Publication: Michigan Food and Farming Systems
Published: 11/28/06
East Lansing, Mich. – Spanish-speaking farmers in Michigan can now find valuable information and resources in Spanish online at the Michigan Food & Farming Systems – MIFFS Web site.
Bernardo Lopez Ariza, a PhD student at Michigan State University, has been working for months with Emily Buckham, MIFFS communications specialist, to translate the site into Spanish and get it up and running. Bernardo has excellent Spanish translation and Web site skills and is a great help to the MIFFS team. Now, every page at www.miffs.org is available in both English and Spanish.
“Spanish-speaking farmers in Michigan are often underserved,” said Elaine Brown, MIFFS executive director. “It can be difficult to tap in to existing networks of knowledge and information that don’t offer resources in Spanish.”
The Multicultural Farmers program at MIFFS is reaching out to these farmers to help them get connected. Through a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), MIFFS is making resources in Spanish available as well as developing relationships within the Spanish-speaking community.
Integrated Pest Management workshops, Web site development classes and farm visits are only a few of the ways that MIFFS is reaching out. A Spanish-speaking track will also be available at the 4th Annual Michigan Family Farms Conference, which is hosted by the Farm Research Cooperative in partnership with USDA RMA and also sponsored by MIFFS.
“Spanish-speaking farmers are the fastest growing group in Michigan agriculture,” said Morse Brown, MIFFS Multicultural Farmers program manager. “We’re working to serve them better and make resources in Michigan agriculture easier to find.”
For more information on this project, the Multicultural Farmers program or other MIFFS programs and initiatives, contact MIFFS at miffs@msu.edu or (517) 432-0712 or visit online at www.miffs.org .
Founded in 1998, MIFFS is a statewide membership organization (501c3) whose purpose is to promote diverse efforts that foster and sustain food and farming systems that improve economic, ecological and social well-being. MIFFS has been effective at establishing successful partnerships among producers, markets and institutions that have created more profitable, environmentally friendly food systems in Michigan.
The organization’s vision is based on the premise that agricultural productivity, environmental stewardship and profitability reinforce each other for the benefit of Michigan’s rural and urban communities. To learn more, please visit www.miffs.org or call (517) 432-0712.
CONTACT:
Emily Buckham
Communications Specialist
