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Summer 2026—February 2027
2026 SFA Film Residency, with multi-city in-person experiences and monthly virtual workshops ⟶

Oral Histories

The SFA oral history program documents life stories from the American South. Collecting these stories, we honor the people whose labor defines the region. If you would like to contribute to SFA’s oral history collections, please send your ideas for oral history along with your CV or Resume and a portfolio of prior oral history work to info@southernfoodways.org.

< Back to Oral History project: Oxford Community Market

ORAL HISTORY

Betsy Chapman

Oxford Community Market

Betsy Chapman is the director of the Oxford Community Market in Oxford, Mississippi. She has family roots in Mississippi but has lived around the world, from Oklahoma to Arizona, and to Saudi Arabia. However, she felt that Mississippi was home and visited her extended family in Carroll County, Mississippi, often at gatherings with huge amounts of food. She has always had an interest in good food and who has access to food. In 2005, she relocated to Oxford, Mississippi, with her daughter and began farming at Yokna Bottoms Farm. After learning a variety of skills while farming, she became the manager of the Oxford City Market, which would evolve into the Oxford Community Market. The market runs as a traditional farmers market every Tuesday afternoon all year long, but throughout the week also does community outreach throughout the Oxford area to address food insecurity and educate the public about local food. 

Date of interview:
2023-07-26

Interviewer:
Sarah I. Rodriguez

Photographer:
Emily Williams

Download Transcript

“

“You don’t want to lose what’s working while you grow. And I think the thing the market needs the most is a permanent location. There are so many good examples of markets that are thriving where they have space to operate, to do their programs, and to grow. So that is my biggest wish for the market is that we would find a space that we could, you know, so we could have just that security, so that we can preserve this pretty special thing that we have got going on.” - Betsy Chapman

Other Project Interviews

Interview

Doug Davis

Doug Davis is the owner and operator of Yokna Bottoms Farm in Oxford, MS.

Interview

Rosie Hawkins

Rosie Hawkins bakes fried pies, cookies, and other sweet treats for the Oxford Community Market.

Interview

Reed Falkner

Reed Falkner operates Falkner Farms, his family's farm that raises cattle and chickens.

Interview

Leonard Brown

Leonard Brown owns and operates Brown’s Farm in Water Valley, MS.

Interview

Kevin Guyer & Kerry O’Donoghue

Husband-and-wife duo Kevin Guyer and Kerry O’Donoghue own and operate Poultry in Motion Farm, which produces eggs, herbs, breads, and canned goods.

Interview

Bridgette Gordon & Talisha Gordon

Mother and daughter Bridgette and Talisha Gordon operate Live Again Events, LLC, an organization that promotes women’s welfare in north Mississippi.

Interview

Stark Aldridge

Stark Aldridge is a native of north Mississippi and provides fresh eggs, jams, jellies, and baked goods to the Oxford Community Market.

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The Southern Foodways Alliance drives a more progressive future by leading conversations that challenge existing constructs, shape perspectives, and foster meaningful discussions. We reconsider the past with research, scrutiny, and documentation.

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