Farmers' Spotlight: Rooted in Mississippi, Williams Farm

Elisha’s travels landed him in Cape Cod where he worked in the restaurant business for a few decades. Elisha Williams never forgot his roots though. When Mississippi called his heart, he came back home and picked up where he left off.

With the help of his wife, Elisha farms a plot of land just outside Cleveland just as he did as a youngster. He has tilled soil all his life, and the move back home allowed him to perfect his craft. “I just like to do it for the community. Young people look at this stuff, and they don’t know what it is or what to do with it. I like to educate those young folks and tell them they can make the best dinner with this right here,” he said pointing to his table of freshness. “I just want them to learn to respect their bodies and the land the way my mother and father taught me.”

Over the years, Elisha has farmed everything from peppers and corn to okra and eggplant. He picks his fruits and vegetables the night before or the morning of the market. This is his third season at Greenville’s Farmers’ Market, but he has been making the rounds at other area markets for the last several years. Elisha says he isn’t afraid to try growing anything new, because Lord willing, the harvest will come.

Come find Elisha, his wife, and his favorite hat 8 am-noon, Wednesdays and Saturdays, May-September, 734 Washington Avenue, Downtown Greenville. 

---