Planting the seeds of self-reliance and entrepreneurism while delivering locally grown, farm-fresh produce to quench Jackson’s food deserts.
Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott will be the first to tell you that the real story of Foot Print Farms is not about her, even though it is her brainchild and has taken root and thrived thanks to her innovative thinking and careful stewardship. The original concept was simple. She had a 68-acre plot of land in the middle of the City of Jackson, surrounded by neighborhoods starving for fresh, nutritious food and hope for their economic future.
When the Mississippi native returned to Jackson after 9-11, she was looking for a new direction. She wanted to be a part of something where she could make a difference and she didn’t have to look any further than her state’s alarming health statistics to find a mission. Everywhere she turned there were reports of staggering rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
“The problem was already identified,” explains Ayers-Elliott. “It didn’t take research to see that too many Mississippians were seriously unhealthy.”