Agriculture in Mississippi

Agriculture forms an important part of the economy, society, and history of the American state of Mississippi. From colonization until the American Civil War agriculture in Mississippi was dominated by a plantation based cotton production system which relied on enslaved labor.

## History

[edit]

Mississippi's rank as one of the poorest states is related to its dependence on cotton agriculture before and after the American Civil War, late development of its frontier bottomlands in the Mississippi Delta, repeated natural disasters of flooding in the late 19th and early 20th century that required massive capital investment in levees, and ditching and draining the bottomlands, and slow development of railroads to link bottomland towns and river cities.[1] In addition, when Democrats regained control of the state legislature, they passed the 1890 constitution that discouraged corporate industrial development in favor of rural agriculture, a legacy that would slow the state's progress for years.[2]

Slaves picking cotton while being observed by an overseer on horseback, c. 1850

Before the Civil War, Mississippi was the fifth-wealthiest state in the nation, its wealth generated by the labor of slaves in cotton plantations along the rivers.[3]

Largely due to the domination of the plantation economy, focused on the production of agricultural cotton, the state's elite was reluctant to invest in infrastructure such as roads and railroads. They educated their children privately. Industrialization did not reach many areas until the late 20th century. The planter aristocracy, the elite of antebellum Mississippi, kept the tax structure low for their own benefit, making only private improvements. Before the war the most successful planters, such as Confederate President Jefferson Davis, owned riverside properties along the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers in the Mississippi Delta. Away from the riverfronts, most of the Delta was undeveloped frontier.[citation needed]

Blacks cleared land, selling timber and developing bottomland to achieve ownership. In 1900, two-thirds of farm owners in Mississippi were blacks, a major achievement for them and their families. Due to the poor economy, low cotton prices and difficulty of getting credit, many of these farmers could not make it through the extended financial difficulties. Two decades later, the majority of African Americans were sharecroppers. The low prices of cotton into the 1890s meant that more than a generation of African Americans lost the result of their labor when they had to sell their farms to pay off accumulated debts.[4]

Sharecropper's daughter, Lauderdale County, 1935

After the Civil War, the state refused for years to build human capital by fully educating all its citizens. In addition, the reliance on agriculture grew increasingly costly as the state suffered loss of cotton crops due to the devastation of the boll weevil in the early 20th century, devastating floods in 1912–1913 and 1927, collapse of cotton prices after 1920, and drought in 1930.[1]

Commercial blueberry cultivation began in 1980.[5]

In the modern era more of an emphasis has been placed on sustainable agriculture.[6]

The negative effects of overdevelopment and climate change on agriculture in California have made large scale commercial farming in the Mississippi Delta more attractive.[7]

## Significant products

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### Blueberries

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Many blueberry growers are organized as part of the Miss-Lou Blueberry Growers Cooperative (which also includes growers in Louisiana). 2,100 acres of blueberries were under cultivation in 2014.[5]

The blueberry was made Mississippi's state fruit in 2023.[8]

### Wine

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Mississippi wine.[edit]

Mississippi wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The hot and humid climate of Mississippi makes it very difficult to cultivate vitis vinifera or French hybrid grapes. The three commercial wineries in Mississippi focus almost entirely on the Muscadine grape, a variety also used for non-alcoholic grape juices, jams, and jellies. Most of the Mississippi Delta AVA, a designated American Viticultural Area, lies within the state boundaries of Mississippi.[9]

### Poultry

[edit]

Historical poultry production in Mississippi

Poultry makes up the largest of Mississippi's agricultural production by value at $3.8 billion in 2023.[10]

### Soybeans

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Soybean production was worth $1.3 billion in 2023.[10]

## Education

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This section is an excerpt from Mississippi State University.[edit]

This article contains academic boosterism which primarily serves to praise or promote the subject and may be a sign of a conflict of interest. Please improve this article by removing peacock terms, weasel words, and other promotional material. (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science,[11][12] commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States.[13][14] It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity" and has a total research and development budget of $239.4 million, the largest in Mississippi.[15]

The university was chartered as Mississippi Agricultural & Mechanical College on February 28, 1878, and admitted its first students in 1880. Organized into 12 colleges and schools, the university offers over 180 baccalaureate, graduate, and professional degree programs,[16] and is home to Mississippi's only accredited programs in architecture and veterinary medicine. Mississippi State participates in the National Sea Grant College Program and National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The university's main campus in Starkville is supplemented by auxiliary campuses in Meridian, Gautier, and Biloxi.

Mississippi State's intercollegiate sports teams, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, compete in NCAA Division I athletics as members of the Southeastern Conference's western division. Mississippi State was a founding member of the SEC in 1932. In their more-than 120-year history, the Bulldogs have won 21 individual national championships,[17] 30 regular season conference championships, and 1 national championship title.[18] The school is noted for a pervasive baseball fan culture,[19] with Dudy Noble Field holding 22 of the top 25 all-time NCAA attendance records and the school's Left Field Lounge being described as an epicenter of college baseball.[20]

## Events

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The Mississippi State Fair is Mississippi's primary agricultural fair.[21]

## Museums

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The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum is in Jackson, Mississippi.[22] Mississippi Pickle Fest, a festival dedicated to pickled cucumbers, is held at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.[23]

## See also

[edit]

* List of plantations in Mississippi
* Delta and Providence Cooperative Farms
* Cotton Belt

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b John Otto Solomon,The Final Frontiers, 1880–1930: Settling the Southern Bottomlands. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1999, pp.10–11, 42–43, 50–51, and 70
2. ^ Naipaul, V.S. (1990). A Turn in the South. Vintage. p. 216\. ISBN 978-0679724889. "The people who wrote the constitution wanted the state to remain 'a pastoral state, an agricultural state'. They didn't want big business or the corporations coming in, encouraging 'unfavorable competition for jobs with the agricultural community'."
3. ^ "Mississippi Almanac Entry". The New York Times. July 15, 2004. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2010., The New York Times Travel Almanac (2004)
4. ^ Cite error: The named reference `Willis Forgotten Time` was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
5. ^ a b Phillips, Glynda (July 2018). "A Mississippi Blueberry Pioneer". msfarmcountry.com. Mississippi Farm Country. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
6. ^ McArthur, Danny. "These 3 farms are an example of Mississippi's growing network of sustainable agriculture". mpbonline.org. Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
7. ^ STEPHENSON, CASSANDRA; IRELAND, ILLAN; POWELL, PHILLIP (25 August 2024). "As climate threats to agriculture mount, could the Mississippi River delta be the next California?". arkansasadvocate.com. Arkansas Advocate. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
8. ^ Ulmer, Sarah (14 March 2023). "The Blueberry: Mississippi's new state fruit". magnoliatribune.com. Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
9. ^ Cite error: The named reference `Mississippi wine appellation_america` was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
10. ^ a b Grove, Garret (21 December 2024). "Mississippi's agriculture industry worth $9 billion". wjtv.com. WJTV. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
11. ^ "Mississippi State University Sponsored Programs Administration Web Page". Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
12. ^ "2013 Mississippi Code :: Title 37 - Education :: Chapter 113 - Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science". Justia Law. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
13. ^ "City of Starkville Street Map". City of Starkville. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
14. ^ "Campus Map (Mississippi State University)". November 18, 2006. Archived from the original on November 18, 2006.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
15. ^ "Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education". February 1, 2016. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
16. ^ Team, ITS Web Development. "Academics". Mississippi State University. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
17. ^ "Peters Wins NCAA Javelin Championship, Quijera Takes Second - Mississippi State University". Mississippi State University Athletics. June 6, 2018. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
18. ^ "Jack Leiter strikes out 8 in Vanderbilt's Game 1 CWS finals win | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
19. ^ "College baseball: 10 must-visit baseball stadiums this season". NCAA.com. April 12, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
20. ^ "The John Grisham Room » Mississippi State University Libraries". lib.msstate.edu. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
21. ^ Grove, Garret (5 October 2024). "Lost history of the Mississippi State Fair". wjtv.com. WJTV. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
22. ^ Ingle, Courtney (12 May 2023). "Mississippi's Ag Museum offers low cost family fun". magnoliatribune.com. Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
23. ^ Thompson, Kayla (30 May 2024). "2024 Mississippi Pickle Fest". wjtv.com. WJTV. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Agriculture in the United States

History|

* Rural American history
* African-American
* Black land loss
* Ancient Hawaiian aquaculture
* Cattle drives
* Columbian exchange
* Commercial tobacco
* Colonial
* Eastern Agricultural Complex
* Three Sisters
* Early history of food regulation in the United States
* Indentured servitude in British America
* Virginia
* Pennsylvania
* New World crops
* List of food plants native to the Americas
* Native American in Virginia
* Prehistoric agriculture on the Great Plains
* Prehistoric agriculture in the Southwestern United States
* Wine
* Plantation complexes in the Southern United States
* Range war
* Sheep wars
* Slavery
* Native American
* Colonial

Industries|

* Banana
* Bee
* Blackcurrant
* Cannabis
* Hemp
* Cherry
* Christmas tree
* Corn
* Cotton
* Cider
* Dairy
* Hop
* Poultry
* Rice
* Spinach
* Sugar
* Tea
* Tobacco
* Connecticut shade tobacco
* Wheat
* Wine

State, commonwealth,
or territory-specific|

* Alabama
* tobacco
* wine
* Alaska
* aquaculture
* cannabis
* wine
* Arizona
* wine
* cannabis
* Arkansas
* rice
* wine
* California
* almonds
* cannabis
* walnuts
* wine
* Colorado
* wine
* cannabis
* Connecticut
* cannabis
* wine
* Delaware
* cannabis
* wine
* Florida
* wine
* tomato
* mango
* Georgia
* wine
* Hawaii
* coffee
* sugar
* wine
* genetically modified food
* Idaho
* wine
* Illinois
* cannabis
* wine
* Indiana
* wine
* Iowa
* wine
* Kansas
* wine
* Kentucky
* hemp
* wine
* Louisiana
* wine
* Maine
* aquaculture
* cannabis
* wine
* Maryland
* cannabis
* wine
* Massachusetts
* cannabis
* wine
* Michigan
* cannabis
* cherries
* wine
* Minnesota
* wine
* Mississippi
* wine
* Missouri
* cannabis
* wine
* Montana
* cannabis
* wine
* Nebraska
* wine
* Nevada
* cannabis
* wine
* New Hampshire
* wine
* New Jersey
* cannabis
* wine
* New York
* cannabis
* wine
* New Mexico
* cannabis
* chile
* wine
* North Carolina
* hemp
* wine
* North Dakota
* wine
* Ohio
* wine
* Oklahoma
* wine
* Oregon
* wine
* cannabis
* Pennsylvania
* wine
* Puerto Rico
* cannabis
* coffee
* Rhode Island
* cannabis
* wine
* South Carolina
* wine
* South Dakota
* wine
* Tennessee
* wine
* Utah
* wine
* Vermont
* cannabis
* wine
* Virginia
* cannabis
* wine
* Virgin Islands
* cannabis
* Washington
* apples
* cannabis
* hemp
* wine
* West Virginia
* wine
* Wisconsin
* dairy
* wine
* Wyoming
* wine
* Guam
* cannabis
* Northern Mariana Islands
* cannabis
* Texas
* rice
* wine

By region|

* Southwestern United States
* Black Dirt Region
* Corn Belt
* Cotton Belt
* Fruit Belt
* Rice Belt
* Pacific Northwest oyster industry

Government
organizations|

* United States Department of Agriculture
* National Agricultural Statistics Service
* United States Census of Agriculture

Law and
politics|

* Agricultural policy
* Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954
* Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000
* California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975
* Capper–Volstead Act
* Children's Act for Responsible Employment
* Farm bill
* Food Security Act of 1985
* Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
* Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
* Grain Futures Act
* Packers and Stockyards Act
* Pure Food and Drug Act
* Taylor Grazing Act of 1934
* Marihuana Tax Act of 1937

Health and
environment|

* Agricultural workers mental health
* Climate change
* Farmer suicide
* Genetically modified food
* Water supply
* Ogallala Aquifer

Crime|

* Adulterated food
* California nut crimes
* Cattle raiding

Labor|

* Bracero Program
* Convict leasing
* Farm Labor Organizing Committee
* H-2A visa
* Operation Blooming Onion
* United Farm Workers
* United Food and Commercial Workers
* Woman's Land Army of America

Other|

* Corn maze
* Ranch
* Cowboy
* Dude ranch

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