Feature Story

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University researcher’s lifelong fascination with plants inspired him to collect thousands of specimens from all over the globe.

Then, Victor Maddox, a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, created his own Garden of Eden on 9 acres near Maben.

“I decided to arrange my collection thematically and plant the areas in front of the house with Old World plants from Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. The backyard has plants from the New World -- North and South America,” Maddox said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Early spring is the perfect time to examine the performance and needs of cool-season forages at a Mississippi State University tour on April 30.

The Cool-Season Forage Tour will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the forage unit on the Henry H. Leveck Animal Research Farm, otherwise known as South Farm, in Starkville.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi volunteer leaders are essential in fulfilling the national 4-H motto: “To make the best better.”

Harvey Gordon, 4-H volunteer development specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said National Volunteer Week, which recognizes all volunteers, marked a perfect time to recognize the leaders who contribute their time and energy to today’s youth. Established in 1974, this year’s volunteer week was observed April 15-21.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Goats remain a niche segment of the state’s livestock production, but they have a strong fan base.

“Meat goats make up most of the goat herd in Mississippi and in the nation,” said Kipp Brown, area 4-H livestock agent and meat goat specialist with Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Bill Ryals and his son raise meat and dairy goats at the Rocking R Dairy in Tylertown.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s open house attracted almost 4,000 visitors on April 13 and 14.

The open house offered hands-on activities, such as a petting zoo and a microscope station, as well as guided tours and educational exhibits and presentations on veterinary science and animal safety.

Jenny Sowell, a second-year student of CVM and vice-president of the CVM class of 2014, said a major goal of the open house is to inform while entertaining the attendees.

STARKVILLE -- The safest method for disposing of unused household medications is to turn them in at official collection event, such as the fourth annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 28.

One of these events will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in front of the Starkville Piggly Wiggly at 118 Highway 12. The Mississippi State University Extension Service, MSU Police Department and Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department are working together to facilitate the event.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Tech-savvy 4-H’ers in Mississippi are using their skills to help their communities get connected.

The Mississippi 4-H tech team is composed of 25 senior 4-H’ers who lead technology workshops on such topics as social media and digital filmmaking. Team members are selected through a competitive process and undergo intensive training.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young people interested in robots, the science behind sports, and shaving cream tag are invited to register for the first-ever Junior Robotics Camp at Mississippi State University.

The camp is a program of the MSU Extension Service and 4-H. Activities will include building robots, electrical circuit projects, catapult wars, field trips, campus experiences, a night at the movies and visits from special guests.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A four-day symposium at Mississippi State University will draw researchers, biologists and land managers concerned with enhancing, restoring and managing the prairies of the Southeastern United States.

The Southeastern Prairie Symposium will be May 14 through 17 in Starkville. Sessions will focus on prairie remnants, conservation, management and working grasslands in the region.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Recognizing the expanding career fields related to families, Mississippi State University will offer new graduate studies in the upcoming fall semester.

MSU’s School of Human Sciences will offer advanced degrees in Human Development and Family Studies, an interdisciplinary approach to the study of children, youth and families. The program encompasses specialty areas in infant and child studies, youth studies, family studies, family resource management and gerontology.

TYLERTOWN -- Beef and forage producers in Mississippi and Louisiana can learn how to improve their beef herds and pastures at a May 19 event in Walthall County.

The Mississippi/Louisiana Beef and Forage Field Day begins at 8:45 a.m. at the Livestock Producer’s Sale Barn located on Highway 98 East in Tylertown.

Topics include clover, heifer development, expected progeny difference in bull selection, herbicides, and alfalfa varieties for South Mississippi.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Local gardeners will have the opportunity to select spring bedding plants and support students in the horticulture club at Mississippi State University during the annual plant sale this Friday and Saturday.

This year’s sale will take place from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, April 13, and from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, April 14, in the campus greenhouses behind Dorman Hall on MSU’s main campus.

A wide variety of plants will be available such as summer annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The 13th annual Mississippi 4-H Golf Classic will be at the Lake Caroline Golf Course in Madison on Tuesday, May 22.

The annual golf classic is a fundraiser for the Mississippi 4-H youth development program, part of the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Development officer Morris Houston said the event was moved to the new location to make it more convenient and accessible for participants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A glass of milk may not look like preventive medicine, but daily calcium intake can build strong bones that are less likely to break.

“Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density to the point where fractures occur earlier and more easily. While more prevalent in women, men can also have osteoporosis,” said Diane Tidwell, associate professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion. “As the baby boomers get older, we’ll see a lot more osteoporosis, simply because our society is aging.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University meat scientist is describing recent media reports as irresponsible journalism that casts a shadow over established practices that make certain ground beef products healthier and safer.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Take a look at 4-H livestock show rings anywhere in the state. There are nearly as many goats as hogs, sheep or steers.

“We’ve increased the numbers of goats shown by about 25 percent each year since the first year,” said Kipp Brown, area 4-H livestock agent and meat goat specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service. “It’s helping the kids, the producers and the 4-H program.”

BILOXI -- Mozambique’s farmers can now preserve and better market their mango harvest thanks to training provided by a Mississippi State University specialist.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s gardening public image has taken several forms over its 27-year history, but what is now known as “Southern Gardening” with Gary Bachman has a long history of impacting landscapes in Mississippi.

“Southern Gardening” is a weekly newspaper column, radio segment and television feature produced by the MSU Extension Service. Bachman, the current host, is a horticulture specialist at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Before heading down the trail on a nature hike, take time to protect yourself and your pets from ticks and the diseases they carry, advised Mississippi State University experts.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A charter faculty member of Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has been inducted into the state’s veterinary profession’s Hall of Fame.

Dr. Clyde Taylor, a native of Natchez, was named to the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association’s Hall of Fame at their recent winter meeting in Starkville. He spent his entire career in Mississippi, working first in the Department of Agriculture, then in private practice in Brandon and finally on the faculty at MSU.