News

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The downtime of winter is the perfect time to put into place three tools to make irrigation more efficient in the growing season.

Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said now is the time to implement a computerized hole selection tool and install soil moisture sensors and surge valves.

JACKSON – Greenhouse tomato growers can learn everything from greenhouse design to budgeting during the 24th annual Mississippi Greenhouse Tomato Short Course March 4-5 in Raymond.

Experts from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the University of Florida Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center, Auburn University and the tomato industry will present information to help current growers and those interested in starting a greenhouse tomato business.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Small business owners and tourism professionals can learn how to translate tourism into dollars from expert speakers at an upcoming conference.

The Miss-Lou Tourism Summit will be Feb. 25-27 at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, La.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Southern Weed Science Society recently honored several Mississippi State University students and faculty members for their outstanding contributions.

Alana Blaine of Starkville won first place in the Master of Science paper competition for her paper, titled “The Effect of Dicamba Concentration and Application Timing on Soybean Growth and Yield.” Blaine is an MSU graduate student studying weed science.

GOODMAN – Fruit and vegetable growers can learn how to supply local schools with their produce during a Feb. 21 field day at the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Demonstration Farm in Goodman.

Experts from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and several partner organizations will help local farmers navigate the process required for selling produce to schools.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Landowners who want to earn extra income are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises business workshop on Feb. 25 in Jackson.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most spouses know to give romantic gifts on Valentine’s Day, but the gift of time spent developing a healthy relationship is one that will last much longer than a box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers.

Cassandra Kirkland, family life specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said strong marriages are built on common-sense, positive habits.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi farmers and beekeepers are working together to protect the state’s pollinators from accidental exposure to pesticides used on crops.

Jeff Harris, Mississippi State University Extension Service apiculturist, said ongoing discussions over the course of several months resulted in the Mississippi Honey Bee Stewardship Program.

A major gift-giving holiday is fast approaching. If your first thought was Christmas, you’re about 10 months early and in serious trouble.

Of course I’m referring to Valentine’s Day, and the most frequently given gift by far is flowers. What is the most popular flower given on Valentine’s Day? If you said roses -- then, ding, ding, ding -- you’re a winner. But have you ever wondered how we can walk into almost any florist and find these beautiful flowers available in the dead of winter?

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University is offering land management workshops about game birds and prescribed burning in Panola and Pike counties.

The workshops are designed for landowners, foresters, loggers and wildlife biologists.

The MSU Extension Service, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks will host the Game Bird Workshop in Batesville on Feb. 21 and in McComb on Feb. 28. The $30 registration fee includes lunch, snacks and publications.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Landowners and farmers need to educate themselves about liability issues related to people on their land, regardless of insurance, signs or fees.

Becky Smith is with the Mississippi State University Extension Service’s Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy. She recently organized a liability webinar to help Extension agents and landowners understand these issues, whether the land is private or open to the public.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Protecting personal information and preventing identity theft require Mississippians to be careful with documents, especially when it is time to get rid of them.

Shredding documents is the best way to prevent personal information from falling into the wrong hands. The Mississippi State University Extension Service has joined with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and several other organizations to offer six collection events for the safe disposal of personal papers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Southwest Mississippi landowners, land managers and residents interested in oil and gas development can learn about legal, financial and land management planning at two upcoming workshops.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service Center for Government and Community Development and the Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development are hosting “Managing Energy Development: A Workshop for Mississippi Landowners” in two locations.

JACKSON – An interactive, educational event aimed at teaching third-graders about the importance of agriculture comes to the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo Feb. 7-8.

FARMtastic offers hands-on exhibits that help children learn the role of agriculture in the production of food and other products used in daily life. It will be set up in the Mississippi Trade Mart at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds.

BILOXI – An upcoming meeting will allow producers of various commodities in Mississippi’s coastal region to help guide Mississippi State University’s research and educational programs in the district.

Experts from the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will be available to discuss current issues, share research results and answer questions at the annual Commodity Advisory Council meeting Feb. 25 at the Coastal Research and Extension Center.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi food businesses will soon have access to customers all over the world through the expansion of MarketMaker, a database of searchable food industry-related information.

Through a new license with MarketMaker, not-for-profit company Riverside Research has exclusive rights to the database.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Animal enthusiasts can learn about human-wildlife interactions from an experienced wildlife veterinarian at a free lecture Feb. 6.

The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will host guest speaker Dr. Mark Johnson of Global Wildlife Resources as part of the college’s Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series.

Johnson’s presentation, “Care, honor, and respect for every animal: a perspective on wildlife and feral animals,” is also supported by Wildlife Exotic Zoo Avian and Aquatic Medicine.

Garden catalogs are arriving in my mailbox at a pace I haven’t seen in quite a few years. Every day, a new catalog tries to tempt me to plant the latest and greatest this spring. The parade of polar vortexes with extreme low temperatures is only making matters worse.

During a cold winter, people ask what garden and landscape plants are not going to make it. I always tell folks we’ll just have to wait until spring to see which plants “wake up” and start growing.

JACKSON -- Central Mississippi agriculture producers can provide input and direction on educational programming and research delivered by Mississippi State University.

The Central Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting will be Feb. 18 at the McKenzie Arena in Raymond. Representatives from the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will discuss current issues and answer questions.

JACKSON – Winter means cold and flu season is in full swing for humans, but pets can experience similar illnesses all year long.

“Upper respiratory infection is not prevalent during a certain time of year because most cases are caused by viruses, which are present year-round,” said Dr. Christine Bryan, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “Patients can relapse during times of stress, other illness, injury, or in inadequate or overcrowded housing conditions, such as a shelter.”