Feature Story

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's history is closely tied to the land -- from the era when flatboats moved the cotton harvest to the Gulf of Mexico to the current technology revolution in agriculture.

Preserving the stories of the people and events that have shaped the state's rural life is the goal of a new program at Mississippi State University.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The director of a Mississippi State University institute has been named to a U.S. Department of Agriculture task force.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman appointed Alan Wood, director of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, to the eight-member Research, Education and Economics Task Force. The group is comprised of scientists from a variety of disciplines, including medicine, agriculture and biotechnology.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A free, half-day quail management workshop will teach participants ways to improve bobwhite quail habitat on rural property.

The March 29 workshop will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Environmental Education Center at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in south Oktibbeha County. Interested participants are encouraged to register by March 26. Lunch will be provided to those who preregister.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Students at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine will hold their 19th annual open house April 4 and 5 at the Wise Center, located on the south side of campus off Spring Street.

The theme of the open house is "A whole world of opportunities." 2003 marks the 29th year anniversary of the establishment of the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine by the Mississippi Legislature.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Farmers trying to avoid possible rising nitrogen costs by applying the fertilizer to fields before the new planting season may harm their wallet and the environment.

Most nitrogen applied to fields weeks before planting will be lost to the environment. Not only will it have to be reapplied, adding cost to the producer, but it can have negative effects on nearby water quality.

By Laura Whelan

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- While some people are preparing for a biological crisis with duct tape and plastic, Mississippi State University representatives are considering the animals in the food supply and the veterinarians who examine them.

JACKSON -- Mississippi manufacturers, agricultural producers and economic developers can learn ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels during a March 25 and 26 conference.

The Mississippi Renewable Energy Conference will address how the use of alternative fuels can create jobs and reduce the environmental impact of energy production and use.

Mississippi State University's Extension Service and the Mississippi Biomass Council are sponsoring the conference at the Clarion Hotel in Jackson.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Many communities are ready and willing to make aesthetic improvements or increase environmental consciousness, but it often takes outside encouragement to get a project started.

"The Community Pride program usually provides the seed money to motivate youth groups to develop projects to improve their local environment. The grants are intended to stimulate additional investments by the local community," said Rae Wilkinson, 4-H program specialist with the MSU Extension Service.

By Charmain Tan Courcelle

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Neighborhood watch programs tend to deter criminal activity, and Mississippi State University researchers are hoping increased surveillance will have a similar effect on a devastating species of termites at work in the state.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A series of meetings around Mississippi in early March will help producers and agribusiness leaders understand conservation programs found in the new Farm Bill.

Charlie Forrest, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, or Farm Bill, provided for a substantial increase in funding for existing and new conservation programs.

JACKSON -- Excitement is always in the air for young livestock exhibitors who qualify for the Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions, which culminates the annual market animal show each February.

For 34 years, the sale has brought out the best in 4-H and FFA exhibitors and in philanthropic buyers who bid generously to reward some of the state's most responsible youth. This year, 35 market animals brought a total of $183,663. The eight steers averaged $9,268, the 12 hogs averaged $4,985, the 13 lambs averaged $3,343, and the two goats averaged $3,123.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A growing number of students are finding that Mississippi State University is a great place to horse around -- seriously.

Forty students are members of the MSU Horseman's Association, and half of those members comprise the university's equestrian team.

JACKSON -- Fifty lenders and other supporters of microenterprises recently met for the founding conference of the Mississippi Micro-Enterprise Association Network, designed to help the smallest businesses establish themselves in the state.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- It turns out chicken soup may be the perfect food for winter's cold and flu season, but other foods can also help ease the transition back to health.

Rebecca Kelly, human nutrition specialist and a registered dietitian with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said the main focus during and after an illness is getting liquids and some energy back into the body.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Simply gaining national accreditation for its riding program for people with disabilities was not enough. Mississippi State University's 4-H TEAM aimed for and reached 100 percent of the national standards.

Mississippi State 4-H TEAM, or Therapeutic Equine Activity Member, was granted national accreditation in January from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association through the Premier Accredited Center Program. The group is the only such organization in the state to have this accreditation.

JACKSON -- Greenhouse tomato growers should mark their calendars for the 13th annual greenhouse tomato short course to be held in Jackson on March 11 through 13.

The 2003 Greenhouse Tomato Short Course will be held at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson. It is sponsored by the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency is providing additional funding through a partnership agreement to enhance the program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When Ryan Anderson came to Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine as a student in 1984, he both kept and broke family tradition.

Dr. Ryan Anderson, a 1987 MSU graduate, is the seventh man in his family to become a veterinarian. His father, Dr. Walter Anderson Sr., began the tradition in 1949, and Ryan's two brothers and three first cousins followed suit.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Catfish processors nationwide are invited to attend the 2003 Catfish Processors Conference Feb. 25 and 26 at Mississippi State University.

The catfish processors conference provides information on the processing and marketing of catfish for those involved in the production and processing of catfish. It is sponsored by MSU's Extension Service Food and Fiber Center and the MSU Department of Food Science and Technology.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Got milk questions? International experts including several Mississippi State University faculty members provide answers about dairy science "from paddock to plate" in a newly released encyclopedia.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Soybean farmers making decisions for their next crop can find the latest variety trial information online from the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Variety trial information details how certain types of soybeans performed on different soil types and under varying conditions across the state. Since the early 1980s, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station has conducted these trials and jointly with the MSU Extension Service has made the information public at no charge.