Fruit, vegetable workshops set
Feb 9, 2007 12:00 PM
A three-part series of workshops for potential and current fruit and vegetable growers about growing for and selling farmers' markets will be held Feb. 10, Feb. 24, and March 10 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Lodge at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson, Miss.
The workshops are sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
Local direct marketing provides growers the opportunity to sell directly to consumers at retail prices. Farmers' markets are growing in popularity and in number as consumers are becoming more health conscience and aware of the benefits of buying fresh, locally grown produce.
Recently, Mississippi has seen an increase of farmers' markets with the addition of the Mississippi Farmers' Market located in downtown Jackson and several other markets throughout the state. More growers are needed to supply a variety of products to satisfy the needs of consumers.
The workshops will cover a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops that can be grown in Mississippi including both warm-season and cool-season crops.
Registration forms can be found on the following websites: http://www.mdac.state.ms.us ://www.msfruitandveg.com.
