Economic Contributions of the Mississippi Green Industry

Posadas, B.C. Mississippi MarketMaker Newsletter, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Jan. 31, 2017

What is the Green Industry?

The environmental horticulture industry, or green industry, is comprised of wholesale nurseries, greenhouses, turfgrass sod producers, landscape design, construction and maintenance firms, and wholesale and retail distribution firms such as garden centers, home stores, mass merchandisers with lawn/garden departments, brokers and re-wholesale distribution centers, and allied trades suppliers of inputs to the industry.

Components of Green Industry

The green industry production and manufacturing industry group includes “greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture production" and “lawn and garden equipment manufacturing." The horticultural services industry group includes “landscape and horticultural services” and “landscape architectural services”. The wholesale trade industry group includes “farm and garden equipment merchant wholesalers” and “nursery and florist merchant wholesalers.” The retail trade industry includes “lawn and garden equipment and supplies stores,” “florists;" “food and beverage stores, lawn and garden sales," “gasoline stores, lawn and garden sales," “general merchandise stores, lawn and garden sales," and “non-store retailers, lawn and garden sales”.

Economic Contributions of the Green Industry

Results of the study conducted by the Green Industry Research Consortium showed that in 2013 the entire green industry contributed $1.625 billion to the economy of the state of Mississippi. The total employment impacts of the entire green industry complex totaled 15,821 jobs. The value added, income, and tax contributions of the industry are shown below.

Vegetable, Fruit, Nut, and Flower Businesses Registered in MarketMaker

More than 25,000 food businesses registered or listed in MarketMaker produce, process, sell, or serve vegetable products. When the search is limited to Mississippi only, there are 295 establishments. Click this LINK to view the search results online. You can sort the results alphabetically, by relevance, or by distance to your current location. 

Over 24,000 food businesses registered or listed in MarketMaker produce, process, sell, or serve fruit products. When the search is limited to Mississippi only, there are 256 establishments. Click this LINK to view the search results online. You can sort the results alphabetically, by relevance, or by distance to your current location. 

More than 15,000 food businesses registered or listed in MarketMaker produce, process, sell, or serve nut products. When the search is limited to Mississippi only, there are 191 establishments. Click this LINK to view the search results online. You can sort the results alphabetically, by relevance, or by distance to your current location. 

In excess of 1,400 food businesses registered or listed in MarketMaker produce, process, or sell flowers. When the search is limited to Mississippi only, there are 41 establishments. Click this LINK to view the search results online. You can sort the results alphabetically, by relevance, or by distance to your current location. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MarketMaker?
MarketMaker is the largest and most in-depth database of its kind featuring a diverse community of food-related businesses: buyers, farmers/ranchers, fisheries, farmers markets, processors/packers, wineries, restaurants, and more. MarketMaker provides simple yet powerful search tools to connect with others across the production and distribution chain (http://ms.foodmarketmaker.com/).

Where can you find Mississippi MarketMaker?
MarketMaker is located at http://ms.foodmarketmaker.com/.   
Ask Siri or Cortana to search for “Mississippi MarketMaker” on your smart phone.

How do you register your food business in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Register and type your email address and a password in the spaces under Register. Be prepared to enter information (and pictures) about your business.

What are the benefits in registering your food business in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Producers register their businesses in MarketMaker because food buyers of all types access our database to find products and services to meet their specific needs. Through MarketMaker, producers can reach more buyers and more efficiently form profitable business alliances.

How do you search for your business profile in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Search and type the name of your business in the space under Search MarketMaker.

How do you update your business profile in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Register and then click UPDATE YOUR PROFILE. Type your email address and password in the spaces under Account Login. Be prepared to enter updated information (and pictures) about your business.

MarketMaker Training Workshops
This training workshop is available upon request by a group of 6-12 producers, extension agents, state regulatory agencies staff, and teachers. Each workshop will best fit the needs of the participants. Email Dr. Ben Posadas for details at ben.posadas@msstate.edu.

How do you search for local food businesses in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Search and type a keyword in the space under Search MarketMaker.

What is the Market Research tool of MarketMaker?
The MarketMaker research tool is an interactive mapping resource for identifying target markets, developing customized census profiles, and mapping food related businesses over demographic maps.

Where do you find the Market Research tool in MarketMaker?
Look for the Market Research section in MarketMaker and click Research your market now or Use previous version.