JSU, Blackburn Middle School bring fresh produce to the community with student-led farmers’ market

By Jatavian Walker

(JACKSON, Miss.) – Families living near Jackson State University (JSU) didn’t have to go far to get fresh produce last week. That’s because the JSU Office of Community Engagement, in partnership with Blackburn Middle School, held its annual Student-Led Farmers’ Market on May 13 at the JSU/Blackburn Learning Garden. 

8th-grader Jacob Edwards expressed joy at seeing the community come together to support their work.

“Seeing the younger kids, growing adults and people from JSU come along to buy our fruit from what we planted and put all our hard work into, it’s a really warming sight for me,” said Edwards. 

Another student, Niobe Cooper, 13, expressed how much she loved seeing everyone enjoy the garden’s beauty.

“Events like the farmers market allows for everyone to come and spread love and kindness for the community and hopefully will inspire them to want to get involved in gardening like us,” said Cooper.

The middle school’s partnership with JSU started nearly eight years ago, creating an opportunity for students from Blackburn to learn how to produce and sustain their own food. Blackburn’s Gardening Club grew the produce over months of hard work, dedication, and excitement, eager to give back to the community. The proceeds of the event are distributed amongst the students, helping them practice entrepreneurship skills and learn that hard work pays off.

“They were able to do the hard work to plant the vegetables when there was nothing in the ground and so they grew the vegetables, watered them, harvested them and now they’re selling them. ” It’s a full-circle moment where they see that their hard work is going to pay off,” said Heather Denne’, Ph.D., Director of Community Engagement at Jackson State. “It’s just really about letting the students know that they can do it, they can grow healthy food, healthy vegetables on their own and that they can have some entrepreneurship skills in there as well by being able to sell it to the public.”

Overall, the day was filled with soft sunlight, cool breezes, machine-blown bubbles, and the scent of fresh vegetables at reasonable prices. Food was also prepared in a cookout style by Sodexo and JSU’s Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. 

Assisting the students was Blackburn science teacher Germaine Kirton, who has been a part of the Gardening Club for over seven years. He expressed the students’ interest in going to the garden and learning to grow their own vegetables with their friends.

“The students are always asking when we’re going back to the garden,” Kirton said. “Moments like this are what they look forward to most. The goal is to teach them how food is grown, from the process to the business side, so they understand where it comes from and how to sell it. Along the way, they’re learning patience and valuable life lessons they wouldn’t typically get in a classroom.”

The event brought together people of different generations as community members, young and old, came together to enjoy the garden and the vegetables grown there. Among them was Vernon Hartley, Vice President of Jackson City Council and Ward 5 City Council Member, who has attended every Farmers Market event held in the garden. He remarked that events like the market help sustain the community and that they help students learn life skills through the gardening experience.

“Seeing the students involved in the food process from the beginning to the end is something just outstanding. It’s great that our kids can have that type of education,” said Councilman Hartley. “Understanding that groceries don’t just come from a grocery store. It comes from labor and having them put their label on it and grow something that they can see. It’s just amazing.”

To expand engagement in the garden, the JSU/Blackburn Learning Garden received a 40k Title III grant from JSU President Denise Jones Gregory through the “All in All Year” Initiative to support additional programming events for JSU Gardening Club students. This funding has enabled additional programming, including yoga, writing workshops, and painting birdhouses.

“We are very grateful to President Gregory for allowing us to receive those funds so that we can do events in the garden like the farmers market and other events that the students have put on because it really is helping with mental health,” said Denne. “Being outdoors, breathing fresh air, hearing the birds chirping, and getting their hands dirty in the soil play a powerful role in supporting the mental well-being of our students, and events like this help in that.”