In the Red Hills and Black Prairie of East Central Mississippi, three exciting initiatives are helping to bring real, local and natural food back to our tables.

1. A Local Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation is forming

The Weston A. Price Foundation has been a national advocate for traditional foodways for over 25 years. WAPF chapters connect consumers with local food producers who sell directly to their communities.  Each chapter creates a Facebook page specific to its area where producers and consumers can easily connect and communicate.   We’re just getting started and community input is needed.  For more information contact Nancy Woodruff at 662-736-0067 or westonaprice.org.

2. Blue Courage Farms: Supporting Local Producers

Based in Brooksville, MS, Blue Courage Farms is an online business that delivers high-quality products from local farms directly to your door on a weekly basis. By supporting local farmers, beekeepers, cheesemakers, mushroom growers, and other producers, Blue Courage Farms helps preserve the land and ensure the high quality of food produced in our region. To learn more visit bluecouragefarms.com or contact Jaime Faulkner, [email protected].

3. Azure Standard: Organic, Natural and Non-GMO Goods

Azure Standard is a family-owned company, begun in the 1970’s when the Stelzer family decided to stop using chemicals on their farm.  Today, the company’s 62,000 sq ft warehouse and 100 employees fill online orders from an inventory of over 12,000 organic, natural, non-GMO products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and beans, frozen and grocery items, supplements, natural remedies, personal care products, gardening supplies, and more.  Orders are trucked (or shipped) to individuals and buying clubs across the country.  Mississippi has several buying groups and drop locations, including two in the Red Hills/Black Prairie region.  Find them at azurestandard.com.

A return to tradition

Mississippi has a rich history of feeding its people from local gardens, farms, dairies, and lakes. In the past, it wasn’t uncommon to get milk from the cow or a delivery to your door, harvest greens and peas from your own field or a neighbor’s, or even hang hams in a smokehouse. Yet, in just a few decades, this way of life has all but disappeared, replaced by long aisles of processed grocery items and fast-food chains.

Even though Mississippi’s fields, catfish ponds, and poultry houses still produce a large amount of food, most of it is now exported. By 2014, a staggering 90% of the food in our state was imported.

Ask any elder, and they can likely recall the days when real, local food was the norm. But today, our reliance on processed foods has contributed to rising rates of obesity, chronic disease, and cancer—Mississippi, unfortunately, leads the nation in many of these diet-related conditions, including in children.

Food as medicine: A growing movement

The emerging concept of “food as medicine” has been gaining attention as success stories of reversing chronic disease through better diet and lifestyle are becoming more common. What we eat truly matters, and so does where we source our food.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable growth in farmers markets, and perhaps you’ve even met young farmers working to revive the long-neglected fields of their grandparents, or seen families rediscovering the art of canning and fermenting. These small-scale efforts are crucial to building a healthier future, but they need our support to grow and thrive.

A healthier, more sustainable future

As more people recognize the value of real, local, and natural food, we may be at the beginning of a shift away from ultra-processed imports and back toward a healthier, sustainable approach to eating. To strengthen our local economy and prepare for the rise of food as medicine in healthcare, now is the time to prioritize local and natural foods on our grocery lists.

By focusing on real, local, natural and organic foods, we can help create a healthier future for ourselves and future generations. From Brooksville, Macon, West Point, Starkville, Columbus, Louisville, and all points in between, high-quality, locally sourced food is within reach. Let us know how you can contribute to this movement!

Jaime Faulkner and Pierce Moore operate Blue Courage Farms in Noxubee County. They seek to make changes in their community through fresh, locally produced food. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].