Feature Story from 2025

RAYMOND, Miss. -- While wildfires may not seem like a threat to Mississippians and their property, they certainly can be. And residents should take precautionary steps to protect themselves.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service has a new leader at the helm of its programs aimed at early childhood education. Jamila Taylor was named executive director of Early Childhood Extension Programs in the MSU School of Human Sciences Feb. 16.

As happens in every other industry, when costs rise and markets stay flat or decline, farmers look for ways to either cut costs or increase income.

At the Row Crop Short Course hosted in December by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, those in attendance heard about a double-cropping system not yet tried in Mississippi. One presenter gave research data on growing corn and then soybeans in South Carolina as a way to increase the annual income from the same acreage.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- A large group of agricultural producers and industry professionals met with Mississippi State University personnel during the 2025 Central Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting Feb. 18 in Raymond at the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The annual forum provides clients, MSU administrators, researchers, specialists and Extension agents an opportunity to meet in small commodity groups to discuss the research and educational needs of producers in the region.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- An instructor and tourism specialist with the MSU Extension Center for Government and Community Development, or GCD, has been recognized professionally for her contributions to rural sociology.

Rachael Carter was honored with the 2025 Excellence in Research Award by the Southern Rural Sociological Association, or SRSA, during its annual meeting in January.

The career achievement award credits Carter’s work in advancing the study of rural development in the South and efforts to drive meaningful improvements in rural communities.

VERONA, Miss. -- Each year, producers come to the North Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting to share their research and educational needs with agricultural faculty and specialists at Mississippi State University, and of all the commodity group sessions, the one on beef cattle usually has the highest attendance.

Water management specialists with Mississippi State University have extensive advice for those implementing different irrigation techniques, but they all agree that using soil moisture sensors is the best way to irrigate.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- A team of Union County 4-H members recently achieved a feat that has not been accomplished in 20 years for Mississippi competitors of the youth development organization’s national scholarly contests. The Quiz Bowl Team, made up of Maddie Willard, Abby Grant, Levi Thompson and Karley Harrison, is one of just a few teams in the state to ever earn an undefeated first-place win in the Western National 4-H Roundup Horse Bowl competition.

An ongoing challenge in farming is finding a way to manage weeds without creating populations that are chemical-resistant.

The scale of modern farming requires the careful use of chemicals as part of the overall management plan to harvest good yields and make a profit. Although an array of government agencies regulate and oversee the use of these chemicals, farmers themselves are among the most cautious with their use.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- A statewide citrus quarantine was issued recently for Mississippi after one of the most serious citrus plant diseases in the world was detected in the state. Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing or HLB, was confirmed earlier this year, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or USDA APHIS. There is no cure for the disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a gnat-sized insect. Infected trees die within a few years.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The American Relief Act of 2025 extended the 2018 Farm Bill’s benefits until September, providing agricultural producers $31 billion in economic aid. However, farm owners and operators are advocating for improvements as U.S. legislators draft the next Farm Bill.

In late February, producers representing a range of commodities testified before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee to share their concerns. The series, “Perspectives From the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy,” lent that forum to growers in all corners of the country.