A young woman smiling while arranging a bouquet of flowers.

Maggie Jo Phillips participates in Attala County 4-H, and she’s taking advantage of it to figure out just where she belongs.

A woman wearing a hard hat standing beside a stack of pallets.

The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors, led by Board President Lee Caldwell and Vice President Jessie Medlin, is developing a site to house the DeSoto County Agri-Education Center and Arena.

A Black man wearing a baseball hat and smiling, standing holding a pecan treebranch.

Many Clay Countians know Art Sanders as the man who brought an abandoned pecan orchard back to life.

A Black man and woman standing with a boy and a girl in front of a mosque in the desert.

Originally from Leflore County, Samuel Baker and his family reside in Kuwait. Baker is pursuing his doctoral degree in education while teaching fifth-grade science abroad. He credits the 4-H youth development program delivered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service as one of the greatest experiences of his youth.

A woman smiling and standing on a street in front of many colorful, bright flags.

Kristen Brock is always looking for ways to grow in her career and learn more about Mississippi’s tourism industry.

Three children, wearing capes and standing with fists raised.

Junior 4-H’ers, ages 8–13, and Cloverbuds, ages 5–7, with a passion for STEAM—science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics—gathered at Mississippi State University in late June for 4-H STEAM Day.

Three men standing in front of a piece of logging equipment.

Whether it’s related to his work or his sons, Iuka logger Jonathan Cutshall’s path often intersects with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Three women standing in front of a maroon and white Mississippi State University banner.

More than 80 grade-school students from Choctaw Tribal Schools visited Mississippi State University in March to participate in Choctaw Preview Day.

A man, standing beside a wooden table filled with plants, looking into the distance.

Lincoln County Master Gardeners have been bringing gardening to nursing home residents in Brookhaven since 2018.

A young woman smiling and holding a trophy.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/meet-the-ninth-grader-whos-helping-restore-mississippis-oyster-reefsMedia Chronicles Demi’s SuccessDemi Johnson is just 15 years old, but she is already impacting her community through 4-H and Girl Scouts.

A smiling young man astride a horse and wearing a helmet.

When 10-year-old Hasib of Starkville trots his horse during therapeutic riding, he experiences a lingering calmness that his mother attributes to the experience he shares with his horse.

A smiling man wearing a vest and green shirt, standing beside an archery target with three arrows near the bullseye.

Brad Parsley partners with Ginger Cook, local agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Panola County, to deliver the 4-H Shooting Sports program to local youth.

For J. W. “Bill” McKie (pronounced Mackey), working for the Mississippi State University Extension Service was more than just a job—solving agricultural problems for Mississippians was McKie’s calling.

A young smiling Black man holding a snake and standing near a city street.

If a kid can be a modern-day Renaissance man, 4-H member Krishton “Kris” Johnson of Jackson fits the bill.

A girl wearing denim smiles as she feeds her chickens.

Children who enjoy hands-on learning and want to showcase their accomplishments and compete against fellow participants can join the 4-H Poultry Chain Project.

A smiling woman, holding a bowl of rocks in one hand and a bowl of sandy colored dirt in the other, standing in from of paintings hung on a line to dry.

Robin Whitfield, who gave the child the paper, stands awestruck, watching her friend’s daughter use the flower to draw and color on the page.

 

A man, smiling, standing outside and wearing a blue suit with a white-striped red tie.

Andy Berry has many roles—Mississippi state senator for District 35, including Copiah, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, and Simpson Counties; executive director of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association; cattle farmer; and former Lawrence County 4-H’er.Andy Berry has many roles—Mississippi state senator for District 35, including Copiah, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, and Simpson Counties; executive director of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association; cattle farmer; and former Lawrence County 4-H’er.Andy Berry has many roles—Mississippi state senator for District 35, including Copiah, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, and Simpson Counties; executive director of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association; cattle farmer; and former Lawrence County 4-H’er.

A woman standing beside the window of a house that has a sign with “Venisha’s Home” listed on it.

In Rolling Fork, the Mississippi town in Sharkey County devastated by a twister on March 24, 2023, despair was not an option.

A plate of strawberries and pretzels beside a glass 4-H emblem.

The 2023 4-H Day at the Fair, held annually at the Mississippi State Fair each October, hosted hundreds of Mississippi 4-H’ers at the Jackson fairgrounds. 4-H’ers participated in beef, pork, poultry, and omelet cooking competitions.

A man wearing overalls and standing in a blooming cotton field.

After graduating from college, David Hey got out of farming to be a truck driver, but before long he realized he wanted back in.

Pages

Extension Matters Issues

About Extension Matters Magazine

Extension Matters magazine is the premier publication of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, telling our clients’ own stories of success through Extension education.

“We are excited to have our clients tell their stories, and we are thankful for the opportunity to interact with Mississippians through our local offices in all 82 counties across the state,” says Dr. Gary B. Jackson, director of Extension.

Extension Matters profiles people just like you, men and women who want to expand their knowledge base and learn about the latest innovations. Families, farmers, business owners, and government leaders are benefitting from the educational opportunities Extension agents and specialists are bringing to people and communities just like yours. Extension Matters shares our clients’ successes to show how you, too, can succeed through Extension.