OXFORD, Miss. – The state’s farmers markets will be discussed in noon
programs the first two Mondays in March at the University of
Mississippi.
Sponsored by the Southern Foodways Alliance and the Center for the
Study of Southern Culture, a special two-part “Green” Brown Bag lunch
and lecture series examines community markets. The discussions are
scheduled in Barnard Observatory.
The programs are free and open to the public, and should be of special interest to market customers and vendors.
On Monday (March 2), Richard Butler, from the farmers market division of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, discusses “Cultivating Community Markets” and how the Mississippi Farmers Market has been revamped over the past four years.
On March 9, Linda Boyd, owner of Oxford Garden and Berry Patch and vendor at Mid-town Farmers’ Market; Michelle McAnally, farmer and organizer of the Taylor Farmers market; and Liz Stagg discuss “Farmers Markets in Lafayette County: Serving Our Cultural and Culinary Needs.”
“Consumer interest in locally sourced food from small farms is growing, and we are hoping to educate people on what is available and how small markets can respond to customers’ needs,” said Stagg, co-owner of the Farmers Market on old Highway 7 in Oxford.
Also on hand will be Mary Beth Lasseter, who started a farmers market in Vicksburg last year. Lasseter said she will talk about working with fellow volunteers to organize the Vicksburg Farmers Market.
“We’ll discuss the hurdles we’ve faced in trying to set it up, since it’s difficult to find farmers – even in the agricultural areas of the Delta – and some of the positives we encountered, including the city’s support and an overwhelming community response,” Lasseter said.
Other Brown Bag lectures are scheduled Wednesdays at noon in Barnard Observatory. For the complete schedule, go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/brown?bag?lecture?series.html.
For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-5993.