Biscuits & Jam Farmers’ Market adds new features in its 6th year

Locally grown produce, canned goods, hot food and live music.

New Albany, MS – 5/16/2017 – Biscuits & Jam Farmers’ Market in downtown New Albany on the Tallahatchie Riverbank will start its sixth year with a Friday night kick-off June 2nd from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The market will be open every Saturday morning June 10 – August26 from 7:30 am to 10:30 am. Sugaree’s Bakery will provide free biscuits and jams made with local fruits to the 1^st 50 people.

B&J Jam Box can be pre-ordered

Again this year, a CSA inspired “Jam Box” will be offered for $20 weekly (pre-sale) and will include a wide variety of produce from the vendors. A new e-commerce website for pre-sales will be active at the end of May. Boxes may be purchased for individual weeks or for all seven weeks of the Jam Box program June 24-August 5. Boxes may also be purchased to be donated to families in need. The benefit of pre-purchasing a Jam Box is that our shoppers can sleep in and still get the best selection of all of the produce available at the beginning of the market each week.

The Biscuits and Jam Farmers’market and BNA bank are co-sponsoring a program this year called Produce Power. New Haven and Boys and Girls Club students along with every fourth grader in Union County will be given a $5 token to spend on produce at the market this summer! BNA’s investment in this program potentially puts $2500 directly into the pockets of our growers and the freshest local produce directly into the homes of a cross section of 500 community members.

The New Albany Main Street Association is sponsoring a new Demo Booth this year which will include local chefs and cooks cooking items from the Jam Boxes, native plant education, fermenting demos, earth worm demos, and other gardening and cooking related topics.

Growers must pre-register to sell at the market.

Eligible growers and vendors must pay a $35.00 fee. Grower applications and rules can be picked up at the Union County Extension Office or Sugaree’s Bakery. Certificates of application must be visibly displayed while selling at the market. The primary market sponsors are: the City of New Albany, BNA bank, Union County Master Gardeners, Sugaree’s Bakery, Union County Heritage Museum, and the New Albany Main Street Association.

“The New Albany Biscuits & Jam Farmer’s Market is an attraction that fits well with our town and region’s identity and brand and is a great place for visitors to socialize with locals and to support the local economy. For more than the tourism value, there is also value in that this is a family activity that is by all criteria, a healthy one and one which any city should promote.”- Sean Johnson, Director of Tourism.

“Not only does the farmers’ market help support our local farmers, it also brings quite a bit of traffic to our downtown area. The city is very pleased with the market’s efforts the past few years and we hope to see continued growth every year.”- Mayor Tim Kent

B&J Farmers’ Market and BNA bank’s Produce Power encourages families to “shop fresh.”

“I am very excited about a new program this year we are calling Produce Power, sponsored by BNA bank, which gives every single fourth grade student a $5 token to spend on fresh local produce this summer. We think this is a great way to reach out to and serve a cross section of our community. By inviting several hundred fourth graders and their families to participate in the market at this level, we hope to better engage the whole community, get more money into the hands of our growers, and get local produce into the kitchens of more community members.” – Mary Jennifer Russell, owner Sugaree’s Bakery

“ The Jam Box is a service we provide our market customers who want to purchase quality produce and fit their busy schedule. We include the freshest produce available with recipes in the reusable market bag. This summer we will also include a demo tent with local chefs cooking with the produce found in the Jam Box. It should be a great summer for eating fresh. ” –Kelly Coltharp, Market Farmer