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Mississippi Market Bulletin
In partnership with: Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce
With the exception of more pages and classified ads, there is no difference between today’s Mississippi Market Bulletin and the one that was first printed before the Great Depression. “It’s the same exact layout and design,” says Claude Nash, the publication’s editor since 1990. The first issue of the Market Bulletin was published on July 1, 1928, by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC). The state legislature voted to approve the Bulletin as a way to help small farmers do business. “They had commodities they needed to sell, and at the time, there was no avenue to sell anything like that,” Nash says. “So the department created a tabloid-size newspaper to give free advertisement to the farmer or rancher who did not have means to pay for advertisements.” The bimonthly Market Bulletin has grown tremendously over the past couple of decades. Nash says when he became editor, the publication had about 12 pages with between 700 to 900 classifieds. It has grown to between 32 to 36 pages with some 2,800 to 3,000 classifieds. “The Bulletin has nearly 47,000 subscribers. There are subscribers in every state in the nation, plus Puerto Rico,” says Nash. While many subscribers prefer the print version, the publication has had an online version for a few years, and it gets more hits than any other section of MDAC’s website. “The online convenience isn’t just for those that like to read the Market Bulletin. Subscribers can easily make payments online, and advertisers have the option of submitting their ads online at msmarketbulletin.org,” says Nash. Each edition also includes news and features on a specific agricultural commodity. There is also other news, gardening tips and farming advice columns, as well as upcoming events, sales and auction announcements. “Everybody we hear from says they read it from cover to cover,” Nash says.