Baldwyn Farmers Market Building Underway, Due by January

Work has started on a permanent Baldwyn farmers market building, a project city leaders say will give local growers a year-round home and the community a new hub for healthy living. The city broke ground earlier this month on the facility, which is being paid for with a $334,660 grant from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, according to The Baldwyn News.

Mayor Roslynn Clark said she expects the building to be finished by January 2027.

What the Baldwyn farmers market building will offer

The new structure is meant to be more than a place to buy tomatoes and honey. Plans call for it to host:

• A permanent marketplace for farmers, growers and artisans
• Agricultural and farming classes for both adults and young people
• Programs on healthy cooking, nutrition and gardening, with educational help from the Mississippi State University Extension Service

The market already carries the Genuine MS Farmers Market designation, and organizers are working toward becoming a Mississippi Certified Farmers Market.

Room for more vendors

Past Baldwyn markets drew as many as nine vendors. The new building is designed to hold about 20, more than doubling the space for local sellers.

Tentative hours once the building opens are:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The market is planned to run year-round, with hours adjusted by season.

Who is behind the project

A Farmers’ Market Committee chaired by Mayor Clark is guiding the effort. Members include Phil Morgan, Steve Scales, Stacy Brooks, Cassandra Weston Hainsworth, Tabitha McRunnels, Rusty Crowe and John Tigner, with Marshandria Grice serving as market manager.

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation runs grant programs aimed at building healthier communities, including support for starting or improving farmers markets in Mississippi towns. For Baldwyn, which sits on the Prentiss-Lee county line, the building is a long-term investment in local agriculture, small business and public health.

Residents interested in selling at the market once it opens can watch for updates from the City of Baldwyn.

More from around the area

For more economic development news from Northeast Mississippi, read about the Yellow Creek Port expansion in Tishomingo County.

Source: The Baldwyn News