Three teens sing on stage, with the central performer seated in a wheelchair. Large, illuminated letters, arranged to form the words “Beyond Ready,” are in the background.

Hundreds of Mississippi 4-H’ers gathered at the Mississippi State University campus in late May for the 2025 Mississippi 4-H Club Congress.

A smiling man standing in front of a green tractor.

Fenton Pope looked around his native Covington County a quarter-century ago and saw what he believed was an alarming amount of farmland out of production.

A large group of people, standing, smiling, and wearing green shirts.

When the Mississippi 4-H’ers come to the Mississippi State Fair, they come ready to compete.

A group of men and women standing in front of a barn and alongside three horses.

Horse riding for children. Horse riding for veterans. Horse riding for special needs and behavioral health.

A woman stands smiling in front of the seal for Forest, MS, that lists “Leading the Way” across the bottom.

Cynthia Slaughter Melton describes herself as a professional volunteer.

Five people smiling with three horses, all standing on a grassy plain

When Becky Baker enrolled her three children in 4-H, her main goal was to get them involved in the public speaking program.

A person wearing overalls and standing in field of blooming sunflowers.

The best way to learn about farms is to visit one.

A person with a gray mustache and wearing a black cowboy hat, white polo, and black vest with a sheriff’s star on his chest.

Q&A with Michaela Parker | Photos by Kevin Hudson

Bert Sanders is a longtime resident of Tallahatchie County, where he faithfully serves as a Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports volunteer, demonstrating his support in the growth and development of 4-H’ers. The youth development program, overseen by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, trains and certifies volunteers who teach young people firearm safety and qualities critical to the development of productive citizens, like responsibility, sportsmanship, and self-discipline. Sanders has given 25 years of his...

A large group of adults and children gathered on a grassy plain.

One of the most popular activities in the Mississippi 4-H youth development program is 4-H Shooting Sports, and slingshot, its newest discipline, is engaging even more young people in the safety-based program.

A group of people standing in front of trees.

It began with a field trip to the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, and now, it’s becoming a fully developed Extension program, designed to serve adult residents of care homes.

Two officers stand in front of a group of young men spaced apart for workouts in a parking lot.

Connecting teens with law enforcement officers can foster positive relationships in the community, and it may even inspire some young people to join the force.

A smiling person wearing green and standing outside in front of roses.

How did Flowood end up with the largest pickleball complex in Central Mississippi?

A man standing at a podium with a microphone.

Photos by Kevin Hudson

Dear friends,

Welcome to Extension Matters! We will bring you the best success stories about Extension clients every Friday to brighten your weekend, and I’m excited to welcome you to our new format.

Three people standing and smiling beside a poster board showing pictures of the National 4-H Hall of Fame inductees from Mississippi.
Catchot, right, with
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A man speaking at a podium.

When Larry Alexander was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame last October, the honor was based on a career spent investing in young people and supporting an organization that helps kids become the best possible versions of themselves.

Two mallard ducks on water and MSU gamebird logo.

These are just a few of Mississippi’s gamebirds, and the Mississippi State University Extension Service recently launched a new social media space to support gamebird recreation and management.

A woman seated among rose bushes, holding roses, and laughing.

Known around Cleveland, Mississippi as “The Rose Lady,” Jane Dunlap marked 30 years as a Master Gardener in 2024, but her home county lacked its own chapter for the first half of that span.

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.

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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.