Southland Farmers' Market Association

What Southland Farmers' Market Association does

Minnesota Farmers' Market Association (MFMA) is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1998 and headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, that provides services, programs, resources, and advocacy for farmers' markets and local food producers across Minnesota and Tribal Nations. Its core offerings include an Insurance Group Policy Program for member markets and vendors, the Farmers' Market Academy and Cottage Foods Academy for training and food safety compliance, the SNAP EBT and Market Bucks food access programs, the FM360 market metrics partnership with the University of Minnesota, an annual conference (documented continuously from 2020 through 2025), and a public Find a Market directory. The organization operates a hybrid community-led go-to-market motion through direct membership enrollment, events, email, and partnerships with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Compeer Financial, Hunger Solutions (now The Food Group), and other agricultural and food access organizations.

MFMA's business model rests on three revenue streams: recurring membership dues across Market, Vendor, and Friend of MFMA tiers; managed services revenue from the group insurance program; and one-time conference and training registration fees ($20 for member conference attendees, $55 for non-members including a 1-year Friend membership, and a separate $50 Cottage Foods Training fee). Supplemental funding flows from grants and conference sponsorships (Compeer Financial, Minnesota Farmers Union, Sustainable Farming Association, North Central SARE, Renewing the Countryside). The technology stack is not proprietary and is built on Wild Apricot membership software for membership management and event registration; the FM360 data product is delivered via a University of Minnesota-hosted microsite.

The organization is led by Executive Director Kathy Zeman (in role since September 2012, recipient of the 2021 Gus Schumacher Award) with a small leadership team covering communications, government affairs, and engagement & inclusion. MFMA does not develop proprietary software, has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and operates with a 1-10 employee footprint, consistent with a lean state-association model rather than a venture-backed technology company.

Name

Southland Farmers' Market Association

Legal name

Minnesota Farmers' Market Association

Website

https://mfma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Minnesota Farmers' Market Association is a nonprofit membership association providing insurance, training (Farmers' Market Academy, Cottage Foods Academy), food access programs (SNAP EBT, Market Bucks), and advocacy for 375+ farmers' markets and vendors across Minnesota and Tribal Nations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Association Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Farmers market association
• Membership association services
• Local food advocacy
• Agricultural training programs
• Food access programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nerstrand

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for Markets, Vendors, and Friend of MFMA categories. Provides access to insurance programs, resources, and member benefits.
2. Insurance Group Policy Program: Provides group insurance policy programs for member farmers' markets and vendors.
3. Conference Registration: Annual conference registration fees: $20 for members, $55 for non-members (includes 1-year Friend of MFMA membership).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Minnesota Farmers' Market Association (MFMA) is a nonprofit membership association that provides services, programs, training, and resources to strengthen and promote farmers' markets across Minnesota and Tribal Nations. Core offerings include a group insurance policy program for member markets and vendors, the Farmers' Market Academy and Cottage Foods Academy for professional training, the SNAP EBT food access program, FM360 market metrics service, and an annual conference for farmers' market professionals.

Product overview

Minnesota Farmers' Market Association operates as a membership-based organization offering a portfolio of programs and services to strengthen farmers' markets across Minnesota. The core offerings include the Insurance Group Policy Program for market and vendor coverage, the Farmers' Market Academy for professional training, the Cottage Foods Academy with food safety resources, the SNAP EBT Program for food access, the FM360 Market Metrics service for data collection, and an annual conference. The Find a Market directory helps consumers locate markets statewide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Group Policy Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 375+ communities served through farmers' markets across Minnesota
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota Farmers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor for multiple years. Collaborates on policy advocacy and farmer support initiatives.
• Sustainable Farming AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor and collaborative partner on sustainable agriculture initiatives and farmer resources.
• Renewing the CountrysidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor and collaborative partner supporting local food systems and sustainable agriculture.
• Hunger Solutions Minnesota (merged with The Food Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on SNAP EBT and Market Bucks food access programs. Jill Westfall serves as Statewide Food Access Manager.
• University of Minnesota - FM360coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for FM360 market metrics project collecting data from farmers' markets. Co-founded by Joe Nowak and Hikaru Peterson from UMN.
• Minnesota Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for food safety, regulations, Senior/FMNP program, and emerging farmers initiatives. Provides grants and regulatory guidance.
• Land Stewardship ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy organizing collaborator on food system advocacy and emerging farmer land access initiatives.
• Minnesota Grown (MDA Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketing partnership promoting Minnesota-grown products and farmers' markets statewide.
• The Good AcrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood hub partner collaborating on Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program and market access for small-scale farms.
• Farm CommonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal resources partner providing guidance on cannabis products, botanicals, and food regulations at farmers' markets.
• Midwest Farmers of Color CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on food justice initiatives and support for Black, Indigenous, and Farmers of Color in Minnesota's local foodshed.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Farmers Market Coalition: National trade association for farmers' markets that provides training, advocacy, and programming for market operators. Directly comparable to MFMA but at the national level; awarded MFMA's ED the Gus Schumacher Award in 2021.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit operating SNAP/EBT incentive programs (Double Value Coupon, etc.) at farmers' markets — directly comparable to MFMA's SNAP EBT and Market Bucks programs.
• Hunger Solutions Minnesota (The Food Group): Minnesota nonprofit addressing hunger via food access programs; partnered with MFMA on SNAP EBT and Market Bucks administration and now houses the Statewide Food Access Manager role.

Others

• Renewing the Countryside: Minnesota-based nonprofit supporting local food systems and sustainable agriculture; listed as a core MFMA partner and works on adjacent emerging-farmer and local-food initiatives.

Regional players

• New York State Farmers Market Federation: Statewide federation supporting farmers' markets across New York with training, advocacy, and member benefits — directly parallel to MFMA.
• Washington State Farmers Market Association: Statewide farmers' market association serving Washington with membership, training, and SNAP EBT programs — a direct structural analog to MFMA in a different state.
• Oregon Farmers Markets Association: Oregon's statewide farmers' market association offering similar member services, advocacy, and food access programs to MFMA.
• Michigan Farmers Market Association: Michigan's state-level farmers' market association delivering training (Market Manager Certificate), Double Up Food Bucks, and member services analogous to MFMA's programs.
• Virginia Farmers Market Association: Virginia's state farmers' market association providing membership, training, and food access programming comparable in scope to MFMA.

Emerging players

• Local Food Hub: Nonprofit food hub aggregating and distributing local farm produce, including to farmers' markets — comparable mission of connecting small farms to markets and food access programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minnesota-farmers-market-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southland Farmers' Market Association