' experiences, and enhance your skills in market management and community engagement. Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together as leaders in Oregon's vibrant farmers market community!
Market Innovation Showcase: Guiding New Vendors to Market Success with Montavilla Farmers Market
This August, it's a Peer Learning Circle x Market Innovation Showcase mashup!
In 2023, Montavilla Farmers Market sought to create a video series to help beginning vendors realize success at the market. The videos — made by long-time vendors — highlight expertise they've gained over the years on booth presentation, pricing, managing expectations, regulations and permits, and more.
At this showcase, market manager Lisa Hall will talk about the successes and setbacks of this project, the role farmers markets play in helping beginning vendors, the ways Montavilla Farmers Market supports their new vendors, and how to create and support spaces for collaboration between vendors.
National Farmers Market Week
Now in its 25th year, this annual celebration (falling this year on August 4-10, 2024) highlights the vital role farmers markets play in our nation’s food system.
With fun events, programs, contests, activities, and more, the week helps to boost market attendance and visibility as well as showcase the value markets bring to their communities.
Stay tuned to OFMA’s social media accounts to celebrate Oregon farmers markets with us!
Effective Communications Planning for Market Managers
As a market manager, you play a crucial role in ensuring the success of local food systems. This success depends on your ability to reach and engage the community that supports farmers markets.
Crafting a compelling story and knowing where to begin can be challenging. How do you reach the right people and grow a loyal customer base and unwavering support?
Create a communications plan to guide marketing efforts that will draw shoppers and supporters in and keep them coming back season after season.
Amelia Dortch of Hines Dortch Consulting will provide market organizers with tools to build an actionable communications plan that will increase your market’s reach and following. Plus, market manager and interim Black Food Sovereignty Council executive director Allinee "shiny" Flanary will share how a carefully crafted communications plan benefits the Come Thru Market.
Market Innovation Showcase featuring Lane Co. Farmers Market
In 2023, Lane County Farmers Market sought a consultant to help solve the problem of inefficient and ineffective board meetings and other work processes through an examination of their organizational structure, board standards/practices, and staff and board communications.
At this session, market managers Alexis and Meghan will share policy and board matrix templates, and organizational checklists. All the material will be available for any market to adopt and develop for their own use.
They'll cover how they received guidance in identifying their organizational structure and responsibilities of board members and staff, along with some coaching on improving board communications and increasing board efficiency by creating a 'board notebook', new director on-boarding orientations, and best meeting practices.
Human Resources Essentials: From Seed to Harvest
This training session is tailored for farmers' market leaders, including board members and market managers, who often navigate challenges of being over-stretched and under-resourced.
The focus is on core human resource (HR) areas that, if done well, can uplift, cultivate, and support your staff. The session addresses what you need to know about four key HR stages including recruitment, onboarding, retention, and departures. Each stage must be authentically aligned with your diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging journeys.
We will cover how making slight adjustments to your people approach can empower you to navigate ongoing HR challenges, improve your teams, and contribute to the overall success and sustainability of your farmers' market.
Presented by Nonprofit Association of Oregon, and human resources consultant Mark Kajitani.