News

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Every January, gyms across America are filled with ambitious people striving to keep New Year’s resolutions, but far too often, the resolutions are set aside and forgotten within a couple of months or even weeks.

Brent Fountain, nutrition specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said the key to sticking with New Year’s resolutions is to set realistic goals.

It has been two years since U.S. Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River when a flock of Canada geese struck the engines just minutes after the plane took off.

Bird and airplane collisions cannot be completely avoided because the two share the same flying space. But scientists at Mississippi State University are looking to the ground, specifically to the mowed landscape surrounding runways and terminals, for ways to reduce wildlife hazards and possibly provide biofuel sources.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Food assistance programs are designed to keep children fed who otherwise would be hungry, but a recent Southern Rural Development Center study found they often contribute to obesity in cities with a high cost of living.

The study was conducted by Elizabeth Rigby of The George Washington University and Rachel Tolbert Kimbro of Rice University. It was commissioned by the SRDC, housed at Mississippi State University, and it is part of the Food Assistance and Nutrition Information Series.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Catfish research at Mississippi State University is no surprise given that Mississippi leads the nation in catfish production, but the potential applications of that research through the College of Veterinary Medicine’s fish hatchery are another story.

As the state’s land-grant university, MSU conducts research that benefits this valuable aquaculture industry and consumers. While some of that research can take place in farm ponds, other studies require fish with known health histories.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Youth through age 15 have the opportunity to learn how to squirrel hunt during a special event Feb. 5 at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge.

Extension Service personnel in Mississippi State University’s Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department are offering the hunting opportunity to a limited number of youth. To participate, the young person must be younger than 16 and come with a parent or guardian who will take part in the hunt.

Many landscapes look drab and dreary in January, and extremely cold temperatures across the state have presented gardeners with an even bigger challenge than usual this winter.

But I had an uplifting experience last week when I attended the Gulf States Horticultural Expo in Mobile. I came away having seen the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel and remembering that the warm days of spring will soon be upon us.

VERONA – Fruit and vegetable producers and people with an interest in this business should mark their calendars for a Feb. 11 Mississippi State University Extension Service conference and trade show.

The Northeast Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association Educational Conference and Trade Show will be held at the Lee County Agri-Center in Verona. The conference will begin with an 8 a.m. registration and wrap up at 5 p.m. The registration fee is $10 and includes handouts and lunch.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi high school juniors considering medical careers in their home state have the opportunity to take part in an intense and revealing summer program at Mississippi State University.

The five-week Rural Medical Scholars summer program at MSU aims to identify the state’s future primary care doctors and help them prepare for medical school admission.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A popular statewide 4-H project has kicked off its new year with a capacity crowd at Mississippi State University.

Youth and volunteers involved in 4-H Robotics Clubs, located in more than a third of Mississippi’s counties, came to MSU on Jan. 15 to begin their projects. They will continue activities throughout January and monthly until the robotics contest at 4-H Club Congress and Project Achievement Days in June.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University Extension Service specialist Rita W. Green is participating in a key U.S. Department of Agriculture policymaking board.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appointed Green, MSU family resource management area agent based in Grenada County, to the National Agricultural Research Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board. This group is the only USDA advisory board that reports directly to Congress. Green will represent consumer interests as well as serve on the specialty crop and the relevancy and adequacy committees.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Stephen and Dava Imes will always remember their cat Mac as being one of a kind, and they are ensuring his legacy lives on through a Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine scholarship.

Mac was a Maine coon cat, a breed known for its large size, long coat and intelligence. Stephen Imes of Columbus first saw Mac nine years ago in South Carolina and knew right away that Mac was something special.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi State University Extension Service is bringing communities together to address obesity in the Mississippi Delta.

Get Healthy, Trim Down Delta is a program supported by the Delta Health Alliance through financial support from the Office of Rural Health Policy, a branch of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Four counties inside the Delta were selected to participate in the program.

Shopping at the local garden center for potting mix for container plants can be confusing. A bag that simply says “garden soil” can have anything in it. While this may work for in-ground plants, plants in containers require a totally different kind of mix.

Bagged mixes for container plants are often called potting or container mixes. These mixes actually contain no soil at all. They are sold under a variety of trade names and are similar in their basic recipe.

By Justin Ammon
Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Recent research has demonstrated the value of cattle with calm temperaments and the price producers pay for keeping wilder animals in their herds.

A five-year Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station study found that cows with poor temperaments can affect the entire herd and reduce producers’ bottom lines.

The onslaught of gardening catalogs arriving at our homes is a sure sign of the impending spring and summer gardening seasons.

They have started to pile up at my house. Looking at the stack, I found myself daydreaming this weekend as the wintery blast came sweeping through Mississippi. How will our gardens look in a few short weeks? And how can we make this transformation a little easier?

Whoever said great looking gardens can be maintenance-free? A great looking garden is a lot of work, and with our busy lives, taking a few shortcuts can help us work more efficiently.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The fourth annual Mississippi KIDS COUNT Summit will focus on the educational challenges affecting the future of Mississippi’s children.

This year’s event, “Working Together to Improve Educational Outcomes for Mississippi’s Children: What Will It Take?” will be Feb. 3 at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. The event provides a forum to discuss early care and education, literacy, healthy schools and graduation rates.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – In the minds of many brides and grooms, the perfect wedding cake is one that acknowledges tradition yet reflects individuality, and most cake decorators can make the couple’s dreams come true.

Cake decorators use skill, experience and creativity to turn the wishes of the bride and groom into a showpiece that draws the admiration of the wedding guests. The cake must look good, but it also has to taste good to succeed.

By Cheree Franco
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – In the chaos of organizing a wedding, brides and grooms sometimes overlook how tough the transition may be for their furry, feathered and hoofed friends.

Blending pet families can be stressful for both humans and animals, but foresight and attention to detail help ensure a successful adjustment.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The real financial challenges of a marriage have much less to do with the wedding itself than with learning to handle money wisely as a couple.

Carla Stanford, Mississippi State University Extension Service child and family development area agent in Pontotoc County, said couples should know each others’ spending habits and financial patterns before they marry.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Planning a wedding can be stressful for any couple, but when the bride or groom has divorced parents, the process can be even more challenging.