Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS)

What Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) does

Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998, headquartered in Okemos, MI with a mailing address in Lansing, MI. Its mission is to connect beginning, small-scale, and historically underserved farmers — including BIPOC farmers, women farmers, veterans, and Spanish-speaking producers — to each other and to resource opportunities across Michigan, regional, and national networks. The organization addresses systemic barriers to USDA programs, funding access, and peer support, with a stated focus on social justice, environmental stewardship, and farm profitability.

MIFFS delivers its mission through a suite of interconnected programs: Technical Assistance for individualized farmer support, the annual Michigan Family Farms Conference (MFFC), Heroes to Hives for veterans in agriculture and beekeeping, and Farm Bill & Policy Advocacy. These programs are wrapped around a curated Resources Library that aggregates funding opportunities, educational materials, Spanish-language resources (Recursos en español), publications, jobs and internships listings, MFFC presentation archives, and a monthly newsletter. Distribution is statewide and direct, executed through field-based technical assistance, the annual conference, partner channels (USDA Service Centers, MSU Extension, MDARD), and digital channels including a WordPress website, email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The underlying technology is a network-based resource aggregation platform rather than a software product: MIFFS does not operate a proprietary SaaS or app, and core functionality is delivered through partnerships, content publishing, and direct human services. The business model is donations and charitable contributions; services are provided at no cost to farmers, with credit card donations processed via PayPal. Strategic partnerships with USDA NRCS, USDA FSA, MDARD, and MSU Agriculture anchor the federal and state program access that defines the value proposition. The organization has no disclosed headcount, no revenue disclosure, and no equity funding — consistent with a small, grant- and donation-supported statewide nonprofit.

Name

Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS)

Legal name

Michigan Food & Farming Systems

Website

https://miffs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that connects beginning, small-scale, and historically underserved farmers in Michigan to each other and to federal, state, and regional resource opportunities through Technical Assistance, the Michigan Family Farms Conference, Heroes to Hives, and Farm Bill advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Extension & Nonprofit Farmer Support Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

Keywords

• Farmer support services
• Agricultural resource networks
• Nonprofit farm advocacy
• Veteran agriculture programs
• Beginning farmer assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: MIFFS is a U.S. tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that accepts donations. Donations are fully tax-deductible for donors. The organization has been connecting farmers to resources and opportunities since 1998.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MIFFS is a statewide nonprofit that connects beginning, historically underserved, and small-scale diversified farmers in Michigan to each other and to resource opportunities through a portfolio of programs (Technical Assistance, Heroes to Hives, Michigan Family Farms Conference, Farm Bill & Policy Advocacy) and an aggregated resource library of educational materials, publications, funding opportunities, and jobs listings. All programs and resources are provided at no cost to farmers, supported by donations, grants, and partnerships with USDA, MDARD, MSU, and regional organizations.

Product overview

MIFFS is a statewide nonprofit organization offering a suite of interconnected programs and resource services for beginning and historically underserved farmers in Michigan. The core offerings include Technical Assistance, the annual Michigan Family Farms Conference (MFFC), the Heroes to Hives veteran agriculture program, and Farm Bill policy advocacy. These programs are supported by a comprehensive Resources Library containing Educational Materials, MIFFS Publications, Spanish-language resources (Recursos en español), Funding Opportunities database, Jobs & Internships listings, and an archive of MFFC Presentations. The organization also publishes a monthly newsletter. Together, these services form a connected ecosystem designed to build farmer networks, provide peer-to-peer learning, and connect farmers to resource opportunities across Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heroes to Hives: A program under MIFFS focused on supporting veterans in agriculture
• Michigan Family Farms Conference (MFFC)

Products and services

• Technical Assistance Program providing targeted technical assistance to beginning and small-scale, diversified farmers in Michigan, connecting them to resources and support services.
• Michigan Family Farms Conference (MFFC) Annual conference bringing together Michigan farmers, educators, and food system professionals to network, learn, share resources, celebrate diversity, and expand knowledge of sustainable agriculture.
• Heroes to Hives MIFFS sub-brand program providing training and resources for veterans in Michigan interested in agriculture and beekeeping.
• Farm Bill & Policy Advocacy Advocacy and support services helping Michigan farmers navigate and access Farm Bill programs and policy resources.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Farmland TrustminorOthersPartner organization that posts job openings and offers funding opportunities like the Brighter Future Fund for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and women farmers.
• Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN)minorOthersPartner organization serving Detroit's food security and farming community.
• Eastern MarketminorOthersDetroit Eastern Market partnership for job postings and farm viability programming.
• MSU AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan State University Agriculture programs are a key partner providing educational resources, the Organic Farmer Training Program, and Beginning Farmer Curriculum developed with Michigan farmer educators.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey federal partner providing EQIP and conservation programs. MIFFS provides farmers guides for applying to NRCS programs including Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
• USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner for farm number registration and farm loan programs. MIFFS provides guides for farmers to register with FSA and access beginning farmer loans.
• MDARD (Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan state partner offering Food and Agriculture Investment Fund Grants and support for farmers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Rural Affairs: A Nebraska-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving beginning, small, and socially disadvantaged farmers with technical assistance, policy advocacy, and farmer network programming — directly analogous to MIFFS in mission, structure, and delivery model.
• New Entry Sustainable Farming Project: A Massachusetts-based nonprofit delivering beginning farmer training, technical assistance, and refugee/immigrant farmer support — directly comparable to MIFFS's mission and program mix.
• Land Stewardship Project: A Minnesota-based nonprofit focused on small and midsized farmers, stewardship agriculture, and federal policy advocacy — comparable to MIFFS in mission, state-level scope, and programming mix.
• Angelic Organics Learning Center: An Illinois-based nonprofit providing farmer training and beginning farmer programs in the upper Midwest — comparable to MIFFS's beginning farmer curriculum and technical assistance programming.
• RAFI-USA (Rural Advancement Foundation International): A North Carolina-based nonprofit serving underserved farmers through grants, technical assistance, and policy advocacy — closely comparable to MIFFS's mission to support historically underserved and BIPOC farmers.
• Practical Farmers of Iowa: An Iowa-based nonprofit supporting beginning and small-scale farmers through peer-to-peer networks, field days, conferences, and policy advocacy — a direct operational twin to MIFFS's community-led network approach.
• Carolina Farm Stewardship Association: A Carolinas-based nonprofit providing farmer education, networking, and advocacy for sustainable and small-scale agriculture — directly comparable to MIFFS in mission, programming, and state-level nonprofit structure.

Broad incumbents

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: A national umbrella alliance that advances federal policy on sustainable and small-scale agriculture, of which MIFFS's Farm Bill & Policy Advocacy program is a state-level analog — broader in scope but overlapping in policy programming.
• American Farmland Trust: A national nonprofit focused on farmland preservation, farmer viability, and agricultural policy — a current MIFFS partner and broader-incumbent peer operating at national scale with overlapping programming.

Emerging players

• Hmong American Farmers Association: A Minnesota-based nonprofit supporting Southeast Asian immigrant and refugee farmers — overlapping with MIFFS in historically underserved farmer focus, though narrower in ethnic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mifoodfarmingsystems
• Facebookfacebook.com/RiseUpDigIn
• Instagraminstagram.com/miffs_michigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS)