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JACKSON, Miss. – As part of Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson’s Make Mississippi Healthy Again (MMSHA) initiative, he is touring several local farms, farmers markets, restaurants serving local foods and agribusinesses around the state.
Make Mississippi Healthy Again is an initiative to increase access to local, nutritious foods and promote healthy eating. As part of the initiative, Commissioner Gipson is highlighting the vast number of farms across the state that provide local, healthy foods and the farmers who grow them.
“I am excited to visit the farms and small businesses across our great state,” said Commissioner Gipson. “Healthy eating begins with healthy ingredients, and there’s nothing more nutritious than fresh, locally sourced fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats. That’s why our agency will be making stops at farms throughout Mississippi in the coming months. Our farmers, ranchers and producers are the backbone of our food system, and they hold the key to providing abundant, safe, healthy and affordable food. Stay tuned for the latest updates from our journey across the state to Make Mississippi Healthy Again!”
Currently scheduled stops on Commissioner Gipson’s Make Mississippi Healthy Again Farm Tour include:
- Delta Council Meeting in Cleveland – Friday, June 13, at 10:30 a.m.
- DeSoto County Agri-Education Center ribbon cutting in Nesbit – Thursday, June 19, at 11:00 a.m.
- Home Place Pastures (beef/pork farm) in Como – Thursday, June 19, at 12:00 p.m.
- Eubanks Produce (fruits/vegetables farm) in Lucedale – Monday, June 23
- Mississippi Farmers Market in Jackson – Thursday, June 26, at 10:00 a.m.
- Two Crackers Oyster Company (seafood producer) in Vancleave – Tuesday, July 1, at 1:00 p.m.
- Sullivan’s Produce (fruit & vegetable store) in Meadville – Thursday, July 3, at 12:00 p.m.
Additional stops are being added frequently. Commissioner Gipson will be visiting farms throughout the summer that produce fruits and vegetables, catfish, pecans, sweet potatoes, rice, honey, mushrooms, peanuts and other locally grown crops. So far on the MMSHA Tour, Commissioner Gipson has visited Banks Farm in Brandon, Nature’s Gourmet in Petal, Clyde Magee’s Watermelon Farm in Mize, Sandy Run Farm in Purvis, The Midtowner restaurant in Hattiesburg and Sumrall Farms in Canton.
Main Photo: Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson and his wife, Leslie, visited Banks Farm in Brandon as the first stop on the MMSHA Farm Tour. The family owned and operated peach orchard currently has 4,000 trees in production and all peaches are hand-picked and hand-selected for sale to the public. Pictured L-R: Emma Burkhalter, Glenda Banks, Leslie Gipson, Commissioner Andy Gipson, Ben Banks, Leighton Banks, Molly Banks Burkhalter and Mark Burkhalter.
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