Mississippi Farmers Market Week spotlights Cleveland market, local tax break

The Cleveland, MS Farmers, Bakers and Makers Market at 301 Cotton Row is one of the state-certified stops getting attention during Mississippi Farmers Market Week, and the Mississippi-grown food sold there carries a sales-tax exemption that can shave a little off the cost of produce, baked goods and other local items.

Mississippi Farmers Market Week runs July 5-11 after Governor Tate Reeves signed the proclamation, giving the state a built-in push to steer shoppers toward local food and the vendors who sell it. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce says the week is meant to highlight how farmers markets support community health, food access and small-business activity, all while keeping more food dollars in local hands.

The Cleveland market is part of the Mississippi Certified Farmers Markets Program, a voluntary branding program run by MDAC. To qualify, a market must have at least two Mississippi growers and producers selling Mississippi-grown produce and other agricultural products. Once certified, Mississippi-grown, made or processed food sold at the market is exempt from sales tax, a direct price break for shoppers buying directly from the people who grew or made the products.

That matters in Cleveland because the market is not just a seasonal showcase. It serves Saturday shoppers from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and its vendor mix includes fresh, locally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, baked goods, canned goods, handmade goods and more. For families trying to stretch grocery dollars, the tax-free status on qualifying items is the clearest financial edge the market offers over a typical taxed retail purchase.

Statewide, the certified list is relatively small. MDAC said Mississippi is home to about 70 farmers markets, and 32 were certified in 25 counties in 2024. The department also requires markets to recertify by Wednesday, May 15 to stay included in marketing promotions, a deadline that helps explain why the Cleveland market remains visible in state promotions and easy to find for shoppers in Bolivar County.

MDAC says the certification program is designed to promote Mississippi-grown fruits, vegetables, plant materials and other products made or processed in the state, while also giving farmers a profitable place to sell directly to consumers. In Cleveland, that makes the market both a practical downtown food stop and a small but steady outlet for local growers, bakers and makers who depend on repeat Saturday traffic.