News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Fall Flower and Garden Fest in Crystal Springs will mark its 30th anniversary in October, making it older than hundreds of visitors who will step on the property at the Truck Crops Experiment Station for the celebration.

Mississippi State University sponsors the annual event for garden and horticulture enthusiasts. The Oct. 17 and 18 event will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Considered the largest home gardening show in the Southeast, past events have averaged about 6,000 participants over the two-day period.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- New Mississippi State University Extension Service assistant professor Kim Morgan said she hopes to use her experience in consumer behavior, market research and economic analysis to find solutions relevant to agribusiness managers.

Morgan assumed her duties July 1 in the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics. She said she felt the position with the department was an excellent career choice.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Tropical Storm Fay was in the first wave of challenges facing Mississippi farmers during the 2008 harvest season as growers wait to see what future storms may bring.

Mississippi State University agronomists are reporting some benefits but mostly problems from recent wet, humid conditions. They all agree the timing of the storm called Gustav could hurt much more.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina are helping the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University prepare to respond if Gustav strikes the state's Gulf Coast as a hurricane-strength storm.

“Our first mission will be to support the state veterinarian under the provisions of the state's emergency plan,” said Dr. Stanley Robertson, CVM director of outreach and external affairs. “Our personnel will be part of the teams assessing the needs of both livestock and domestic animals in any storm-damaged areas and then helping meet those needs.”

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The challenge of drawing an unfamiliar mount and competing with someone else's saddle and bridle would throw many of the best riders in the world, but Mississippi State University's equestrian team does not find that aspect of intercollegiate club sports hard to handle.

To prepare for the realities of intercollegiate competition, team members train with different horses each time they ride. Molly Nicodemus, the team coach, said she believes this approach is one of the best ways to learn to read horses.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – As another hurricane approaches the Mississippi and Louisiana shores, many coastal horse owners will be seeking refuge at the Mississippi Horse Park near Starkville.

“We expect to see a lot of repeat customers from past hurricane evacuations,” said Bricklee Miller, manager of the Mississippi Horse Park and Agricenter. The facility is located on Mississippi State University's South Farm.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Toyota is putting down roots in Mississippi with its new auto manufacturing plant near Tupelo, and the company also intends to influence the environment by funding a 4-H water-quality project.

In June, Toyota gave the $80,000 Mississippi Operation 4-H2O grant to the state's 4-H program. 4-H programs in California, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia received similar grants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University has a new expert in environmental topics. Amy Schmidt was hired in June as an Extension Service instructor in agricultural engineering.

Schmidt also is the new Extension water-quality specialist responsible for program areas such as water quality, irrigation, waste management and related environmental topics. She previously was a research associate in MSU’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Turfgrass care, maintenance and research are topics of an upcoming field day and expo hosted by Mississippi State University.

The Bulldog Turf Field Day and Turf Equipment Expo will be held Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MSU’s North Farm near the Veterans Memorial Rose Garden. MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, and the MSU Extension Service are sponsoring the event.

The $20 cost to attend covers lunch and the day’s educational presentations and demonstrations.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Divorce, unplanned pregnancies, predators, substance abuse and behavior issues are some of the topics that will be discussed at an upcoming North Mississippi conference addressing the needs of families and communities.

The Families and Communities Together, or FACT, conference will take place Sept. 30 at The Summit in Tupelo. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and sessions take place from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Early registration is $40 by Sept. 25 and $60 after that date. The fee covers lunch and program materials.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Daggers have become extremely popular in the garden in recent years. I'm not talking about knives, but the kind of leaves found on plants like the new Electric Pink, Purple Sensation and Cardinal.

You may be wondering what kind of plants these are, and after my revelation, you still may be a little confused. These plants are all varieties of cordyline. You may be familiar with Hawaiian Ti plant, which is a cordyline.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Fuel, feed and packers have Mississippi pork producers over a barrel.

According to statistics from the National Pork Board, Mississippi's hog production numbers over the last seven years (2000-2006) averaged about 470,000 head, which includes market hogs, feeder pigs and sows. But from 2005 through 2007, the average was about 434,000 head. Production at the end of 2007 totaled 412,000 hogs valued at $63 million.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University took full responsibility for recently letting 35 “dawgs” out on the watermelon farm of two Webster County brothers.

Steve and Myron May, who grow produce under the name Farm Fresh, opened their post-harvest melon acreage to MSU's Service DAWGS. The Service DAWGS program is MSU's first-ever community service program for incoming freshmen.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Homestead Act gave the Eubanks family 165 acres in 1896, and that acreage -- which has grown to 1,000 today and is still in the family -- is being farmed in ways that were not even dreamed of 100 years ago.

Allen and Janice Eubanks own Eubanks Produce Inc. in Lucedale. They operate a large-scale produce farm in rural George and Greene counties, and name Wal-Mart as one of their biggest customers.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Plants with names like Sanchezia and Psuederanthemum are probably as unfamiliar to us as they are to our software programs that underline these words with red to indicate they are surely misspelled.

Though you may not know about them, these plants can be landscape assets. Keep your eyes open for them when visiting local garden centers. Mississippi State University has grown them in trials, and I was pleasantly surprised by each.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A new poultry specialist is on the job at Mississippi State University, ready to help the poultry industry in Mississippi.

Vanessa Kretzschmar-McCluskey started work July 16 as a poultry specialist with the MSU Extension Service. She will work with growers and industry officials to support the state’s poultry industry.

“Basically I’m a troubleshooter and a problem solver,” Kretzschmar said. “I’ll try to establish contact with all of our growers and the poultry companies who work in Mississippi.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Corn prices were too good to last, and after growing the most expensive corn crop ever, Mississippi farmers are hoping to bring in high enough yields to still make a profit.

John Anderson, agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said prices have been “melting down” since about mid-July.

For fishing study…

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University is preparing for a research project to understand what motivates fishing enthusiasts to risk personal injury reaching into a dark, underwater hole to grab a fish instead of using the traditional hook-and-line method.

By Steven Nalley
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Careful maintenance, efficient driving practices and informed spending can increase a vehicle's fuel efficiency and help drivers deal with gasoline costs near $4 per gallon.

Susan Cosgrove, family resource management area agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said routine tune-ups extend both gas mileage and the life of a car.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Keeping meals on the table is an ever-more-expensive task for Mississippians as food prices were up more than 8 percent in the last three months and energy prices are more than 50 percent higher than last year.

Susan Cosgrove, family resource management area agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said egg prices are up 60 percent, pasta prices are up 30 percent, and fruit and vegetables cost about 20 percent more than they did a year ago.