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Feature Story from 2022

A group of five adults stand in front of some plants.
January 4, 2022 - Filed Under: Master Gardener, Flower Gardens

The new year offers a new opportunity for garden enthusiasts who want to hone their craft and give back to their communities. The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering the Master Gardener training and certification online again this year.

A form submission box with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks logo.
January 6, 2022 - Filed Under: Wildlife, Chronic Wasting Disease, White-Tailed Deer

HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. -- Hunters and landowners in Mississippi are invited to an upcoming group discussion on chronic wasting disease.

“White-Tailed Deer and Chronic Wasting Disease: Hunter and Landowner Group Discussion” will be hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service Jan. 13 at the Extension office in Marshall County.

MSU Extension faculty and specialists will gather input on how the deer disease affects hunting leases and land values through structured question-and-answer sessions with participants on their perceptions and experiences.

A tractor with a spray rig crosses a wheat field.
January 11, 2022 - Filed Under: Agricultural Economics, Farming

High fertilizer prices continue to be a hot topic any time farm professionals gather, but now is not the first time costs have doubled or even tripled for some crop staples. Larry Oldham, soil specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said producers must plan around dramatically rising costs.

Blueberries grow on a bush.
January 14, 2022 - Filed Under: Commercial Fruit and Nuts, Fruit

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Blueberry growers and those interested in entering this industry can participate in an online Mississippi State University workshop Jan. 27.

Register for this MSU Extension Service workshop by Jan. 26 at . There is no cost to attend the online workshop, which runs from 2-4 p.m. Jan. 27.

Three women and a man pose at a desk with a stack of papers.
January 14, 2022 - Filed Under: 4-H, Leadership, Extension Program Priorities

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Mississippi State University Extension Service has been awarded a grant that will help educate, recruit and retain tribal students from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) to succeed in college and in a career. 

MSU and the Choctaw Division of Education signed a memorandum of understanding designed to strengthen partnerships between the university and the Choctaw tribe. The memorandum is associated with the grant, “New Beginning for Tribal Students,” awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A person works a beehive.
January 19, 2022 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Livestock, Beekeeping

RAYMOND, Miss. -- People interested in beekeeping should take time to answer some important questions and develop a plan before beginning this hobby.

One of the best ways people can learn about the hobby is to join a beekeeping group, said Jeff Harris, Mississippi State University Extension Service bee specialist.

“Local beekeeping clubs often have members with many years of beekeeping experience, and they are absolutely a great way for you to learn about the hobby before you begin,” Harris said.

January 21, 2022 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Crops, Livestock

Agriculture advisory groups will meet across the state next month to provide input on educational programing and research conducted by Mississippi State University. The three regional meetings offer agricultural producers the opportunity to share their needs for the upcoming year with the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

January 24, 2022 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Beef

Individuals interested in the beef cattle industry are invited to a field day hosted by Mississippi State University. The Beef Cattle Field Day will be held March 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MSU Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station located at 51 Coastal Plains Road in Newton.

A slow cooker filled with food.
January 31, 2022 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Food, Food Safety

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Slow cookers are winter workhorses in many kitchens, helping serve everything from breakfast to dinner. But no matter the dish, cooks should be sure to follow some basic food safety guidelines.

When used properly, these small, countertop appliances are safe and convenient.

January 31, 2022 - Filed Under: Extension Program Priorities, Beef

A beef cattle specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service has been recognized for her service and research with one of the most prestigious honors in the field of animal science. 

Brandi Karisch, associate Extension and research professor in the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, received the 2022 Southern Section of the American Society of Animal Science award during the organization’s annual meeting.

February 7, 2022 - Filed Under: Commercial Horticulture, Master Gardener, Lawn and Garden, Floral Design, Flower Gardens

Pat Scace, floral display supervisor at the Missouri Botanical Garden will give a lecture on March 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center. It will conclude with a recognition ceremony for the newest group of certified MSU Extension Service Master Floral Designers. Deadline to register is March 14.

February 7, 2022 - Filed Under: Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. -- Hunters and landowners in Mississippi are invited to an upcoming group discussion on chronic wasting disease.

“White-Tailed Deer and Chronic Wasting Disease: Hunter and Landowner Group Discussion” will be hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service Feb. 25 at the Extension office in Marshall County. This event was moved from its original scheduled date in January to allow for more participation.

Two young women display a lamb in a show ring.
February 11, 2022 - Filed Under: 4-H, 4-H Livestock Program, Youth Livestock

JACKSON, Miss. -- Lily and Emma Grace Putnam raised their Mississippi-bred reserve champion lamb in their Sunflower County pasture, which they recently finished fencing in with the help of loans and grants.

“We have always had the land and have been pasturing it in piece by piece as we’ve been able to, but we needed to complete the fencing this year so we could finish breeding our ewes,” said Lily Putnam, a Sunflower County 4-H’er based in Sunflower County. “The loan was helpful to me because we used it to buy equipment to get ready for lambing and start a breeding business.”

Cows graze in a field.
February 14, 2022 - Filed Under: Forages, Management - Forages

The Mississippi State University Extension Service invites beef cattle and hay producers to attend the Cool-Season Forage Field Day March 4 in Starkville.

Calculator, pencil, receipts and monthly budget sheets on a table.
February 15, 2022 - Filed Under: Family, Family Financial Management, Basic Money Management

The first step to achieving financial fitness is creating a budget, but that first step can be hard to take. This step-by-step approach makes the budgeting process less intimidating.

Two women work in an office setting.
February 15, 2022 - Filed Under: Community, Fisheries

Communities along the Gulf Coast facing the constant challenge of sea-level rise coupled with heavy rains and tropical storms have an ally in the Resilience to Future Flooding project. This project focuses on addressing communication and financial barriers to sea-level rise resilience in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

February 17, 2022 - Filed Under: Family, Children and Parenting

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has been awarded $5 million to directly impact early-childhood education in the state by developing a new curriculum for children from birth through age 5. The funds will be used to develop “My Mississippi Adventures,” a developmentally appropriate, integrated curriculum to be used in licensed child care facilities.

A group of people sitting around a table.
February 23, 2022 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Crops, Commercial Horticulture, Swine, Forestry

VERONA, Miss. -- Each February, agricultural producers in Mississippi speak, and personnel with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station listen.

Producer Advisory Council meetings present opportunities for growers to meet with MSU commodity experts and share ideas for research and educational projects.

Three young people sit on ATVs as they listen to their instructor.
February 23, 2022 - Filed Under: 4-H, 4-H Safety Programs, ATV Safety

A recent grant award is helping provide all-terrain vehicle safety training to Mississippi 4-H’ers. The Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H ATV Safety Program recently received $10,000 from Polaris through the company’s T.R.A.I.L.S. grant program. The funds purchased two youth sized Polaris ATVs and safety equipment. T.R.A.I.L.S. is an acronym for trail development, responsible riding, access, initiatives, lobbying and safety.

A yellow flower blooms on a small plant.
March 4, 2022 - Filed Under: Commercial Horticulture, Green Industry, Lawn and Garden, Flower Gardens

Home lawns and landscapes have possibly never looked better, as consumer data show people changed buying habits and spent more on plant and landscape items during the pandemic. Tricia Knight, director of coastal horticulture research at Mississippi State University’s South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, said revenue for the green industry grew during the pandemic in part because people were looking for something positive amid all the uncertainty.

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