Only a few miles down Highway 41, inside a nondescript warehouse behind the Innovation Center, lies one of the most important resouces for minority Black Belt farmers.

Under the direction of Arthur Jackson, DownSouth Foods has spent the past five years providing a means for small-scale crop growers to get their products to consumers.

The company purchases fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats from local farmers and markets them wholesale to grocery stores and the public at large.

“We look for outlets where the product can be placed,” said Jackson. “For instance, we developed a partnership with Calhoun Foods to provide the stores with goat and rabbit meat, along with fresh greens.”

With its role as a liaison between farmers and the food industry, Jackson is using the company to help ensure the financial security of

many families who are trying to make a living off the land.

“This is a way to encourage a healthy community,” Jackson said. “We provide customers with farm-fresh products that are locally grown, and we offer a unique boost to farmers by giving them a chance to market their foods.”

DownSouth Foods originally started as pilot program created by the state’s Resource Conservation and Development Council.

“I was working as a contractor on a outreach program, and the RC&D Council put me in charge of this program,” Jackson said.

With the assistance of Tuskegee University and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industry, Jackson said DownSouth Foods was first established in 1998 “in a trailer under a oak tree” on Highway 41.

One year later, Jackson managed to turn the small program into a thriving business serving 25 to 30 farmers across the Black Belt.

“I am totally happy working with these farmers,” Jackson said. “I’ve been in the food industry most of my life, so it comes natural.”

Jackson’s success with DownSouth Foods recently gained the attention of Ronald Langston, national director of the Minority Business Development Agency-a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Langston is touring the South meeting with successful minority business leaders to talk about ways to increase opportunities for state, local, and regional business enterprises.

He will be making a stop in Selma to visit with Jackson at DownSouth Foods Wednesday morning and sample some of the company’s products.

“It is such an honor to have Mr. Langston here,” Jackson said. “Developing a relationship with his organization could really make a great impact on farmers in this area.”

Jackson said he

plans to continue DownSouth Foods’ growth by purchasing machinery that could increase packaging production.

Spreading the word about products grown here in the Black Belt could not only increase DownSouth Foods’ potential, it could also mean a bright future for minority farmers.