Local farmer discusses how he kept crops alive amid drought

Michael Lane owns Lane Farms in Plantersville. He says he's been a regular vendor in Columbus for more than four years, but has been a farmer for more than 15 years.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – October 28, 2023, marks the last day of the Hitching Lot Farmers Market in Columbus for the year.

Michael Lane owns Lane Farms in Plantersville. He says he’s been a regular vendor in Columbus for more than four years, but has been a farmer for more than 15 years.

He says his crops haven’t been affected by the region’s long drought thanks to his irrigation system.

“It’s best if you can water from a local pond or creek or stream or something like that,” Lane said. “Because watering from city water or town water, you know, it’s got a lot of chlorine and all that in it. It has an effect on the plants.”

Lane says he serves as a mentor for younger farmers wanting to join the vendor business. He says he puts them to work whenever he can.

“I (have) been putting a few of them under my wing and training them along,” Lane said. “Cause I run you know Columbus, Tupelo, Smithville, Baldwyn, New Albany, done been to Jackson, been to Oxford. I usually run four or five a weekend if I can find the help.”

It will be May of 2024 before the market reopens, but Lane says he’s already looking forward to it.

“I’m just hoping we get more farmers into the program and just start participating in it,” Lane said.”I’m really looking forward to coming back. I hope we have a bigger and better year next year.”

He said younger farmers are the key to bringing that hope to fruition.

“We need to get more of the young people into it,” Lane said. “We can’t do it all, but we need a lot of the young folks to step in and take our place. We getting older.”

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