You are here

Feature Story from 2021

Graphic showing 2021 planting intentions
April 1, 2021 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Rice, Soybeans

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi row crop growers are planning to plant more soybeans and corn in 2021 than they did last year but not as much cotton, rice or hay.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, publishes its planting intentions report each year at the end of March. This report provides a state-by-state estimation of how many acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton farmers will plant in the upcoming growing season.

A winged, greenish insect rests on a branch.
April 5, 2021 - Filed Under: Insects, Forest Ecology

Many states are expecting an extra loud chorus of chirping cicadas this summer with the emergence of a massive 17-year brood of the insects, but Mississippi will not be part of this phenomenon.

A closeup of a fire ant mound.
April 6, 2021 - Filed Under: Fire Ants, Insects-Home Lawns, Turfgrass and Lawn Management

Fire ants are the most common pests of home lawns, but homeowners can manage them with the right approach, and spring is the perfect time to begin the process.

Smoke rises from a mostly burned structure.
April 8, 2021 - Filed Under: County Extension Offices

POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State University Extension Service in Pearl River County has a new temporary location after the building housing its office sustained irreparable damage from an overnight fire.

Located at 204 South Julia Street in Poplarville behind the county courthouse, the facility is scheduled to be operational by April 16. The main office number, 601-403-2280, is still active for clients in need of assistance. MSU Extension operations in Pearl River County will take place at this location indefinitely.

A black and white chicken stands in a black container inside an enclosure.
April 14, 2021 - Filed Under: Poultry

Backyard chicken flocks continue to grow in popularity as Mississippians embrace the ability to produce some of their own food and enjoy the quirky personalities of the birds.Tom Tabler, poultry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said those considering starting a backyard flock need to make clear-headed plans before bringing home darling little chicks.

Two workers walk behind a red tractor in a field.
April 15, 2021 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Farm Safety, The PROMISE Initiative

Planting season is underway and with it comes the transportation of heavy equipment along Mississippi’s roadways.
Drivers can help support local agricultural producers and their $7.4 billion contribution to the state’s economy by staying alert while sharing the road with planters, tillers and tractor-mounted sprayer

April 19, 2021 - Filed Under: Economic Development, Rural Development

John J. Green is bringing a career immersed in Southern sociology and community development to his new position as director of the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at Mississippi State University.

A man rests his hand on a table displaying floral arrangements.
April 21, 2021 - Filed Under: Floral Design

Thirty young people will have a unique opportunity to learn the basics of floral design in a half-day camp June 22 with the help of a highly skilled group of instructors.The in-person event for students aged 8-12 will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center at 1815 Popps Ferry Road in Biloxi. A $30 attendance fee covers all materials and a snack. Participants will take home their floral projects.

An American goldfinch sits on a bird feeder.
April 22, 2021 - Filed Under: Natural Resources, Wildlife, Urban and Backyard Wildlife

Mississippians concerned about the number of dead songbirds being found near feeders can use this opportunity to learn best practices to follow when offering birds food and water.

Plants grow from wooden boxes that have an overhead, curved pipe system.
April 28, 2021 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Vegetable Gardens

Mississippi’s long growing season means potential gardeners have until at least July to start growing vegetables, but the state’s ideal gardening climate also means weeds and pests are constant threats. Gardeners often grow flowers in containers to add pops of color and spots of greenery in otherwise unworkable areas, and they can be equally successful using containers to grow vegetables.

A field with four black cows.
April 30, 2021 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Beef

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s beef cattle herd size and farm inventory have not changed much in the last three years, but changes are taking place elsewhere in the industry.

The most recent count from the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine lists 920,000 head of cattle on 15,980 farms as of 2020. In 2018, the state had a head count of 930,000 on about the same number of farms.

Three volunteers unload boxes from an 18-wheeler.
May 6, 2021 - Filed Under: Health and Wellness, AIM for CHangE

MAYERSVILLE, Miss. -- Alexis Hamilton never thought he would be hauling a green plastic dinosaur sheathed in protective plastic through an empty field in the Mississippi Delta. But when he looks back on his career, it’s not that big of a leap.

Man on a tractor plants corn.
May 7, 2021 - Filed Under: Field Scale Crop Assessment with Drones, Rural Development, Technology

From computer programs that regulate moisture sensors to smartphone apps that allow growers to monitor market data, most facets of agriculture continue their shift to digital platforms. This transition makes reliable internet access no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

Despite Mississippi agriculture’s annual economic impact of around $7 billion, broadband infrastructure is in short supply in the state’s densest agricultural hub: the 19-county Mississippi Delta.

May 11, 2021 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Health, The PROMISE Initiative, Farm Stress

The Mississippi State University Extension Service PROMISE Initiative has two upcoming sessions in a webinar series that addresses farm stress, mental health and social structural issues affecting farmers and ranchers. The webinars will be held May 18 and June 15 at noon CST. They are part of the ongoing “R is for Rural and Resilient” series that began in November 2020.

A woman sits on a patio behind a container where greens are growing.
May 13, 2021 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Food, Health, Nutrition and Wellness

A career as a registered dietitian wasn’t what Qula Madkin had in mind when she started college, but she has no doubt it was meant to be.

May 19, 2021 - Filed Under: Irrigation

STARKVILLE, Miss.-- A new online resource is helping agricultural producers find technologies to improve water conservation on irrigated land.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is among four land-grant universities collaborating on this web page, which is available at http://surfaceirrigation.extension.msstate.edu. The page hosts dozens of publications and videos related to irrigation, as well as product demonstrations.

A drone in the foreground being controlled by young students in the background.
May 21, 2021 - Filed Under: STEM – Science Technology Engineering and Math, Agriculture

As students toss their caps into the air at graduation, some may be wondering how to combine their love of video games with careers that offer financial independence and stability.

Fortunately, a wide range of careers in agriculture await those more inclined toward advanced technology than previous generations might have experienced.

Several times a year, Mississippi State University Extension associates visit high schools across the state to show students how their love for technology intersects with agriculture, the state’s largest economic driver.

Girl wading knee-deep in water measuring its depth with a yardstick
May 26, 2021 - Filed Under: Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program, Environment

Like sea levels, expenses related to flooding in communities and businesses along the Gulf Coast are rising.

One student spent last summer investigating ways to mitigate these costs while enhancing approaches to shoreline protection during her time in the Mississippi State University Extension Undergraduate Apprenticeship program. The program is targeted toward high-achieving undergraduates from across the country to give them firsthand experiences in research and extension to understand how research can be applied.

June 4, 2021 - Filed Under: 4-H, STEM – Science Technology Engineering and Math, Wildlife Youth Education

4-H’ers can participate in an upcoming camp and have fun while learning about environmental sciences. The 4-H E.A.R.T.H. Camp, or Environmental Awareness through Recreation, Technology and Health, will be held Aug. 2-4 at Lake Tiak-O’Khata in Winston County.

June 7, 2021 - Filed Under: Mississippi Well Owner Network

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi homeowners with private wells have two opportunities to learn how to enhance the quality of their drinking water sources.

The Mississippi Well Owner Network, a program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, will hold workshops at the Extension offices in Perry County July 15 and at the East Central Community Center in Jackson County July 29. Each workshop begins at 6 p.m.

Pages

Feature Story Archive