Moving to MS Gulf Coast

[ginnybee]

My family is planning a move to the MS Coast next summer (so long as we can sell our Seattle home). I have family there, but they're not so into "natural family living" and can't answer many of my questions. We're hoping to build a home in the country eventually, but for now are looking for an in-town home to live in for the first few years. We're leaning towards Gulfport (family there), but also looking at Ocean Springs and other nearby communities. A few random questions:

Does anyone know which towns allow (or specifically prohibit) backyard chickens?

Where can I find raw milk?

Is there a decent natural foods store?

Does any place carry gluten- free products?

Any half-day preschools you'd recommend (not day-care)?

[ElizaS]

We live in Vicksburg (for now), which is a couple hours north of there. But as far as the gluten-free thing, we have great success between our local Walmart and Kroger. Our Walmart has the Tinyada pasta, which we love, and at Kroger we usually get our various flowers/mixes.
I know that's not much info about Gulfport, but hope it helps.

[jennybean0722]

We have some meetup members in the Miss-Lou area. Look up the "Louisiana Natural Birth" on Meetup.com. There are several girls in Mississippi on there and they may be able to help you out Plus, New Orleans isn't too far away from you, nor is Mandeville or Covington, which may provide you and your family with a fun trip/getaway once in a while!

Jennybean

[Sunflower223]

You've probably already move by now but in Hattiesburg where I am currently there are several sources for raw milk.  Even the gas station sells raw milk through a local farmer.  You can often find advertisements at feed stores or on craigslist for that as well as free range eggs.  There is also a decent health food store here and our WM and Corner Market have a fairly OK selection of gluten free.  I don't know if chickens are allowed here or not really.  We live in the city.  We have them, have had them for a while, and no one seems to care. 

I own a home in Grand Bay, Alabama and lived there for a few years.  Before that I grew up in Mobile.  My house in Grand Bay is 4 miles from the state line so I am fairly close to the Gulfport/Ocean Springs/Pascagoula area.  The same things apply really for checking Craigslist and feed stores.  We were in the county there so our chickens were definitely allowed.  Mobile has a few good health food stores.  I am willing to bet there is something in Gulfport as well. 

Good luck!

[ginnybee]

Haven't moved yet.  We have a house to sell here, so are looking at relocating in June.  We are definitely moving to Gulfport - just bought a foreclosed fixer right next door to my brother.  It sounds like chickens are out.  I talked to animal control and police and it turns out:  2 chickens are allowed on city lots IF they are kept 300 ft. from neighboring homes.  That's not possible.  We decided we could keep rabbits instead.  Got to practice homesteading any way we can!

It looks like there are GF resources and once we get to the farmer's market, we might be able to connect with a raw milk source.  I still haven't found much of any info on preschools.  There is a Montessori in Ocean Springs that looks great, but surely that's not the only one around?

Moving cross-country is pretty intimidating.  I guess there's only so much one can do until we get there.

[midwifevelma]

I hope that your move is uneventful (In a good way)! 

   I am a Traditional Home Birth Midwife, I am based in Vicksburg, but travel down your (new) way quite frequently. I know that in most counties in Mississippi, backyard chickens are allowed, as long as it's in the county, and not a city address.

   Jackson has an awesome wholistic and natural foods store(complete with homeopathic herb shop) Rainbow Whole-Foods Co-op. If you can't find anything on the coast. 

   I wish you much luck!

Velma McAllister

www.vicksburgmidwifery.net

[treestar]

Hi there!

I have been living in Long Beach for the past three and a half years, recently moved to the country near Picayune.  I have some helpful information for you hopefully. 
There are a few health food stores along the coast. There is Health Nuts in Gulfport, Coast Nutrition & Health in Gulfport (also known as Orange Grove, but is really just north Gulfport) and they have a very good selection of gluten-free foods. There is also a health food store with a vegetarian restraunt in Long Beach called Lily of the Valley.  All three have different offerings and owned by sweet people, me and my husband have gotten to know them all to varying degrees as we frequent the health food stores! And yes, Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie and Rouses do have some gluten-free foods to a lesser degree of course.  Oh and there is also one in Ocean Springs, called Four Seasons, I think?

There is a farm near where we are living now that is small but they treat their cows like family and only use the milk raw. I don't think they sell their raw milk, but if they do there is a place in Gulfport called Good Karma, owned by a Malaysian lady named Maharani and she would know and would be the source for it as she travels from said farm to your new town five days a week. 

As for farmers markets, might I suggest the one in Pass Christian? The one in Long Beach isn't bad either, it's just small,but it does have a good core group.  The one in Gulfport I have not been too since I found out about the other two, but I hope they are doing better since I last went.  It was more of a group of people selling bulk veggies than people selling what they grew.

I don't know anything about the preschools though, as my little one is only a year and three months, so sorry there.

If you have any other questions about the area or if you want to make a play date at the discovery museum or splash park let me know! I'm always looking for other momma friends, especially ones who are of the natural homesteading type!

[Treeling]

Hey there!  I live in Long Beach as well, and just wanted to add that there is also a new veggie restaurant in Gulfport called Good Karma (associated with the Hare Krishna community in Carriere which supplies a lot of local herbs/honey/etc) and a nice little herb shop in Long Beach (with capricious hours) called the Herb Garden.  Linda at the Herb Garden can hook you up with a raw milk source, I'm sure.  

What I'd love to find is a pediatrician I can learn to like... we've tried the giant Ocean Springs/Biloxi practice and that was not working for me.  Just recently tried Dr. Harper in Gulfport, and did not get a very breastfeeding-friendly vibe there.  At our very first visit, she was flipping out about my kid's spot on the growth charts and talking about supplementing with pediasure (he's 13 months, eating solids, nursing regularly, growing normally, hitting milestones, his height/weight match, he's just little!!).  I did not love that.  If anyone has any suggestions for doctors who are at the very least knowledgable about and supportive of breastfeeding, I'm all ears.  

[treestar]

I had trouble finding peds that I could get along with around here as well.  Now we drive to Hattiesburg to see Dr. Gaudet.  He is wonderful! Our first visit started with me bracing myself to be firm in my decisions but he was not pushy at all about my natural mothering choices.  He is pro-vaccinations but does not push any drug on a mother who does not want them, as he said himself.  He has a gentle nature and does not over prescribe antibiotics which makes him a winner in my book! Give him a try if you can take the hour drive north.

Oh and also, the herb shop is called The Essential Herb Cottage :) but you're right about the hours! She has told me though that she is trying to be there regularly from 2-6 in the afternoons.

[Tera]

Thank you so much for all the great information.  My husband and I drove from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi looking for a health food store the other day and I was truly disappointed.  Also, Mississippi has it's own natural meetup group:  Mississippi Natural Birth. 

Tera Smith, DEM

Southern Moon Midwifery