A Legacy of Farming in the lower Mississippi River delta Native Americans planted here long before the arrival of the Europeans. In fact, they established a place to sell or trade their farm products almost on the very spot where the famous New Orleans French Market is to this day. For thousands of years, alluvial soil, rich in nutrients , carried by the Mississippi River from America's heartland, slowly formed the lower part of the State of Louisiana. Into the Gulf of Mexico extends the state, and it is a growers paradise. In that soil, harvests are plentiful.
Summers are hot, winters are mild, and rains provide ample fresh water.
New Orleans French Market, c.1900 Heyday of Farmers Markets, a.k.a. If you lived in the country, chances are you grew much of your own food. Many families had a garden, raised chickens, perhaps had pigs, cows, and were in many ways self-sufficient. Farmers sold their produce at the roadside, or at farmers markets in cities and towns. Townsfolk-consumers bought their items at farmers markets, where farmers sold their wares, or from fresh markets, to which farmers sold their produce.