There’s nothing more exciting for a Southerner than having friends over for a visit. That’s why we were thrilled to host members of the MidSouth National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) chapter for lunch in Oxford recently.
Before we got our grub on, we were fortunate enough to take a tour of The University of Mississippi’s Medicinal Plant Garden.
Two key goals for the species found within the Maynard W. Quimby Medicinal Plant Garden are drug discovery and the research of botanical ingredients. The group keeps extensive records or samples for various research purposes.
The team at the Medicinal Plant Garden even plays an integral role in working with the FDA to train inspectors whose job is to evaluate ingredients made for humans to ingest. Supplement manufacturers are responsible for vouching for the safety and quality of the materials sourced to create their products. These ingredients can be collected from all over the world, so it’s important that errors or adulterated ingredients are detected early. In fact, as of our visit, over 1,000 FDA inspectors have been trained right here in Oxford.
After viewing sample collection rooms and laboratory areas, we were privileged to see the greenhouse, where some of the plants themselves live. Some examples of plants with medicinal properties that some farmers commercially grow are ginkgo, sunflowers and turmeric.
It’s always a pleasure to learn new things about the agriculture space, especially with fellow ag marketers. Thank you for allowing us to share the day with you, MidSouth NAMA!