News Filed Under Agriculture
The state’s sweet potato growers will have a wealth of information available to them in a half-day event Aug. 25 in Pontotoc. The Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are hosting the 2022 Sweet Potato Field Day at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station. There is no cost to attend. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the station tour starting at 8:30.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Though monkeypox is not as easily spread as COVID-19, it has become a public health concern as documented case counts approach 4,000 nationwide.
The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms but milder. Infections in this outbreak are from the West African type, which has an infection fatality rate of 1% and is considered the milder of the two types of the virus.
Following last year’s significant fall armyworm outbreak, hay producers should be careful not to overlook another important pest -- the Bermudagrass stem maggot -- while watching for armyworms. While farm armyworms attack hay fields, home lawns, golf courses and more, the non-native Bermudagrass stem maggot is primarily a pest of hay fields.
A producer with 40 years’ experience growing high-quality rice using environmentally sustainable practices has been named Mississippi’s 2022 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Mike Wagner grows top-quality rice while preserving the soil and environment on his Two Brooks Rice farm in Tallahatchie and Leflore counties. He also grows non-genetically modified soybeans.
CARRIERE, Miss. -- Individuals interested in muscadine production can attend an upcoming field day dedicated to the fruit. The 2022 Muscadine Field Day will be held Aug. 25 at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit.
Catfish producers in Mississippi are receiving good prices for their products, but their continued profitability faces challenges from high heat and high costs for feed and fuel. Mississippi has 34,100 acres of catfish ponds found mostly in the Delta, with some scattered in Noxubee, Lowndes and Chickasaw counties in east Mississippi.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Seed industry representatives, agricultural professionals, producers, crop consultants and research scientists are encouraged to attend the Seed and Agricultural Technology Short Course at Mississippi State University Aug. 15-16.
Hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the short course will be held at the Bost Extension Conference Center at MSU.
STONEVILLE, Miss. – Hunter Bowman has been named rice specialist for the Mississippi State University Extension Service
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- For the first time, Mississippi’s top soybean growers can compete with their peers and win money for producing the highest yields.
The Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB) has announced the launch of the “Grow It. Show It. Win It. Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge.” Mississippi State University Extension agents will serve as yield contest officials.
Farmers markets are multiplying across the state as they combine two of the things that Mississippians value most: fresh produce and socializing. The concept of a central place for area farmers to sell their goods has been around for decades, but the recent, increased focus on shopping locally has caused an uptick in the number of farmers markets across the state.
STONEVILLE, Miss. -- An irrigation specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service has gained national recognition for his outreach related to water conservation practices.
SHAW, Miss. -- Mississippi State University scientists will cohost a collaborative field day in the Mississippi Delta on July 13 to share information about cover crops, soil and water health, and irrigation automation and efficiency.
The Soil and Water Stewardship in Row-Crop Systems field day runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and begins at Mosco Farm at the southwest of 813 US-61 in Shaw. Attendees will travel to Clements Farm and finish the event at the West F.A.R.M. Pavilion. A complimentary catfish lunch is included for registered participants.
For as long as many people can remember, summertime Tuesdays and Fridays has meant it is time to shop the Itawamba Farmers Market for fresh, local produce and goods. This farmers market is held at the Cypress Pavilion on the campus of Itawamba Community College twice weekly from 2-4 p.m. from June until football season begins in September. This year, a brief fall farmers market is also planned at a time and place to be determined.
There is always a crowd each week at the West Point Farmers Market as shoppers gather to purchase fresh, local produce and goods from neighbors and area farmers. The West Point Farmers Market is held each Thursday in June and July from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Mossy Oak Outlet on Highway 45 Alternate. Vendors set up their wares under the pavilion, with overflow space available in a grassy area under nearby trees.
Shoppers in downtown Macon have a chance twice monthly to socialize and buy fresh produce and goods from area merchants at the new Noxubee Farmers Alliance Market. The market operates on the second and fourth Saturdays from June through August on the Noxubee County Courthouse lawn. Vendors are available from 7-11:30 a.m. to sell a variety of produce, homemade breads, honey, greens and more.
Shoppers in Monroe County have a weekly source of fresh produce, baked goods and other items from May to September at the old railroad depot in downtown Aberdeen. The Aberdeen Main Street Farmers Market has been around since 2014, operating from 8-11 a.m. on Fridays. The outdoor space has plenty of room for vendors who choose to participate. There is no fee for vendors, and no registration is required in advance.
Shoppers in downtown Columbus have three opportunities each week to enjoy local produce and goods produced within 50 miles of the Hitching Lot Farmers Market. This farmers market, located at the corner of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue North in Columbus, has operated since 1976. It is set up under the covered pavilion from May through October. Through September, the market is held Mondays from 4-6 p.m. and Thursdays and Saturdays from 7-10 a.m. In October, the market is open only on Saturdays from 7-10 a.m.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Climbing market prices for wheat are beginning to earn growers’ attention in Mississippi. The state’s wheat acreage is trending back up after several years of historic lows, and this year’s crop quality also shows promise.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects the average price in 2022 for wheat to be $10.75 per bushel, which is more than double the 2020 price of $5.05. The average price last year was $7.70 per bushel.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Watermelon production in Mississippi is off to a good start in the early days of harvest season. “Right now, everything looks really good,” said Heath Steede, Mississippi State University Extension agent in George County. “They’re pulling them pretty hot and heavy right now.”
CEDARBLUFF, Miss. – The Mississippi State University Extension Service invites producers to a field day highlighting stewardship in cattle grazing systems on June 23.
The Stewardship in Grazing Systems Field Day will be held at High Hope Farm in Cedarbluff from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will highlight conservation strategies that can be applied in small and diverse farm systems.