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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.