Oxford Community Market Kicks Off Spring Farmers Market Season April 20

Strawberries Take Center Stage as North Mississippi Farmers Head to Market

Seasonal, locally produced North Mississippi fruits and vegetables are coming to town during Oxford Community Market’s Spring Opening from 3–6:30 pm Tuesday, April 20 at the Old Armory Pavilion (1801 University Ave.) in Oxford.

Oxford Community Market (OXCM) will launch their Spring Opening, an event signaling the proliferation and availability of locally produced spring fruits and vegetables. Members of the community greatly anticipate the ability to purchase farm fresh strawberries, carrots, collard greens, and more, alongside the chance to socialize with the farmers who help fill their plates.

In addition to spring produce, customers can expect to find local honey, jams and jellies, baked goods, sweets, farm fresh eggs, frozen treats, bedding plants, and pasture-raised beef.

After a year of hardship and isolation many have experienced due to COVID-19, OXCM provides a safe outdoor environment for individuals to socialize and feel a sense of connection to the broader community. Laughter is abundant, elbow high-fives are encouraged, and live music provides a backdrop to put a pep in your step as you fill your shopping bag with the freshest spring produce North Mississippi has to offer.

“OXCM truly lives up to its name of community market in being a beacon of true connection in the face of the deep isolation of this past year. We’re more than a market, really, we’re a family,” said farmer Quinoa Soedsauer of Samsara Garden in Tupelo. “We offer support in hard times, and challenge ourselves to love deeper, share more, and truly connect.”

Vendors at OXCM not only bring items that they grow or produce to market, they also bring their big, colorful personalities as well, creating the welcoming atmosphere that the Market is known for—they love talking to and connecting with their customers. And a trip to the Market is never complete without an extended chat with one of the OXCM vendors who make up the kaleidoscope social network that is Oxford Community Market!

“OXCM is more than a Market!” Said OXCM AmeriCorps member Brenna Gardner. “Individuals come to the market to purchase quality, local foods, but so many people I interact with are here to fill more than just their bellies. There really is a feeling of deep, inter-generational connection that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.”

Beginning April 20, shoppers can get the OXCM experience from 3–6:30 pm and every Tuesday at the Old Armory Pavilion in Oxford.

For any additional questions, email OXCM director Betsy Chapman at oxcmkt@gmail.com, call 662-816-7413, or visit oxfordcommunitymarket.com.