The practice of farming encouraged the development of permanent settlements by the Mississippian Indians because it gave them access to a consistent food source. The early Mississippian people were hunters, and they would have had to travel great distances in order to find enough game to sustain themselves. This made it difficult for them to settle down in one place permanently, as they would have needed to move around frequently in order to secure sufficient game.
However, once the Mississippian people began farming, they suddenly had access to a more stable food source that did not require them to travel as much. As a result, they began settling in one place and building permanent homes rather than living in nomadic fashion as hunter-gatherers.