Extension Matters: Volume 10 Number 2

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

    Developing Expertise

  • A girl wearing denim smiles as she feeds her chickens.

    Extension in Action

  • 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.

    Connecting with Nature

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

    4-H: Where Are They Now?

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

    Community Collaboration

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

    4-H Day at the Fair

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

    Starting Over

  • A large group of people standing on a covered patio.

    What’s New in Extension

  • Two Black women smiling and standing in front of a hanging multicolored quilt.

    Doing the “Heart” Work

  • A man with a blue visor and T-shirt listing “Pearl Riverkeeper” and holding a clipboard in front of a waterway.

    Where You Are

  • Six people, including two women, three girls, and one boy, wearing maroon polo shirts and smiling at the camera.

    Choosing to Lead

  • A woman, flanked by a young man and woman, holds a nameplate listing “E. Ruth Morgan.”

    Development Direction

A woman, flanked by a young man and woman, holds a nameplate listing “E. Ruth Morgan.”

Edna Ruth Morgan’s family never would have guessed her chosen career would have been in entomology.

Six people, including two women, three girls, and one boy, wearing maroon polo shirts and smiling at the camera.

She knew she wanted to teach even when she was just a kid, but Dr. Molly Nicodemus also realized pretty quickly that she wanted to teach older students at the college level. Now an associate professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at Mississippi State University, Nicodemus has embraced a new teaching role with adolescents and teens as a volunteer leader for the Winston County 4-H Horse Club.

A man with a blue visor and T-shirt listing “Pearl Riverkeeper” and holding a clipboard in front of a waterway.

Billy Mitchell spent his childhood summers in the water and has lived at Pelahatchie Bay for more than three decades, so his dedication to protecting water resources now almost makes too much sense.

Two Black women smiling and standing in front of a hanging multicolored quilt.

Iris McGee always wanted to have a quilting group in Greenville like the one her twin sister, Janis Moore, belonged to in Los Angeles.

A large group of people standing on a covered patio.

In late February, Mississippi State University hosted the 2024 National Floriculture Forum, an annual conference held at different locations around the country. 

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.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

 

 

 

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Message from the Director

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Dr. Angus Catchot

Dear friends,

When it comes to taking care of what matters in Mississippi, Extension continues leading the way. We’re staying true to Mississippi State University’s land-grant mission: research, education, and service. Extension works with MSU researchers to educate our clients with the most up-to-date information to make their lives better.

This issue of Extension Matters takes a deep dive into the stories of how our clients use Extension education to accomplish their goals, inspiring other Mississippi residents to use our services, too. We continue offering the educational programs that our clients request, and we partner with the state, its counties, and its municipalities to offer even more services to the people of the great state of Mississippi.

I remain passionate about Extension’s mission because, in Extension, we’re improving people’s lives every day. What makes us special is what citizens think about us and the services we provide—we’re changing lives for the better.

Hail State,

Dr. Angus Catchot
Director, MSU Extension Service