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Feature Story from 2015

May 5, 2015 - Filed Under: 4-H, Youth Projects, STEM – Science Technology Engineering and Math

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Summer camp is going high tech for Mississippi teachers, senior 4-H’ers, and 4-H agents and volunteers.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host the second annual Robotics Academy July 27-30 at the Bost Extension Center on the MSU main campus. Participants will learn how to plan a robotics program, how to host a robotics camp, how to plan a successful fundraising campaign, and how to use 4-H robotics and coding in the school setting.

Attendees can choose from four educational tracks:

Mississippi State University animal and dairy science major Jacob McCarty of Summit, left, shows Starkville Academy student Abby Edwards how to sit properly in a saddle during Afternoon on the Farm May 1, 2015. The activities took place at the H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center at MSU, commonly called the South Farm, in Starkville. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kat Lawrence)
May 6, 2015 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Community

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- More than 60 area kindergartners and homeschoolers enjoyed an Afternoon on the Farm last week.

Thirteen senior students in the Mississippi State University Department of Animal and Dairy Science managed the first edition of the event May 1. Held at the H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, commonly called the South Farm, this program was part of a service-learning project students organized as part of the Capstone in Animal and Dairy Science course.

Communication with other family members can help caregivers balance the task with family obligations, work and self care. (Photo by iStock)
May 6, 2015 - Filed Under: Family, Health

May is Older Americans Month …

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Caring for an aging loved one can be overwhelming, especially when balancing the task with family obligations, work and self-care.

Walking, tai chi, weight-bearing exercises and water workouts, such as water volleyball, will improve strength, balance, coordination and flexibility. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kevin Hudson)
May 6, 2015 - Filed Under: Family, Health

May is Older Americans Month …

STARKVILLE, MISS. -- Preventable falls can lead to catastrophic problems for older adults, so it is important to be proactive.

David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi University Extension Service and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said falls send more than 2 million senior adults to emergency rooms every year. A fall, even for a healthy individual, can trigger a series of problems and the loss of independence.

Mississippi State University fashion design and merchandising major Kelsie Bynum of Laurel inspects the dress she constructed for Oktibbeha County 4-H member Cassin Gant before a special fashion show in Starkville, Mississippi, on May 2, 2015. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Linda Breazeale)
May 8, 2015 - Filed Under: 4-H, Family

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A service-learning class at Mississippi State University taught clothing design students much more than just how to construct a dress.

Caroline Kobia’s Apparel Design 1 students joined Oktibbeha County 4-H members to learn the basics of clothing construction. This was the second semester the MSU Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence linked MSU students with community partners in a sewing project.

To make the most of their medical appointments, seniors should create notebooks that include all of their conditions, treatments for those conditions and medications with dosages. (Photo by iStock)
May 11, 2015 - Filed Under: Family, Health, Rural Health

May is Older Americans Month …

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The stress of managing personal health can be physically and emotionally draining for senior citizens and their families, but proper preparation for routine doctor visits can help older adults stay active and robust.

A few basic steps are essential for communicating effectively with the physician and staff, said David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

May 14, 2015 - Filed Under: 4-H, Youth Projects, Farm Safety, 4-H Safety Programs, ATV Safety

WEST POINT, Miss. -- Young Mississippians eager to complete the safety course required for operating all-terrain vehicles on public lands can sign up for free classes offered during ATV Safety Week, June 6-14.

Physical and mental activity are key components of keeping memory strong in the elderly. (File Photo/MSU Ag Communications)
May 15, 2015 - Filed Under: Family, Health

May is Older Americans Month …

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Many jokes are made about memory loss and aging, but finding ways to combat this inevitable mental decline is no laughing matter.

Experts say time is memory’s worst enemy, and the more time has passed since a memory was made, the less likely a person will be able to recall it. Memory distortion adds another twist, as minds remember things differently over time than when the events occurred.

The biggest reason people have trouble controlling fire ants is that they only treat individual fire ant mounds. Individual mound treatments can be useful situationally, but need to be supplemented with broadcast treatments that will control all fire ants in all areas. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kat Lawrence)
May 15, 2015 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Insects-Crop Pests, Insects-Forage Pests, Insects, Fire Ants, Pests

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- People have many misconceptions on how to eliminate fire ant mounds and prevent them from coming back, and these erroneous beliefs hinder efforts to keep the harmful pest from spreading.

May 18, 2015 - Filed Under: Agri-tourism, Community, Rural Development

WEST POINT, Miss. -- A rural tourism workshop on June 1-2 in West Point will focus on technology and offer new ideas for attracting visitors to the state’s hidden treasures.

Rachael Carter, a community development specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said Extension is partnering with ConnectMS to promote the workshop, “Leveling the Playing Field.”

Fire ant mounds are common along fence lines where they are protected from grass-cutting equipment and other traffic, such as this mound in an Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, pasture on May 11, 2015. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kevin Hudson)
May 19, 2015 - Filed Under: Forages, Insects-Forage Pests, Fire Ants

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Southern farmers may never win the battle against imported fire ants, but aggressive tactics can slow the pests’ invasion, reduce damage and prevent further spread across the United States.

Jane Parish is an Extension/research professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. She said cattle and hay producers have learned to live with and work around the troublesome ants since the pests arrived in the state almost a century ago.

May 19, 2015 - Filed Under: Forages

NEWTON, Miss. -- Producers can learn about production and management methods for hay and other forage crops during a June 30 field day in Newton.

Experts with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will lead participants on a tour of the MSU Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station. Topics will include pasture weed control, sprayer calibration, current forage research, and hay production and management.

David Buys, a Mississippi State University researcher in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and health specialist with the MSU Extension Service, educates community members on issues associated with food security and health. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)
May 21, 2015 - Filed Under: Family, Food and Health

May is Older Americans Month …

Eating a bowl of cereal for dinner can demonstrate the many factors that contribute to food insecurity for older Americans.

“Sometimes, an older person chooses a bowl of cereal for dinner because it’s quick, easy, inexpensive, available and fairly healthy,” said Sylvia Byrd, a professor at Mississippi State University. “Convenience, cost, ease of use and access are all major factors that influence food security.”

Larry Oldham, Mississippi State University soil specialist, samples soil in a Delta field on Oct. 17, 2014. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kat Lawrence)
May 21, 2015 - Filed Under: Crops, Soils, Soil Health

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi farmers should not take the state’s rich soil for granted, but the question of the best way to treat this valuable resource sparks debate.

“Soil can be thought of as a living organism that must be kept healthy to provide some of the crop requirements and make efficient use of inputs, especially fertilizer,” said Larry Oldham, soil specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

May 21, 2015 - Filed Under: Agriculture, About Extension

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Four Mississippi State University professors participated in the joint conference of the Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education and the European Seminar on Extension and Education in the Netherlands in late April.

Strawberries at Lazy U Farm in Macon, Mississippi, are doing well on May 21, 2015, compared to most crops in the state. Frequent spring rains combined with poor plant growth, flowering and fruit set have decreased many growers' harvests. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kevin Hudson)
May 22, 2015 - Filed Under: Fruit

RAYMOND, Miss. – Seemingly endless rains this spring are challenging Mississippi’s strawberry crop.

“The frequent rains we had in the last few months put pressure on the bloom and fruit quality,” said Bill Evans, a horticultural researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “In April alone, we got more than 7 inches of rain.”

A will is the best way for elders to protect their assets and distribute their possessions to family members and friends of their choice. (Photo by iStock)
May 22, 2015 - Filed Under: Estate and Financial Planning, Fraud and Identity Theft

May is Older Americans Month …

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Older Americans, along with their caregivers and families, can better navigate legal and financial waters related to aging by making appropriate plans, protecting their identities and being aware of scams.

May 27, 2015 - Filed Under: Family, Food and Health

May is Older Americans Month…

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Even people who can eat almost anything when they are young will eventually begin monitoring their calories, cholesterol, fiber, sodium or sugar as they get older.

Brent Fountain, associate professor of human nutrition with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said metabolism typically slows down as people age. The amount of calories a person needs usually goes down, and the percentage of protein he or she needs goes up.

May 27, 2015 - Filed Under: Farming

GOODMAN, Miss. -- Farmers and producers can learn how to increase farm profits during a series of field days at the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Farm near Goodman.

Ellen Polishuk, a long-time Virginia vegetable grower, will return for part two of the Growing Farm Profits program on June 19. Her farm served as a case study in part one of this session earlier in 2015.

Topics include practical applications of profit management and decision making in the field. Participants also will tour two local farms that use these strategies.

Lee County 4-H member Kennedy Armstrong selects samples from Kenyan dishes prepared by Carolyn Kobia, center, and Adey Efrem during the first International Village, held during state 4-H Congress at Mississippi State University on May 27, 2015. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Linda Breazeale)
May 29, 2015 - Filed Under: 4-H, Community

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi 4-H members received an important lesson about the pledge they make to improve their world.

About 50 of the youths taking part in the State 4-H Congress “toured” Kenya, India and Japan without leaving the Mississippi State University campus on May 27. Representatives from those countries hosted tour groups in three rooms, each outfitted with items from those countries and samples of authentic foods.

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