COMMODORE MEDIA GROUP

The entrance of the Oxford Community Market. Photo Credit Daisy Noble

As a kid who grew up on a farm, planting seedlings, milking goats, and harvesting produce, I have always felt connected to the life my family sustained above and below the soil. While the satisfaction of farming is a reward in and of itself, a farm cannot be sustained on pride and passion alone. Hence, the Oxford Community Market.

I first experienced Oxford’s jubilant gathering of farmers and craftspeople on a balmy summer evening, twinkle lights strewn across the beams of the Old Armory Pavilion and the sound of Mississippi bluegrass softening the air. Winding through shoppers and catching wafts of cinnamon and fresh strawberries, the market pulled me into a world of vibrant displays and spirited chatter.

Now, as one of the vendors at OXCM, I almost can’t remember a time when I wasn’t part of the Tuesday gathering. The market’s intangible draw was part of what made the event such a unique experience, and it is still the primary factor that brings people back week after week. Not only a center for commerce, OXCM creates opportunities for vendors and customers to connect, bridging gaps and sharing stories that would never have intertwined.

“I think the thing that customers notice and that brings them back every week is the relationships that they form,” said Betsy Chapman, the OXCM director. “They know these people; they have special friendships and relationships that are formed simply because we have a market here and we create a space for those relationships to be fostered.”

Chapman’s goal of an inclusive environment is something that both vendors and customers have invested in.

“My favorite thing about coming to the market is definitely talking to all the farmers and getting to know them and learning about what they grow,” remarked Katelynn, a frequent OXCM customer. “It’s a community centered around support and connection in a way that there isn’t in a lot of other settings.”

As a part of this community, I have come to cherish my interactions at the market, slipping briefly into the lives of others, if only for an instant or two, before falling back into my own. Whether it be with a goat-obsessed toddler or a gardening enthusiast, each moment we share evolves us to be more generous, compassionate people.

“There’s really something intimate and special about making food that is beautiful and really nutritionally valuable to people, and doing it in the same landscape that they’re residing in,” said Emma Counce, a vendor at Native Son Farm. “It’s kind of like you’re all a part of it together.”

While the market only lasts a few hours, it is these interactions that linger with people for the rest of the day. From a bundle of fresh-picked basil to a basket of sun-warmed tomatoes, each gesture carries the message that you are cared for and that you matter to the people in this community.

First created in 2013 as a sales place for fresh produce, OXCM has blossomed into something much more. Through simple conversations and acts of kindness, individuals have been woven together into a flourishing community built on sweat, sun, and Mississippi soil.