Feature Story from 2014

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Parents aren’t the only ones who struggle with time management anymore; school children are finding it more difficult to squeeze in all the things they want to do each day.

Larry Alexander, 4-H youth development specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the beginning of the school year is a great time to make a time management plan.

CARRIERE -- The 2014 Muscadine Field Day in Pearl River County on Aug. 23 will allow growers to learn from Mississippi State University researchers and examine the grape vines growing at the MSU McNeill Research Unit.

The event will run from 9 to 11 a.m. at the MSU research facility near Carriere. Participants will get to examine the fruit on the vines and hear speakers from MSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

Timely topics related to muscadine grapes include cultivars, best production practices, and insects and disease.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University scientists are conducting research to determine the economic impact of wild hog damage to agriculture in Mississippi.

Bronson Strickland and Jessica Tegt, Extension wildlife biologists in the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, are asking farmers and foresters to participate in the study.

By Karen Templeton
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When John and Paula Cormane took their dog to the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, they could only hope he would be able to walk back out the same doors they carried him through.

RAYMOND -- A new book should provide private landowners with a comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide to current land management techniques for fisheries and wildlife.

Adam T. Rohnke, a certified wildlife biologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, served as managing editor for “Fish and Wildlife Management: A Handbook for Mississippi Landowners.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University food science doctoral student, received top honors at the Institute of Food Technologists’ Annual Meeting and Food Expo.

DURANT -- A group project in Holmes County is one small town’s effort to end Mississippi’s national reign as the leader in obesity.

Detra Bishop, pastor of the John Wesley United Methodist Church in Durant, just marked the first anniversary of her church’s Health Education Center. She started the center in March 2013, involving people from other churches and a variety of contributing organizations.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Movie fans can enjoy three free Japanese films at an upcoming series at Mississippi State University’s Bost Extension Center.

The Japan Outreach Program at MSU is presenting the comedy “ROBO-G” on Aug. 22 from 6-8 p.m., the animated adventure “Brave Story” on Sept. 12 from 5-7 p.m., and the drama “Always: Sunset on Third Street 3” on Sept. 26 from 5-7 p.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Business owners eager to capitalize on the power of technology can attend a free series of webinars scheduled for this fall.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Development Authority’s Entrepreneur Center have partnered to offer four sessions about web-based services and strategies.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Everyone needs friends to improve their quality of life, even dairy calves.

In a study on the effects of housing types, Mississippi State University scientists found that dairy calves develop better when raised in pairs. Stephanie Ward, a dairy management and nutrition scientist in the MSU-based Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said this research should provide insight for dairy farmers who practice grass-based dairying.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Summer means fun in the sun, but young children need extra protection against the dangers associated with being outside too long.

With average summer temperatures in Mississippi in the 90s, safety precautions are required to protect children while they play.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- While many students took a break this summer from the rigors of college life, one Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine student spent her time researching amoeba-related diseases.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Winter wheat producers in five Mississippi counties can add a Supplemental Coverage Option to their crop insurance for 2015.

Growers in Bolivar, Coahoma, Sunflower, Tallahatchie and Washington counties are eligible for the Supplemental Coverage Option that was authorized in the Agricultural Act of 2014.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The National Association of County Agricultural Agents recognized six Mississippi State University Extension Service experts for their skill in connecting with clients.

MSU personnel won top honors in four of the 14 categories in the association’s Communications Awards Program.

By Sid Salter
MSU Office of Public Affairs

VERONA -- Row-crop farmers and agricultural consultants heard reports on some of the challenges researchers are studying at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center during the Aug. 7 field day.

Irrigation decisions, variety selections, planting dates, crop residue management and tillage were a few of the issues addressed.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Conservation land management practices have made the Pleasant Lake Plantation in Leflore County a model of sustainability and functionality.

Pleasant Lake has about 1,700 acres near Greenwood. The plantation includes about 500 acres in row crop production, 600 acres in timber, 110 acres in Conservation Reserve Program grassland, along with a 50-acre lake and lowlands that are prone to flooding.

GOODMAN -- Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about extended production methods, risk management and insurance during an Aug. 15 field day in Goodman.

The Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Demonstration Farm will host the field day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some students realize there is more to a college education and preparing for future careers than just going to classes.

Five Mississippi State University students on the floral design team recently took part in a competition and symposium revealing insights into the variety of paths their careers could take.

Five horticulture majors -- Madeline Hawes, Renee Wright, Jena Koren, Kailie Dunlap and Camille Tedder -- competed in the Student Design Competition of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) in Chicago in July.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts recently announced the addition of two new staff members to address the growing challenge of controlling the state’s wild hog population.