News

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University agricultural economist will be a featured speaker at a special workshop on laws and regulations affecting row crop producers.

John Michael Riley, agricultural economist with the MSU Extension Service, will speak at “What You Should Know: Laws and Regulations Affecting Row Crow Producers,” an event focused on crop insurance, the Farm Bill reauthorization and environmental regulations. The workshop, hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center, will be from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 1 at the Clarksdale Train Station in Clarksdale.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about a new plant I found for the fall landscape called golden thryallis. We planted some in our landscape at Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, and I have it growing in a large container at my house.

After making seasonal observations of golden thryallis, I have come to the conclusion that it’s a must-have plant for our Mississippi landscapes.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi’s hay producers increased acreage and yields this season in spite of variable rainfall across the state.

“Hay production systems in the central part of the state had a really good season,” said Rocky Lemus, Mississippi State University Extension Service forage specialist. “We’ve been blessed with quite a bit of rain in central Mississippi, and the hay crop has been better than average.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – For children with food allergies and sensitivities, Halloween dangers can be lurking in their candy sacks, not just in their imaginations.

Brent Fountain, nutrition specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said people with diabetes or allergies and sensitivities to such things as peanuts and gluten must be extra careful about snacks.

Hunting season is upon us here in Mississippi and across the Southeast. As hunters shake out their camouflage and prepare their deer stands, many find technology can make a big difference.

My friend John Long is the Mississippi 4-H shooting sports specialist, and he tells me that technology has revolutionized the hunting experience. From Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, to trail cameras and online ballistic calculators, technology is making its mark with hunters.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – With persistence, hard work and a little help from technology, one Mississippi sweet potato farmer has created an unusual maze.

“My farm is not that big, and after the disaster in 2009 when we lost about 90 percent of our sweet potato crop, we were looking for something else to do to make a little bit of extra money,” said Andy Clark of Clark Farms near Vardaman.

Clark and his wife Laura planted their first corn maze in 2010. Hot, dry weather prevented the corn from growing well in 2011.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Thirty-eight photographs of life and agriculture in Mississippi form an exhibit on display through November at Mississippi State University’s Cullis Wade Depot Gallery.

Most of the photos are the work of Scott Corey and Kat Lawrence, photographers for MSU’s Office of Agricultural Communications. The exhibit, Images of Mississippi, was drawn from thousands of photos Corey and Lawrence have taken in support of the mission of the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Financial professionals and community leaders interested in maximizing tax credits are invited to attend a special statewide workshop Nov. 7.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting “The Great American Treasure Hunt: Finding and Using Tax Credits to Maximize Your Return.” The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Locations include Room 409 in the Bost Extension Center on MSU’s Starkville campus and Extension offices in the following counties: Alcorn, Amite, Forrest, Grenada, Hinds, Lafayette, Newton, Tunica and Washington.

POPLARVILLE -- Researchers at Mississippi State University’s White Sands Research Unit will showcase current beef cattle projects and offer hands-on demonstrations during a Nov. 13 field day.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.

RAYMOND -- Forage experts from seven states will present current research and best management practices during a combined field day and conference Nov. 29 and 30.

The event will kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 29 with the Brown Loam Field Day at the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station in Raymond. The field day will dismiss at 4 p.m.

The 2012 Mississippi Forage and Grassland Conference will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 30 at the McKenzie Arena in the T.H. Kendal Agriculture Complex in Raymond. The conference will dismiss at 3 p.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Bats, an organic method of pest control, may become rare in the United States and Canada.

The primary predators of night-flying insects, bats reduce the need for chemical pesticides and save the agriculture industry an estimated $3 billion per year in pest-control costs. But bat populations across the Eastern United States are decreasing at alarming rates because of a fungus thought to be imported from Europe.

A sure sign that the garden season is changing from the warm summer to the cooler fall is the many colorful mums on display in garden centers across the state.

It’s easy to incorporate fall garden mums into the landscape. One of the most popular ways to display these beautiful plants is to simply place them on the front porch. The many warm colors available can fit into almost any home color scheme.

It seems the plants have hundreds of flowers, so the impact is immediate.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Just a few years ago, peanut production in Mississippi was mostly confined to home gardens, but this year growers planted an estimated 47,000 acres, placing the state No. 7 in the nation in peanut acreage.

Mississippi’s move into the top 10 peanut-producing states has caught the attention of at least one peanut equipment manufacturer. Georgia-based Kelley Manufacturing Company has donated a two-

MISSISSIPPI STATE – With prices and demand for the state’s pecans high, this year’s predicted average to above-average yield is good news for growers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the 2012 crop will yield 2.5 million pounds of pecans. While this yield is down significantly from the 5 million pounds harvested in 2011, it is more in line with the state’s historical average of 2.42 million pounds.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – To celebrate National Veterinary Technician Week, Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has announced its Veterinary Technician of the Year.

Lisa Pritchard, the primary caregiver for MSU’s mascot Bully XX, is this year’s honoree. She may be MSU's most famous veterinary technician, but being the mascot coordinator is just part of her job.

When Pritchard first started working at MSU’s CVM nearly 20 years ago, she was the only veterinary technician on staff in Internal Medicine/Critical Care services.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS -- More than 900 students from central Mississippi recently took part in a two-day festival aimed at increasing their knowledge about agriculture and how it fits into a healthy lifestyle.

Twelve schools brought 940 students to the Youth Fall Flower and Garden Fest on Oct. 9 and 10 at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Sixty-five people will have the opportunity Dec. 4 to learn ways to manage wild hogs that have become a serious problem for landowners.

The Wild Pig Management Workshop will be held in Raymond at Mississippi State University’s Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The program is provided by the MSU Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nov. 9 is back-to-school time for cattle and hay producers when Mississippi State University hosts a daylong event in Meadville on topics related to cattle grazing and hay production.

The 2012 Southwest Mississippi Grazing School will be held at Sage Farms from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The school is limited to 80 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is free but must be completed by Nov. 2.