Jackson Free Press Article lauds the new farmers market bill

Biz Roundup: Farmers Market Boost

by Elizabeth Waibel

May 8, 2012

A new Mississippi law this year allows cities and counties to now donate money to local farmers markets.

Gov. Phil Bryant signed HB 535 into law late last month, giving county and city authorities the go-ahead to donate funds to their local farmers markets. The law applies to farmers markets within the city or county that are certified by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.

The Mississippi Food Policy Council, which supported the bill, said farmers markets increase access to healthy food and keep money in the state. Roy Mitchell, who chairs MFPC, said he thinks some local governments will come through to support farmers markets despite already-tight budgets.

“I think communities recognize that investments in farmers markets are investments in your community,” he told theJackson Free Press. “… It’s a win-win–you’re stimulating the economy, and you have a healthier population.”

Rep. Toby Barker, R-Hattiesburg, sponsored the bill.

“With the signing of HB 535, local communities will be more empowered to take ownership of the health of their communities,” Barker said in a statement. “I hope and expect that we will see more local and certified farmers markets throughout the state.”

MDAC lists two certified farmers markets in the Jackson-metro area: the Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.) and the Livingston Farmers Market (Corner of Highway 463 and Highway 22, Madison).

To view the article, click here.

Mississippi Legislature Sets the First Week in October as Mississippi Farm to School Week

Commissioner of Agriculture Cindy Hyde-Smith, Representative Toby Barker, and the Mississippi Food Policy Council praised the passage Thursday of the House Concurrent Resolution 112 designating the first week in October 2012 as Farm to School Week in Mississippi. During Mississippi Farm to School Week, schools are encouraged to serve at least one locally grown food in school meals.

“Recognizing Farm to School Week provides a wonderful opportunity to not only bring attention to the variety of crops grown in Mississippi and the farmers that produce them, it also educates the younger generation on where their food comes from,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Cindy Hyde-Smith. “We are looking forward to celebrating Farm to School Week, and we hope that others take time to recognize this week as well.”

 

The resolution, sponsored by Representative Toby Barker of Hattiesburg, was written based on the recommendations proposed by the Mississippi Food Policy Council during the meetings of the legislatively created Healthy Foods Advisory Committee in 2011.

 

“I’m excited about the potential of drawing the state’s attention to such an important program like Farm to School,” said Representative Toby Barker. “Putting emphasis on this valuable partnership between local produce and local schools can greatly benefit health and nutrition in our state.”

 

According to the Mississippi Food Policy Council, Mississippi’s children currently suffer from the highest rates of childhood obesity in the country, and many of those students do not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Farm to School programs have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among students and to be an effective way to teach children about nutrition, health, and the environment. Farm to School programs also keep food dollars in the state, which supports local farmers and the local economy.

 

“I applaud Representative Barker and the Mississippi legislature for investing in the health of our children and in the farmers of Mississippi,” said Roy Mitchell, chair of the Mississippi Food Policy Council. “The Mississippi Food Policy Council is looking forward to working with growers and schools around the state to make Mississippi’s first Farm to School Week a success.”

Mississippi Food Policy Council Applauds Passage of Farmers Market Bill

The Mississippi Food Policy Council (MFPC) is pleased to announce the passage of House Bill 535, a key piece of legislation in the movement to provide Mississippians with access to healthy, farm fresh foods. This bill, which was signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant yesterday, allows local county and municipal governments to donate money to farmers markets.

 

“The Mississippi Food Policy Council applauds Representative Toby Barker and Governor Bryant for taking another important step in ensuring that all Mississippians have access to healthy, locally grown food,” said Roy Mitchell, chair of the Mississippi Food Policy Council. “The Mississippi Food Policy Council’s focus is to always advocate for food and farm policies that build healthy communities, and this legislation is vital to advancing that mission.”

 

The bill, sponsored by Representative Toby Barker of Hattiesburg, was written based on several of the recommendations proposed by the Mississippi Food Policy Council during the meetings of the legislatively-created Healthy Foods Advisory Committee in 2011. “With the signing of HB 535, local communities will be more empowered to take ownership of the health of their communities,” said Barker. “I hope and expect that we will see more local certified farmers markets throughout the state. I appreciate the hard work of the MFPC and all the individuals who helped make this law a reality.”

 

According to the Harvard Law Mississippi Delta Project, in addition to farmers markets increasing access to healthy foods, the markets also keep food dollars in the state. Approximately 1.5 million a year is spent at farmers markets in Mississippi, and the farmers that benefit from these markets in turn support local businesses and keep money in the local economy.

 

“This is a win-win for Mississippi. Not only does it improve the health of Mississippians, but it also improves our state and local economies,” said Mitchell.

Save The Date! Next MFPC Meeting Friday, April 13

Our next meeting will be held on Friday, April 13, 2012 in Jackson.

The meeting will discuss legal and policy issues facing farmers markets in Mississippi. Special guest Darlene Wolnik will join us. Darlene is a nationally-known expert on local food systems and farmers markets. She works as a consultant for Market Umbrella in New Orleans and serves as President of the Board for the Community Food Security Coalition. We are excited to have Darlene join us!

Here is Darlene’s bio: Darlene Wolnik is a long time consumer community organizer, retail designer and “retail anthropologist”. Since 2001, she has focused on farmers markets and food systems while based in New Orleans LA. She worked for 9.5 years at marketumbrella.org creating and running their direct marketing outlets and designing their ground-breaking marketshare project, which builds resources for public markets everywhere. Since 2011, she has worked as an independent researcher and analyst for market organizations and provides technical assistance to markets and food systems throughout North America. She has also published pieces on New Orleans culture  and is working on a tree inventory of the French Quarter. She serves as the Board President of the Community Food Security Coalition.

At this meeting and some of our upcoming meetings, we are excited to have some MFPC members sponsor our meetings by providing lunch. We will also get to hear from some of our members and partners about the work their organizations are doing around food policy in Mississippi.

Save-the-date: Next Food Policy Council Meeting Friday, Jan. 20, 2012

The MFPC will hold its next public meeting on Friday, January 20, 2012. The meeting will present the MFPC’s policy agenda for the 2012 legislative session, with a focus on encouraging farm to school programs in Mississippi. We will talk about the benefits and barriers to farm to school in Mississippi as well as some programmatic and policy changes that could be beneficial. For more information about proposed legislation that could help promote farm to school, please visit our recent legislative recommendations that were presented to the Legislative Task Force on Healthy Food Access: In Depth Report: Mississippi Farm-to-School Legislative Recommendations

Upcoming MFPC Meeting – October 14, 2011

Please join the Mississippi Food Policy Council as it hosts a roundtable discussion featuring Mayor Joel Gill and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, candidates for Commissioner of Agriculture.

Brooke Smith and Judy Belue will also present on WHY Hunger and Delta Fresh Foods’ vision for an FM/EBT incentive program statewide.

Friday, October 14, 2011

9:30a.m. – 2:00p.m.

MSU Social Science Research Center

153 Mississippi Parkway

Canton, MS

 

Please RSVP to Debbie Smith at dsmith@mhap.org or call 601-353-0845 by October 11^th if you would like to attend this meeting.