Somerville/Davis Square

The Federation of Mass Farmers Markets is a 501 (c) 3 charitable non-profit organization. Our mission is to partner with farmers, consumers, and communities to foster, enhance and sustain farmers market in Massachusetts in order to improve regional farm viability, consumer nutrition, and community social and economic development. Mass Farmers Markets (MFM) was founded in 1978 with a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the University of Massachusetts Extension Service, and farmers from across the state. At that time founding members saw a renaissance of consumer, farmer, and community interest in farmers markets, but predicted correctly that municipal, state, and federal support and funding for these ventures would not sustain the movement. Today we remain the only organization working state-wide on behalf of farmers markets, the communities in which they are located, and the farmers who rely on them as a crucial source of income. We envision a future in which small family farms and local communities thrive because a significant percentage of residents have access to and choose to consume local food whenever possible. We believe that consumers should know the people who grow their food, and that when they do, our communities, both rural and urban are strengthened. We know that a strong connection between our state’s consumers and producers contributes to a healthy society in three important arenas: family nutrition and food security, agricultural viability and open space preservation, and the economic and social revitalization of neighborhoods.