By David Hamilton

NATCHEZ — Filled with fresh food and crafts, local farmers markets have become a way for Miss-Lou residents to come together.

Today marks the beginning of National Farmers Market Week, a time to acknowledge the hard-working local farmers that provide the fruits of their labor to surrounding communities.

But farmers markets not only serve up fresh produce — they also serve up dollars to the local community, Downtown Natchez Farmers Market coordinator Eddie Burkes said.

“If you spend these dollars locally, if you spend it with the local farmers, then this money will turn over in the local economy … rather than being (absorbed) through other big chain stores or those types of situations,” Burkes said.

The same principle applies across the river at the Vidalia Farmers Market, open from 8 a.m. to noon each Wednesday. Local farmer Buddy Miller — who founded the Vidalia Farmers Market — said approximately 15 cents on a dollar spent on products elsewhere, such as a large chain, remain local, Miller said.

“Eighty-five cents of every dollar that we take in stays local, and only about 15 percent of the produce imported from elsewhere don’t stay local,” Miller said. “Those dollars that don’t stay local can’t turn over in the community.

“It just doesn’t make sense to import all the food that we do.”

In Natchez, Burkes estimates that 500-600 people attend the market — also open from 8 a.m. to noon — each Saturday morning.

“That’s exposing a lot of different customers to a lot of different products and a lot of different vendors,” Burkes said.

But the farmers market also indirectly benefits other businesses surrounding the marketplace. Because these crowds are drawn downtown, visitors tend to also patronize other businesses in the area after leaving the market.

“The downtown merchants have seen a very nice return on this,” Burkes said “Their traffic on Saturday morning has picked up in their stores and in their shops.

“That is one of the goals of the market: to create a more viable downtown situation.”

Rolling River Bistro owner René Adams agreed that the Natchez farmers market has been very beneficial for the area.

“The farmers market is probably the most positive and well-done thing that we have done for our community in a long time,” Adams said. “That investment with Eddie (Burkes) and what the city did, it proves that when you have things going on downtown, people come.”

In addition to economic impact, farmers markets give locals a chance to fill their cupboards with healthy and nutritious — but still tasty — foods. Miller called the grounds in the Miss-Lou “some of the most fertile soil in the world.”

Miller said one of his greatest joys is handing out samples to children, hoping to make a positive impact on their future dietary choices. He also enjoys seeing the different reactions from children.

“You see such a wide gamut of attitudes,” Miller said. “Some will trying anything, and there are some that won’t try anything.”

Another element of the farmers markets concerns not products, but people.

“This is a community project,” Burkes said. “We have people come and they stay for 30, 45 minutes and visit. They get to see people that they haven’t gotten to see in a long time.

“It just opens up more conversations to people and it just makes (for) a wonderful community environment.”

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said the Downtown Natchez Farmers Market has “brought life into downtown” and offers a unifying social experience for the city.

“It has created a great camaraderie around Natchez,” Grennell said. “You see people of all walks of life – black and white; young and old; rich and poor. It’s just been a great camaraderie.”

Though the Natchez farmers market is scheduled to operate through Aug. 26, Burkes said plans are in the works for a fall market that should start in October and run through November.

“We get new growers calling all the time who want to participate in the market,” Burkes said.

Burkes attributed the market’s success to the participation of local people, including farmers, consumers and volunteers. He hopes that participation continues in the future.

“The continuation of success depends on participation of local people and local farmers,” Burkes said. “This market would not be possible without them.”

Miller reiterated that point, hammering home the fact that the market works best when everyone in the community participates.

“We need the support from the community in order to stay in business,” Miller said.