FONDY FOOD CENTER INC
1617 W NORTH AVENUE NO 4, MILWAUKEE, WI 53205 www.fondymarket.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE FONDY FOOD CENTER CONNECTS GREATER MILWAUKEE TO LOCAL, FRESH FOOD FROM FARM TO MARKET TO TABLE SO THAT CHILDREN LEARN BETTER, ADULTS LIVE HEALTHIER, AND COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE CULTURAL FOOD TRADITIONS.FROM THE PROGRAMS LIKE FONDY FARMERS MARKET ON MILWAUKEE'S NORTHSIDE TO THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY WINTER FARMERS MARKET TO THE FONDY FARM FONDY'S PROJECTS WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE FRESH, LOCAL FOOD ACCESS FOR ALL MILWAUKEEANS WHILE SUPPORTING SMALL FARMERS.FONDY FOOD CENTER BRINGS HEALTHY FOOD AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY TO GREATER MILWAUKEE BY OPERATING LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; PROVIDING ACCESS TO LAND, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO SMALL-SCALE FARMERS; AND BUILDING A BETTER FOOD SYSTEM TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY & FOOD JUSTICE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

TO CONNECT GREATER MILWAUKEE TO LOCAL, FRESH FOOD - FROM FARM TO TABLE.

FARMERS MARKETS - FONDY FOOD CENTER BRINGS HEALTHY FOOD AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY TO GREATER MILWAUKEE BY OPERATING LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; PROVIDING ACCESS TO LAND, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO SMALL-SCALE FARMERS; AND BUILDING A BETTER FOOD SYSTEM TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY & FOOD JUSTICE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED IN 2000 ON MILWAUKEE'S NORTH SIDE AS A RESPONSE TO FOOD SECURITY & SYSTEM ASSESSMENTS THAT IDENTIFIED A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF HUNGER, POVERTY, AND DEPENDENCE ON EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRIES IN THE AREA - AND THE KEY ROLE THAT THE STRUGGLING FONDY FARMERS MARKET PLAYED. THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE STARTED THE MARKET IN 1917 AND MANAGED OPERATIONS UNTIL THE BUDGET WAS CUT IN THE 1980'S. FARMERS STRUGGLED TO KEEP THE MARKET GOING UNTIL THE FONDY FOOD CENTER WAS CREATED WITH THE EXPLICIT MANDATE TO ENSURE THE SUPPLY OF FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN FOOD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS MARKET IMPROVES PUBLIC HEALTH, STRENGTHENS THE LOCAL ECONOMY, PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SERVES AS A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE.OVER THE PAST DECADE, FONDY FOOD CENTER HAS GROWN FROM ONE FARMERS MARKET TO AN ORGANIZATION CREATING STRATEGIC FOOD SYSTEMS CHANGE WITH MULTI-SECTOR PARTNERS. FONDY NOW OPERATES TWO FARMERS MARKETS - THE FONDY FARMERS MARKET, AND THE MILWAUKEE WINTER FARMERS MARKET - THAT SUPPORTED A TOTAL OF 122 VENDORS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SHOPPERS IN 2019. IN 2010, FONDY STARTED THE FONDY FARM PROJECT, WHICH SUPPORTS LOW-RESOURCE FARMERS GAIN ACCESS TO THE LAND, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO OPERATE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. AND IN 2015, IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT, FONDY LAUNCHED THE MILWAUKEE FARMERS MARKET COALITION - A CITY-WIDE HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVE THAT CONNECTS MORE LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS TO MORE MILWAUKEE AREA FARMERS MARKETS. IN 2017 FONDY PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE TO BUILD A NEW ECO PARK AND COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE NEXT TO THE FONDY FARMERS MARKET. THE FONDY FARMERS MARKET (FFM): FFM IS MILWAUKEE'S LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE FARMERS MARKET AND THE SPRINGBOARD FOR THE AGENCY'S HEALTHY FOOD EFFORTS. IT IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN CONNECTING WITH LOW-INCOME AND DIVERSE CONSUMERS, AND IS THE STATE LEADER IN FARMERS MARKET SNAP REDEMPTION AND NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. THE FFM'S OPEN AIR MARKET CREATES SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY-SHOPPERS OF ALL AGES, ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES, ARTISTS, AND PERFORMERS-TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE MORE THAN 40 PRODUCERS WHICH SELL AT THE MARKET FROM JUNE THROUGH NOVEMBER. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SHOPPERS VISIT THE MARKET EACH YEAR-PRIMARILY DRAWING FROM THE MILWAUKEE'S NORTH SIDE. THE MARKET HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A KEY COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE AND THE NEW FONDY PARK GREATLY EXPANDS THAT ROLE.THE MILWAUKEE WINTER FARMERS MARKET (MWFM): THE MWFM IS THE PREMIER WINTER FARMERS MARKET IN THE REGION. ITS LONGTIME MISSION IS TO PROMOTE LOCAL, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE; INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL FAMILY FARMS AND INNOVATIVE FOOD BUSINESSES; PROVIDE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO WHOLESOME FOOD; AND BUILD A VIBRANT GATHERING PLACE FOR METRO MILWAUKEE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. FONDY FOOD CENTER TOOK OVER STEWARDSHIP OF THIS MARKET IN THE FALL OF 2015.

FARM PROJECT - THE FONDY FARM PROJECT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE ORGANIZATION IN 2010, TO SUPPORT FARMERS SELLING AT THE FONDY FARMERS MARKET AND ENSURE THE CONTINUED SUPPLY OF FRESH PRODUCE TO THE MARKET. WHEN IT WAS REALIZED THAT FONDY'S PRIMARILY LOW INCOME, HMONG AMERICAN FARMERS WERE DROPPING OUT OF FARMING DUE TO NUMEROUS CHALLENGES, FONDY RESPONDED BY ESTABLISHING THE FONDY FARM JUST 30 MILES NORTH OF MILWAUKEE IN PORT WASHINGTON, WI. THE FFP OFFERS AFFORDABLE, LONG-TERM LEASES ON QUALITY LAND PLUS THE AMENITIES NEEDED TO SUCCEED, SUCH AS IRRIGATION, GREEN HOUSES, TRACTORS, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL TRAINING AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE FROM THE FONDY FARM DIRECTOR. IN 2017, RESPONDING TO INCREASED DEMAND FOR FARMLAND, AND LAND CLOSER TO THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE WHERE MOST OF OUR FARMERS LIVE, FFC ADDED A SECOND FARM SITE AT THE MEQUON NATURE PRESERVE (MNP) AND DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF FARMERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT TO 22.

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY - LED BY THE ORGANIZATION, THE MILWAUKEE FARMERS MARKET COALITION PARTNERS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A HEALTHIER AND MORE EQUITABLE FOOD SYSTEM ACROSS MILWAUKEE. THIS CITY-WIDE HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVE CONVENES FARMERS MARKETS, HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, HUNGER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO INCREASE ACCESS TO, AND UTILIZATION OF, FARMERS MARKETS BY LOW INCOME CONSUMERS. THIS WORK IS INCREASING PRODUCE INTAKE WITHIN MILWAUKEE AREA COMMUNITIES WHILE STRENGTHENING THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING, AND JOINT MARKETING EFFORTS.

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