Mississippi Department of Agriculture and CommerceThe mission of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is to regulate and promote agricultural-related businesses within the state and to promote Mississippi’s products throughout both the state and the rest of the world for the benefit of all Mississippi citizens.
On March 6, 2023, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson joined Governor Tate Reeves in signing Senate Bill 2137 into law designating April as Mississippi Native Plant Month in order to preserve the heritage and importance of native plants for clean air, water and soil stability, and for related purposes. In addition, the bill [...]
Mississippi Local Food Purchase Assistance Program
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce was awarded a cooperative agreement from USDA for the Mississippi Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA). The program has two purposes: To increase the distribution of locally-produced food to underserved communities by utilizing the distribution network of Mississippi’s Feeding America Affiliated Food Banks; and To increase economic opportunities [...]
Farm to School Week is a fun time to get students involved in activities where they learn about the importance of agriculture and eating healthy fruits and vegetables and making a connection to where their food comes from. This sample press release is a tool that schools can use to promote the farm to school week activities taking [...]
Would you like to learn more about farm to school and the farmers who are growing the fresh fruits and vegetables for schools across the state? Check out these videos to meet the farmers that are working hard to feed our students. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and the Mississippi Department of Education have partnered [...]
USDA’s Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) provides matching funds on a competitive basis to State Departments of Agriculture, State Colleges and Universities, and other appropriate State agencies to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products, and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the [...]
Click here for full-color brochure What is Farm to School? The Mississippi Farm to School program was introduced to encourage the serving of locally-grown and locally-produced agricultural products in school meals and to recognize the substantial economic and health benefits of serving locally-grown foods. The program supports local farmers by creating additional marketing opportunities and [...]
Display this map of Mississippi (recommended 11 x 17) to help students learn about the different agriculture commodities and where they are grown in our state. Mississippi Agricultural Map PDF Display this map as a general overview of Mississippi's top agricultural commodities. Mississippi's Top Agricultural Commodities PDF Paige Manning Paige@mdac.ms.gov P.O. Box 1609 Jackson, MS [...]
Below you will find a variety of useful links/ideas to educate students about agriculture, farming, and food. Kids Book: How did that get in my lunchbox? The story of Food By Chris Butterworth - Order book and teacher resources here: www.agfoundation.org/index.php?action=orders Seed Soil Sun: Earth’s Recipe for Food By Chris Peterson Choose My Plate and Food [...]
Placemats are available for elementary school students. Print and have them on the lunch table for students to participate in while eating lunch, or have teachers use as an activity during the day. Paige Manning Paige@mdac.ms.gov P.O. Box 1609 Jackson, MS 39215 Phone: (601) 359-1163 Fax: (601) 354-6001 or Mississippi Department of Education Donna [...]
