Food market is helping to boost local economy

STARKVILLE, Miss (WCBI) – Spring is here and farmer’s markets are back selling fresh and local produce.

“Not only we have so much foot traffic to downtown but the economic vitality that it provides for the community is paramount,” Watson said

Paige Watson is the Director of the Starkville Main Street Association. She says the local economy benefits from the farmer’s market, and through the

Cottage food act, more families can see financial benefits themselves.

“The best thing about the farmers market is you are taxed exempt, but there is a threshold that you have to make less than, ” Watson said.

And that threshold is 35,000 dollars, and this tax exemption is helping a family from Willer’s Farm and Bakery Louisville who says his earning from the market is…

“It’s getting there,” Willer said.

Beyond the earnings, David Willer says he is more interested in serving his community with healthy foods.

“When the supply chain gets disrupted that you can have some people that need to eat, and having some local people that you can support that can make a living at it local provides an opportunity to provide some more resilience,” Willer said.

The Starkville Farmers Market is open now until November every Saturday from 8 am until 11 am.