Feature Story

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Thirty-eight photographs of life and agriculture in Mississippi form an exhibit on display through November at Mississippi State University’s Cullis Wade Depot Gallery.

Most of the photos are the work of Scott Corey and Kat Lawrence, photographers for MSU’s Office of Agricultural Communications. The exhibit, Images of Mississippi, was drawn from thousands of photos Corey and Lawrence have taken in support of the mission of the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Financial professionals and community leaders interested in maximizing tax credits are invited to attend a special statewide workshop Nov. 7.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting “The Great American Treasure Hunt: Finding and Using Tax Credits to Maximize Your Return.” The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Locations include Room 409 in the Bost Extension Center on MSU’s Starkville campus and Extension offices in the following counties: Alcorn, Amite, Forrest, Grenada, Hinds, Lafayette, Newton, Tunica and Washington.

POPLARVILLE -- Researchers at Mississippi State University’s White Sands Research Unit will showcase current beef cattle projects and offer hands-on demonstrations during a Nov. 13 field day.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.

RAYMOND -- Forage experts from seven states will present current research and best management practices during a combined field day and conference Nov. 29 and 30.

The event will kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 29 with the Brown Loam Field Day at the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station in Raymond. The field day will dismiss at 4 p.m.

The 2012 Mississippi Forage and Grassland Conference will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 30 at the McKenzie Arena in the T.H. Kendal Agriculture Complex in Raymond. The conference will dismiss at 3 p.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Bats, an organic method of pest control, may become rare in the United States and Canada.

The primary predators of night-flying insects, bats reduce the need for chemical pesticides and save the agriculture industry an estimated $3 billion per year in pest-control costs. But bat populations across the Eastern United States are decreasing at alarming rates because of a fungus thought to be imported from Europe.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Just a few years ago, peanut production in Mississippi was mostly confined to home gardens, but this year growers planted an estimated 47,000 acres, placing the state No. 7 in the nation in peanut acreage.

Mississippi’s move into the top 10 peanut-producing states has caught the attention of at least one peanut equipment manufacturer. Georgia-based Kelley Manufacturing Company has donated a two-

CRYSTAL SPRINGS -- More than 900 students from central Mississippi recently took part in a two-day festival aimed at increasing their knowledge about agriculture and how it fits into a healthy lifestyle.

Twelve schools brought 940 students to the Youth Fall Flower and Garden Fest on Oct. 9 and 10 at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – To celebrate National Veterinary Technician Week, Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has announced its Veterinary Technician of the Year.

Lisa Pritchard, the primary caregiver for MSU’s mascot Bully XX, is this year’s honoree. She may be MSU's most famous veterinary technician, but being the mascot coordinator is just part of her job.

When Pritchard first started working at MSU’s CVM nearly 20 years ago, she was the only veterinary technician on staff in Internal Medicine/Critical Care services.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Sixty-five people will have the opportunity Dec. 4 to learn ways to manage wild hogs that have become a serious problem for landowners.

The Wild Pig Management Workshop will be held in Raymond at Mississippi State University’s Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The program is provided by the MSU Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Just in time for Halloween and Election Day, fall decorations are available in red, white and warty.

David Nagel, horticulturist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said shoppers for fall arrangements are finding much more than the traditional jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. Designer breeders are giving growers selections of pumpkins that come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, textures and sizes. Other new varieties offer disease resistance, which is especially important in Mississippi’s humidity.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nov. 9 is back-to-school time for cattle and hay producers when Mississippi State University hosts a daylong event in Meadville on topics related to cattle grazing and hay production.

The 2012 Southwest Mississippi Grazing School will be held at Sage Farms from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The school is limited to 80 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is free but must be completed by Nov. 2.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Dr. James Peddie has treated some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and is coming to Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine to share his stories.

As veterinarians, Peddie and his wife, Dr. Linda Peddie, have cared for and treated animals on many major motion picture sets, including “Water for Elephants” and “Dances with Wolves.” Dr. James Peddie will speak on Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the Wise Center’s large auditorium as part of the MSU-CVM and Nestle Purina Human-Animal Bond lecture series. The event is free and open to the public.

JACKSON -- Mississippi 4-H’ers from 42 counties put their talent on display at 4-H Day at the Mississippi State Fair on Oct. 13.

Exhibits by 4-H members totaled 1,225 this year, said Larry Alexander, 4-H youth development specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service.

POPLARVILLE -- A Mississippi State University experiment station recently won first place in a North American landscape design competition.

The South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville took top honors in the first annual All-America Selections’ Landscape Design Contest.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Owners and operators of the state’s agricultural businesses now have more agricultural economists to consult through the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

James Barnes and Brian Williams are located on MSU’s main campus in Starkville. Larry Falconer is based out of MSU’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University Extension Service fruit crops expert recently received recognition for his work on a national project.

Eric Stafne was honored with the 2012 eXtension Community of Practice Individual Achievement Award based on his leadership as project director for the National Grape Community of Practice. The eXtension website is an online consortium of Extension Service experts with nearly 60 topical resource areas, called communities of practice.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As a boy growing up in central Mississippi, Joe Gordy never imagined that his love of flowers would grow into an accomplished career.

Gordy, a Mississippi State University alumnus, has a passion for floral design that began in childhood.

“As a child I was fascinated with plants and flowers. I grew up on a farm, and I loved working in the flower garden,” Gordy said. “Horticulture was a subject I wanted to study because I have always been interested in plants. But design is what I love.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A long-standing and well-attended festival in Ocean Springs gave Mississippi State University researchers an opportunity to calculate the value of these fun events to the state’s economy.

The John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development and the Extension Service at Mississippi State University completed two economic impact studies of the Peter Anderson Arts and Crafts Festival. This annual festival draws more than 100,000 people to the community of 18,000 residents and has a $13 million impact on the local economy.

JACKSON – Mississippians can see the talent of the state’s youth at 4-H Day at the Mississippi State Fair on Oct. 13.

Contests, exhibits and other events will be open to the public beginning at 9 a.m. Most contests will conclude around noon. Livestock events will continue throughout the day.

All 4-H events and contests will be held in the Trade Mart, except one. Public speaking will be held in the Cattlemen’s Association building located across from the fairgrounds at 680 Monroe Street, Suite A. Exhibits will be displayed in the Trade Mart’s 4-H Village.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Southern hospitality does not need to extend to members of the insect world when temperatures drop.

“Now is the ideal time to prepare your home for winter, before the paper wasps, Asian lady beetles and kudzu bugs start looking for a warm place to spend the cold months,” said Blake Layton, Mississippi State University Extension Service entomologist.

In nature, many insects overwinter under tree bark, in rocky outcrops or hollow trees, Layton said.