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Market Master Information

A Market Coordinator is a farm entity that sells Michigan-grown produce to participants of the Senior Project Fresh program (SPF). Market Coordinators may operate as an individual farm that participates in the SPF program, or they may register as a representative of other Michigan farmers who participate in the program. Farmers who are represented by a market master are vendors of that market coordinator (2024 Market Coordinator Vendor Form). Farmers who register as having a roadside stand represent only themselves.

To participate in SPF as a market coordinator, vendor, or roadside stand, the farm entity must:

  • Register with Michigan’s accounting and financial management system (SIGMA)
  • Register with Michigan’s Senior Project Fresh program (SPF)
  • Display the SPF Sign that reads “Senior Project Fresh Coupons Welcome Here”. The sign is included in the SPF packet.
  • Market Coordinators new to the SPF program are required by the state and the US Department of Agriculture to participate in one SPF educational conference call during the SPF season (May 1 through October 31). The conference call is presented by the MDHHS Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration.

Market Coordinators who represent other farmers as vendors must:

  • Complete a farmer-market agreement between themselves and each of their vendors.
  • Educate the farm vendors they represent on the policies, guidelines, and rules of SPF.
  • Assign each of their farm vendors a unique identifier (number), which may be the same as their WIC assigned number, and submit the vendor’s name, unique identifier, and contact information to the MDHHS Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration.

Registration with SIGMA and SPF is not automatically renewed each year. Market Coordinators who represent vendors, Market Coordinators who represent themselves, and farmers who operate a roadside stand must register annually for the current SPF program year. Any updates about the farm entity from the previous year’s participation information is documented during the annual registration process.

Once a farm entity is registered, they are eligible to sell produce to SPF participants during the program season, May 1 to October 31. The farmer is required to collect SPF coupons which act as cash and redeemed from SPF participants. Market Coordinators, vendors, and farmers with roadside stands are required to ensure that the information on the SPF coupon is correct. On a monthly basis, the Market Coordinator and roadside stand must submit the coupons (between 25 and 250 per batch) to MDHHS for reimbursement. Vendors who are represented by a Market Coordinator submit their coupons to their Market Coordinator. To receive reimbursement, all redeemed coupons must be sent to MDHHS Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration, Aging and Community Services Division, and be postmarked no later than November 15th of the SPF program season year.

Additional information for SPF Market Coordinator participants is available in the Market Coordinator Guidebook.

Downloadable Market Master Materials

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