Agritourism and Local Foods Lunch Break Webinars
Click name to watch video
Week 1
Session 1 (August 17)
5 Things Your Agritourism Website Should Include
James Barnes
Session 2 (August 18)
Adapting Your Business and Decision Making in a Changing Marketplace
Rachael Carter
Session 3 (August 19)
Social Media and Marketing
Lauren Colby Nickels
Session 4 (August 20)
Developing Food Product Labels
Courtney Crist
Session 5 (August 21)
MDAC – Resources for Farmers Markets
Purvie Green
Week 2
Session 6 (August 24)
Farm Financial and Production Recordkeeping
Elizabeth Canales
Session 7 (August 25)
Mississippi Cottage Food Law (with Updates)
Courtney Crist
Session 8 (August 26)
Using Digital Payment Options
Lauren Colby Nickels
Session 9 (August 27)
Liability
Rusty W. Rumley
Session 10 (August 28)
Switching to Direct Sales – What Producers Need to Consider
Kim Morgan
Publications
News
Coastal wetland conservation and restoration projects along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and beyond are running into a distinct challenge: there often aren’t enough locally sourced native plants readily available to complete these efforts.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service is meeting this problem head-on by enlisting plant enthusiasts to grow and sell these marsh plants. The effort is organized as the Native Plant Producer Network, or NPPN, and it was started in 2023.
Mississippi appears to have a decent-sized pecan crop this year, but quality may have been reduced by the dry summer.
James Callahan, president of the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association, said the organization estimates Mississippi has about 18,000 acres of pecans in production with 400 growers.
Success Stories
National Rice Month doesn’t just offer rice producers an opportunity to celebrate—it gives them the chance to enjoy the cooked and served finished products, too! There was something for everyone in Merigold on the third Thursday of September at the annual rice celebration in Bolivar County: Rice Fest.
The Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program is training volunteers, employees, and board members involved in Mississippi’s tourism sector and related organizations as they build networks with fellow tourism professionals.
Bricks to Clicks provides free, low-cost, and easy-to-use marketing resources to help small businesses grow their audiences and income. Free marketing resources include a website course, one-on-one coaching, webinars, podcasts, a blog, and a bimonthly newsletter. With these marketing resources, business owners can get personalized guidance backed by decades of marketing experience to drive online awareness and engagement to increase sales.
