Marks Grocery Store Brings Food Access and Jobs Back to Quitman County

James Jeffcoat walked into a county with no grocery store, a poverty rate of nearly 38%, and a community that had been driving 30 minutes each way just to buy milk. He brought his store anyway.

Jeffcoat's Family Market has transformed the landscape of Quitman County, bringing renewed hope to the town of Marks, Mississippi. The opening wasn't just a ribbon-cutting ceremony; it was the end of a four-year crisis that exposed how deeply the loss of a single store can unravel a rural community's health, economy, and sense of dignity.

How Quitman County Became a Food Desert

The ribbon cutting and grand opening of Jeffcoat's Family Market ended a four-year drought for Quitman County, which became a food desert when the doors of the formerly SuperValu store officially closed on June 17, 2017. The 2017 closing of the sole food outlet resulted in repercussions to the county's health and economy, the loss of more than 30 jobs, and a reduction in sales tax revenue.

At just over 400 square miles, Quitman County's entire population hovers around 8,000 people and is 71% African American. Marks is the county seat and was once deemed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the poorest place in the country, which is why he chose Marks to start his Poor People's Campaign. According to the U.S. Census, the county is one of the 10 poorest in the nation, with 37.6% of Quitman living in poverty. The median household income is $27,767, less than half the national average.

The manufacturing plants in the county closed long ago, over half the businesses in downtown Marks and downtown Lambert are empty, and the county's hospital shut down in 2016. Against that backdrop, the grocery store closure in 2017 was not an isolated event; it was another blow to a community already absorbing decades of economic retreat.

A County That Grows Food It Cannot Buy

One of the most striking ironies of Quitman County's food desert was who it hurt. Quitman County produces abundant agricultural products and has a vegetable processing plant, yet when there was no local grocery to receive those resources, they left the county for stores in Batesville, Clarksdale, or other nearby towns, and so did Quitman County shoppers. Farmer Robbie Pollard captured the absurdity plainly: "We grow healthy foods and then the consumers in our area can't consume them. So, it's crazy."

Residents were forced to travel to either Batesville or Clarksdale to grocery shop, a 30-minute drive for most. For Quitman's sizeable elderly population, the problems were compounded; health issues and the lack of reliable transportation made shopping for fresh food especially difficult. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, 55.9% of Quitman County is obese, and the rate of heart attack and stroke are double the national average. Without fresh produce and protein readily available, those numbers had little chance of improving.

The Man Who Said Yes

James Jeffcoat describes himself as someone who was "meant" to open the grocery store in the small Mississippi town where the entire county was a food desert for almost four years. It wasn't a simple decision. Jeffcoat had been asked to come to Marks a few times before, but after doing research had second thoughts. "There were a couple of retailers ahead of me that didn't do real well," he said.

What changed his mind was a news documentary about the Mule Train and the Poor People's Campaign, which showed him the depth of need in Marks. The new owner and operator brings more than 50 years of experience in full-service grocery, including 30 years in management, operations, and ownership. Since 2011, Jeffcoat has owned and operated a full-service grocery store in Tunica, Mississippi, which has been very successful.

Jeffcoat said he plans to use local farmers who contribute to a co-op to provide fresh vegetables and produce, and will also allow farmers a small space inside the store to sell their goods. He planned to move to Marks himself to ensure the grocery store would not go under like others before it.

Stitching Together the Funding

Getting Jeffcoat's Family Market open at 1012 Martin Luther King Drive in Marks required more than one willing operator. It took local, state, and federal administrators to secure $400,000 in grant money for needed upgrades. Half the funding came from the USDA's Healthy Food Financing Initiative, and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce matched it. The funding was applied toward the purchase and installation of new refrigeration equipment and a major building update.

Manuel Killebrew, Quitman County Board President, expressed gratitude that Dr. Waller and Dr. Warrington donated the building and land to the City of Marks, which helped make the project not only possible but financially feasible. Financial assistance was also made available through a State of Mississippi bond fund awarded during the 2019 Legislative Session.

The HFFI grant specifically supported renovations such as installing new refrigerated display cases for fresh produce. As Quitman County Economic Development Director Velma Wilson put it, "Financing was a critical piece of the puzzle. It helped us bring in Jeffcoat's and give this community much needed access to fresh food and groceries."

What the Store Means for Jobs and the Local Economy

The reopening of this 18,000 square-foot full-service grocery store allows local residents to shop at home rather than travel distances of over 30 minutes to purchase fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. But the store's significance runs well beyond convenience.

Velma Wilson says locals benefit from the store in many different ways: "Having access to healthy food ultimately means having a healthier community, and not just in terms of nutrition. The more money residents spend locally, the more it benefits the local economy." The county tax base increases incrementally, and eventually the struggling economy can support more public resources. Public resources attract more businesses, and eventually the economy thrives.

The store also reversed the agricultural drain that had quietly bled the county for years. According to lifelong Marks resident Samuel McCray, "local producers have benefitted because Jeffcoat's Family Market purchases directly from them, thereby reinvesting in the community that sustains Jeffcoat's." When shoppers and dollars stop leaving Quitman County, the multiplier effect starts working in Marks instead of Batesville.

McCray has described the store plainly: "This store is a lifeline for many residents, if not most. Having a fully stocked grocery store is a godsend, for my family included."

Beating the Odds in a Shrinking County

Quitman County is shedding residents at ten times the state average, and shrinking food options mirror Mississippi's broader population decline. Yet its grocery store is still standing. That persistence reflects both Jeffcoat's commitment and Wilson's relentless advocacy on behalf of the county. Wilson has won more than $5 million in grant money for Quitman County across a range of initiatives, of which the grocery store remains the most tangible daily proof that outside investment can take root here.

Jeffcoat has said it plainly: "Food is a necessity of life, but it hasn't been easy for the people of Quitman County to acquire. I wanted to give them something top-of-the-line, and that's what we have done. I'm proud of what we've built here in Marks. What makes a place special, though, isn't the building; it's the people."

For a county that once processed peas bound for a Kroger 30 minutes away while its own residents went without fresh produce, Jeffcoat's Family Market at 1012 Martin Luther King Drive is proof that the right investment, structured correctly and made by the right person, can stop a community from disappearing into its own history.