The Vicksburg Farmers’ Market didn’t need any particular certification for local residents to think it was a success, but last week it was announced the market had indeed received a special distinction.

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce recently announced it had certified 34 farmers markets — including the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market — as part of the Mississippi Certified Farmers Market Program.

According to Kim Hopkins, Vicksburg Main Street Program director, the market had received that same certification for a number of years and that it is renewed each year.

“There are classes we must attend, and the market is inspected each year,” Hopkins said.

Last Saturday marked the final “official” Saturday for the market, but Hopkins said market organizers have decided to keep the market going into August on a “week-to-week basis.”

“They will decide at the first of the week if they’re going to have a market that coming Saturday, depending on the number of vendors they have and if they have any product available,” Hopkins said. “Many of the vendors have come to us and asked us to keep it going.”

Local market officials are planning a fall market, which would begin in October and continue through the end of November.

The farmers’ marekt program serves as a marketing initiative designed to identify and promote markets where producers of Mississippi grown produce and other agricultural products gather to sell their goods directly to consumers.

“Consumers are now more than ever seeking out local products,” Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson said. “They want to buy locally. They want to buy where they live. They want to know their farmers and where their food is coming from.”

To be recognized by the Mississippi Farmers Market Certification Program, local farmers markets must be identified and approved as locations where Mississippi farmers are gathered to sell their Mississippi products. As the demand for seasonal, locally grown produce has increased, so has the number of farmers markets across the state.

By shopping at one of the state’s certified markets, consumers can be confident that they are purchasing both fresh and nourishing food. To find a certified farmers market, visit www.msfarmersmarket.com or download the Mississippi Farmers Market mobile app. 

For more information on the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market, call 601-634-4527.