Feature Story from 2024

Knowing when and how to irrigate are questions every grower with the ability to water their farmland on demand face each year.
Irrigation costs per acre are among the highest inputs growers face. In a state with the capacity both for extreme drought and high temperatures as well as prolonged rainy periods, the question of whether or not to irrigate is very important.

Sunshine and long days make summertime in the South desirable for people, but those same conditions are exactly what allows the dreaded, imported fire ants to thrive.

Almost any sunny, grassy area left unattended will soon be home to fire ants. Fire ants were accidentally imported from South America to Mobile in the 1930s and have since spread throughout the Southeast.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is taking irrigation education a step further than before by offering Master Irrigator status to those who complete a course of training.

There is no cost to growers to participate in this training, which includes eight hours of online classes and 16 hours of in-person training. Drew Gholson, MSU Extension irrigation specialist and coordinator of the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research, said the goal is for participants to put into practice the skills acquired in the program.

POPLARVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer free bacteria screenings for private water well owners in Pearl River County during an upcoming workshop.

An underserved community spent a day enjoying the outdoors at the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in early May as Mississippi State University Extension Service personnel hosted 20 adult residents of care homes. 
Jim McAdory, MSU Extension agent in Winston County, coordinated the May 1 event with help from several other Extension agents and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff. The goal was to allow this population to experience the outdoors, complete with a hot dog lunch at the end of the event. 

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University is hosting a field day at one of its research stations on June 5 for row crop growers interested in learning more about high-speed planting and advanced planting technologies.

The MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will present the Advanced Planting Technologies field day and training at the MAFES Black Belt Experiment Station in Brooksville.

Junior 4-H members are invited to a four-day residential 4-H Camp Explore in mid-June at Holmes Community College in Goodman. The June 10-13 camp is designed for 4-H members ages 8-13 years old. The cost to attend is $225, and registration must be made by May 22.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Young people can learn about local foods, kitchen basics and easy recipes at an upcoming Mississippi State University camp. The Culinary Arts Kids Camp is a hands-on, weeklong day camp hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Despite wet spring weather that pushed planting beyond the typical window, Mississippi corn producers have essentially completed planting and the crop is in good condition.

One of summertime’s treats in the South is the prevalence of farmers markets, community social events that allow shoppers to leave with a variety of fresh, local fruits, vegetables and other goods.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Beef cattle prices are the best they have been in nearly a decade for Mississippi’s producers, but they face some tough management challenges to ensure their operations are profitable.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The 4-H Shooting Sports program in Mississippi recently hosted district competitions and will hold its state championship in July, but Reid Nevins is quick to point out the project’s true mission.

“This is a youth development project and not a competitive shooting project,” said Nevins, 4-H environmental science and education specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “We have plenty of kids in this program that never sign up for a contest and just come to the shooting practices.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Sam McLemore had exceptional strawberry harvests in 2020 and 2021, but he still couldn’t grow enough produce to meet increased local demand, so he took out a bank loan for a new tractor and began expanding his farm.

JACKSON, Miss. -- Food pantry clients may soon find healthier options more often thanks to new food service guidelines.

Thirty-five participants representing 10 food pantries across the state recently received hands-on experience after being trained in the Supporting Wellness at Pantries, or SWAP, guidelines. The collaborative training by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Food Network took place in Jackson.

Young people with an interest in soil science are encouraged to sign up now for a June 21 event that explores many aspects of this topic. Mississippi State University will host its first-ever Youth Soil Science Field Day at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona. The half-day event is designed for students ages 8-12.

rofessionals involved in the turfgrass industry can register now for a September field day that will showcase Mississippi State University turfgrass research and Extension expertise. The 2024 Turfgrass Research Field Day will be Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Facility in Starkville.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- As hurricane season begins, older adults should be sure their disaster plan is up to date and reflects their current situation.

David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said everyone needs to review their disaster plan periodically, but older adults will want to make sure their plan reflects any new specific needs or special circumstances they may have.

While every job has stress points, few people go to work knowing they could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in any given day. That is a reality for many in the agricultural sector, and mental health struggles are a frequent result.

Carmen Grubbs Collins, a well-respected businesswoman in Simpson County who recently obtained her childcare license, is one of many Mississippians who are improving the quality of childcare they offer working parents. Receiving licensure was a significant milestone for Collins, and one she achieved with the support of the Nurturing Homes Initiative, or NHI, program. The NHI program is offered through the Mississippi State University Extension Service and funded by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Dr. Kim Klunk expected a certain level of stress when she began practicing veterinary medicine two years ago near her hometown of Magnolia, Mississippi. “It’s one of those things that you hear other people talk about when you’re in vet school, but you don’t realize the complexity of all of it until you experience it yourself,” said Klunk, who works with her mother Dr. Rachel Bateman at her mixed-animal clinic in McComb. It’s a common realization for many veterinarians who deal daily with financial concerns, work-life balance, compassion fatigue and client relationships among other stressful challenges of the profession.