Hi,

When I left the Farmers Market last Saturday, my friend and assistant, Jenna Fullington, came home with me to help with a new garden on our land. She and I tilled the soil, adding what we needed to the dirt, and then planted tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, watermelons, and several other vegetables plants. And can I just tell you that in the throws of all our current circumstances, we had a blast! My daughter, Samantha and her fella joined us, and we enjoyed being outside and creating, planting, and making some pretty special memories. But not only did we have a fantastic time, we had no idea our Commissioner was creating a valuable tool for us all that can be found on YouTube. Click here to see how he is helping Mississippians begin their own Victory Gardens. He also mentioned the Mississippi Market Bulletin. It is a great resource in finding great seed and tools that you may need in starting and maintaining your own garden.

We understand the Market to be a very safe place for shoppers to get pre-bagged produce and products that have literally left the hands of the farmers straight to the consumer. So, please feel free to share this video invitation from our Commissioner on your social media channels. Click here for video - We will be open this Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Great efforts are going toward providing a safe and clean environment for all our guests. So, this Saturday we will be providing Outdoor Shopping at the Market. This means that our farmers will be turned inside the building to face out. That way all our shoppers can walk the outside perimeters of the Market to gather up their grocery needs.

One last thing - MDAC is providing updated information for Mississippians at a new COVID-19 page - Click here to go directly to this page, where you will find current updates, response, resources and encouragement from our Commissioner.

As one of our farmers shared with me just this week, "People need to eat, and there are a litany of reasons why farmers markets are a better place to shop than grocery stores right now." I couldn't agree more. When it comes to produce, meats, dairy, and so many consumable products that our families need regularly, it's safer to purchase directly from the farmer, as well as being able to shop outdoors.

See you Saturday,

Lisa Rippy

This Saturday's market offers the perfect opportunity to get those tools sharpened. What's dull in your life these days? Knives? Your mower blade? Your pruning shears? Your hedge shears? Your shovel? Well, bring them all out to the Mississippi Farmers Market this weekend. James Sharpening Service is the solution to "all things dull!"

Stop by between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, so James can sharpen things up for you!

Gardening is a great way to get our minds off things we should take a temporary break from thinking about. Bills. Car troubles. Health issues. Emotional pain. Stress at work. Lost loved ones. COVID-19. There's always something, right? Well, although we live in a world in which we tend to dwell a lot on our losses and shortages, sometimes we need to celebrate (and strengthen) life. This "life" can come in the form of vegetable plants and flowers this season. A spring garden can be a great "escape" from many things.

Check out these 10 basic gardening tips that can guide us all in the right direction as we get started.