FOOD JUSTICE
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In Flint, Mich., Moving The Farmers Market Drew More Poor Shoppers
This article from NPR briefly details a case study of a Michigan market that noticed a significant increase in low-income, food-insecure shoppers when it moved to a downtown location that was more accessible to these shoppers. 2016.
Inclusive Farmers Markets: Creating Markets for All Shoppers
The National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD) put together a list of recommendations for creating inclusive farmers markets. These include considerations for wheelchair users and others with impaired mobility, blind or low-vision customers, and other patrons with apparent and invisible disabilities. No date.
Inclusive Health Communication Guidelines
This article, also from the NCHPAD, gives basic guidelines for interacting with disabled customers for vendors or market managers who may not feel confident in doing so without causing harm. No date.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance at Markets
This article provides a quick overview and basic examples of what farmers market managers can do to make their markets more accessible to people with disabilities. 2024.
Make sure your market is in compliance with the ADA with this checklist from the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems. 2021.
Market Log for ADA Requests for Reasonable Modifications
This log will help market managers keep track of ADA requests that they receive. 2021.
Creating Size-Inclusive Farmers Markets
This post from fat activist Ragen Chastain on the Farmers Market Coalition’s blog provides background on weight stigma and demonstrates how market managers can create inclusive messaging and spaces at their markets. 2022.
If You Want to Belong, Find a Third Place
This article from Vox describes third spaces and why they are so important for community development and individual well-being. Although not specifically about farmers markets, the article provides a lot of important information about how to make markets more accessible and inclusive, namely by creating spaces that are welcoming for teens, low-income families, and unhoused people. 2024.
NCFMN Quick Tips: Farmers' Markets as Third Spaces
This guide from NCFMN illustrates how the atmosphere of farmers markets can create a welcoming third space environment. 2023.
Comfort and Image: How to Create a Welcoming Place
This article from the Project for Public Spaces discusses how third spaces can be made more welcoming and comfortable for the general public. 2023.
From Better Block, Wikiblock is an online open-source design library for low-cost elements, like benches, planters, and kiosks, that can make your market more vibrant and welcoming. 2023.
NCFMN Quick Tips: Pride Month Amidst Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislation
This guide from NCFMN gives a quick overview of how to be a strong LGBTQIA2S+ ally, including information on anti-LGBTQIA2S+ legislation, queer liberation strategies, and ways to create more welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals. Although this guide was put together for pride month, it’s important to remember that true allyship continues year-round. 2023.
Effective Communications in the Cultural Marketplace
This guide from the Washington State Farmers Market Association describes how market managers can effectively and positively communicate with vendors and customers from different cultural backgrounds. 2016.
General Non-Discrimination Policy Tips
This webpage from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides guidance on how market managers can create a strong non-discrimination policy. No date.
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Racial Equity Tools: Core Concepts
This webpage gives readers a basic understanding of racial equity concepts, including intersectionality, decolonization, and the difference between race and ethnicity. 2020.
National Museum of African American History & Culture: Being Anti-Racist
This webpage from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture gives a brief overview of antiracism and includes reflective prompts to help readers advance their understanding of and commitment to anti-racist work. 2019.
BOOK: Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
In this book, Saad walks white readers through a 28-day practice of understanding the nuances of their relationship to white supremacy, encouraging deep reflection along the way. 2023.
Stanford IDEAL Engage Anti-Racism Toolkit
This toolkit from Stanford IDEAL Engage seeks to encourage workplace discussions of race. It includes helpful tools and many extra resources to deepen readers’ understanding of topics like unconscious bias, allyship, and discomfort. 2020.
Harvard Implicit Association Test
This suite of brief tests from Harvard University can help you measure and understand your personal implicit biases for or against certain marginalized groups. No date.
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Anti-Racist Farmers Market Toolkit
This toolkit from the Farmers Market Coalition helps market managers implement anti-racist practices along four key categories: management, messaging, mission, and measurement. 2022.
Identifying and Countering White Supremacy Culture in Food Systems
This report from the Duke World Food Policy Center examines how white supremacy pervades the United States food system and provides recommendations for combating white supremacy in these spaces. 2020.
PODCAST: An Equitable Food System
In this episode of the Food by Design podcast, host Sandeep Pahuja discusses the harmful and racist roots of the U.S. food system, as well as ways that farmers and other food system participants are working towards an equitable food system. 2020.
Measuring Racial Equity in the Food System
This report from the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems provides metrics for measuring racial equity in the food system, which could be helpful for market managers looking to measure and improve the racial equity of their markets. 2019.
This calendar of events from Soul Fire Farm lists in-person and virtual skill shares, workshops, webinars, and Instagram live education sessions to help market managers and farmers learn more about food sovereignty and anti-racism in agriculture and the food system. 2024.
This report is a collaboration between the Union of Concerned Scientists and the HEAL Food Alliance. It discusses how farming can improve the socioeconomic status of historically oppressed BIPOC individuals and their communities, and how farmers market managers can create space to uplift BIPOC farmers. 2020
An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System
Within this annotated bibliography, researchers and scholars from the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems compiled hundreds of resources on racism in the food system from the past two decades. 2023.
WEBINAR: Race Equity Dialogue in the Agrifood Business Space
This webinar from the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems explores the unequal power dynamics present in the agrifood business space, with a specific focus on increasing racial equity in food systems leadership. 2024.
A Racial Equity Implementation Guide for Food Hubs
This guide provides a basic framework for food hubs to show a demonstrated commitment to racial equity at the organizational level, including in distribution, vendor relationships, marketing, and management. 2018.
21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
Every April, Food Solutions New England hosts a 21-day racial equity habit-building challenge for food systems advocates to learn and practice racially equitable behaviors. The challenge is free and can be completed individually or as a group/team. 2024.
Racial Equity at Farmers Markets: A Case Study
This brief report from RAFI details their experience working with the Durham Farmers Market to increase vendor diversity. 2024.
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La Via Campesina, a global peasants’ movement, is credited with developing the idea of food sovereignty. Their website provides more information and resources for achieving food sovereignty. 2024.
Created in 2007 with signatories from over 80 countries, the Declaration of Nyéléni lays out the principles of food sovereignty with a focus on the health, well-being, and power of the people. 2007.
Based in Asheville, the Utopian Seed Project provides growers and other food systems advocates with information about food sovereignty through agrobiodiversity. No date.
U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance
This website from the U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance provides interested market managers with important information and resources about food sovereignty. 2023.
This phenomenal film, available on Netflix, highlights the strides that many Indigenous people are making to reclaim their food sovereignty from the U.S. food system and its associated harm. 2020.
Seedlings in the Garden: Childhood Food Sovereignty and the Push to Reclaim Indigenous Foodways
This article from Early Learning Nation focuses on the importance of teaching Indigenous food sovereignty to youth and draws examples from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. 2024.
Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance
This website from the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance has lots of important information about Indigenous food sovereignty, including details about the Indigenous SeedKeepers Network and the Food and Culinary Mentorship Program. 2024.
USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative
This USDA website provides information about Indigenous food sovereignty, including recipes, a guide for transitioning from cattle to bison, seed saving, and other practices. No date.