Feature Story from 2016

VICKSBURG, Miss. -- After raising five children, Bobbie Beard began to concentrate on her second passion -- gardening.

“I’ve been digging in the dirt since I was 7 years old,” said Beard, who lives in Vicksburg. “I’ve always loved plants -- flowers, shrubs, trees. When my kids were grown, I decided it was my turn to do something for myself.”

Instead of keeping the beauty of her garden to herself, Beard decided to share it with others. At age 52, she began what is now The Flower Center Nursery in her own backyard.

VERONA, Miss. -- North Mississippi farmers and consultants can learn about the latest row crop research and the potential for using unmanned aircraft systems in crop production during a free field day program in Lee County.

Experts with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host the biennial North Mississippi Research and Extension Center Agronomic Row Crops Field Day on Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippians are stepping in to support dwindling Eastern monarch butterfly populations with a nationwide program aimed at reestablishing their diminishing North American habitat.

POPLARVILLE, Miss. – Horticulture researchers at the Mississippi State University South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station anticipate the first bloom of the rare titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) will happen soon.

The plant will not likely bloom again for several years.

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POPLARVILLE, Miss. – Horticulture researchers at the Mississippi State University South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station anticipate the first bloom of the rare titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) will happen soon.

The plant will not likely bloom again for several years.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – During the summer months, few activities are more appealing than a dip in the pool to escape the heat, but safety must be the top priority.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, toddlers have been known to drown in as little as a bucket of water. Swimming pools can pose the greatest drowning riks to toddlers.

Despite the dangers associated with swimming, the good news is that drowning is preventable.

BATESVILLE, Miss. -- Farmers can learn about financial management and a new produce safety program during the upcoming Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production field day July 15.

The on-farm field day will be at the Cotton Warehouse Farmers Market, located at 550 Highway 6 West in Batesville. Start 2 Finish Community Farms’ Happy Foods Project is co-hosting the event.

BEIJING, China -- Expanding Mississippi agriculture requires getting to know potential markets, and a group of Mississippi State University Extension agents is seeing one of the largest in the world firsthand.

JACKSON, Miss. -- An organization ready to harvest and distribute quality food to the hungry always looks for new farms to glean and more hands to help with the work.

The Mississippi Gleaning Network exists to link agricultural endeavors with organizations that distribute food to the needy. It is operated under the Society of St. Andrew, a Christian nonprofit, nationwide organization that supplies the volunteer labor.

Gleaning is an ancient practice in which workers are allowed into a harvested field to gather for themselves the food that is left over.

POPLARVILLE, Miss. – A rare tropical plant drew a steady stream of fascinated onlookers to a Mississippi State University research station as it bloomed for the first time on June 30.

The 9-year-old titan arum was nicknamed “Spike” by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researchers who care for it. Known scientifically as Amorphophallus titanum, Spike likely will not bloom again for several years.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Wild-caught shrimp contribute millions of dollars to Mississippi’s economy each year, and experts say better flavor gives them a competitive advantage over imported and pond-raised shrimp.

Dave Burrage, Mississippi State University Extension Service fisheries specialist, said consumers who participate in blind taste tests tend to prefer the taste of wild-caught Gulf shrimp over that of pond-raised, imported products.

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service invites producers to an agritourism marketing workshop scheduled for July 21 and 22 at the Graduate Hotel in Oxford.

Growing Your Brand: Marketing Tools for Mississippi Agritourism and Local Foods will feature workshops on the importance of agritourism in educating the public about state agriculture and offer emerging strategies professionals can use to increase visitor traffic and grow their businesses.

ROLLING FORK, Miss. -- Mindy Rutherford devotes her days to the family’s expanding Rolling Fork farm.

A former teacher, she left the classroom 11 years ago to focus full time on the row crop farm’s administrative duties and to help manage the first beef cattle herd she and her husband, Bill, bought. They are continuing a legacy begun by Bill Rutherford’s father in 1971.

“I always heard that if you are passionate about what you do, you never work a day in your life. It’s true, and that’s how I feel about the farm,” Mindy Rutherford said.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- New regulations passed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will continue to help cattle producers and veterinarians protect the health of animals and humans.

The amended rules will require all cattle producers to obtain a veterinary feed directive, or VFD, from a licensed veterinarian to use feeds that contain medications. Antimicrobials used in drinking water also require this veterinary prescription.

By Michaela Parker
MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- With only one doctor available in her hometown of Durant, Jhade Jordan understands the importance of practicing medicine in rural areas.  

Jordan is a member of the class of 2016 Rural Medical Scholars program. High school seniors from across Mississippi spent June on the Mississippi State University campus to learn more about becoming a family medicine physician. Through this program, supported by the MSU Extension Service, she learned what it means to be a doctor.

By Michaela Parker
MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Professional turfgrass managers can learn about innovations in turfgrass and landscape management strategy during the 2016 Turfgrass Research Field Day Aug. 23.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Part of understanding any emerging technology is clearing up common misunderstandings about it.

About a year ago, the Mississippi State University Extension Service began developing a new program known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Decision Agriculture and Environmental Management. The program is designed to educate anyone who might use unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, professionally or recreationally.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Summer vacation gives children a break from school, but that does not mean they should stop learning or that summer has to be boring.  

RAND Corporation researchers found elementary school students’ academic performance falls by about a month during the summer.

But continued learning does not mean math worksheets, vocabulary lists and tests. Summer is a great time for children to discover learning is fun and can happen anywhere.

By Michaela Parker
MSU Extension Service

ARTESIA, Miss. -- Children’s faces lit up as they watched their bright-blue robots glide across the floor at their commands.

Nate Peterson, community development coordinator for Artesia, watched his 32 summer campers beam with excitement as they played with robots for the first time. Peterson worked alongside camp director Betty Sanders to coordinate sports, educational demonstrations and other activities for local children to enjoy while their parents were at work.