News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- In times of need, people know help has arrived when they see the symbols of certain organizations — vests with the American Red Cross logo, National Guard uniforms, and the blue and yellow shirts of state and federal emergency responders.

There are many excellent petunias on the market—too many to detail in this column—so I am going to concentrate on what I consider one of the best petunias series: the Supertunias.

There are two groups in this series, the Supertunias and the Supertunia Vistas. Supertunias grow to about 12 inches tall and have a vigorous spreading habit. The Supertunia Vistas are bigger and can reach 24 inches tall. Both types are hummingbird and butterfly magnets.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Imagine the misery of wearing a winter coat outside in Mississippi as late as May, June or even July.

People would want to stay in the shade or in cool water. Eating a big meal would not be very appetizing. Cattle may feel the same way, especially if they are from the longhaired breeds of cattle including Angus, Charolais and Hereford.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi youth and adult volunteer leaders who have 4-H dairy projects or want to start one should plan to attend the 2010 Mississippi 4-H Bulldog Dairy Cow Camp June 17-19 at Mississippi State University. 

Registration is $85 per camper and due by June 4. The fee covers housing, meals and other expenses. Campers can purchase T-shirts for an additional $10.

The camp will have a junior track for youth ages 8-13 and a senior track for youth ages 14-18. Most activities will take place on campus and in the surrounding community.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University will cook up some fun with children this summer at the fourth annual Fun with Food camp for kids June 21-25.

MSU’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion is offering the camp to children entering third through sixth grades as an opportunity for hands-on food experiences.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University’s Basic Insect and Plant Ecology camp will provide fun and learning for all ages June 13 – 17.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Young people and adults have two opportunities this summer to try a variety of high-interest outdoor sports through wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture camps offered by Mississippi State University.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University forestry specialists are advising landowners with timber damaged by the April 24 tornadoes to assess and remove injured trees promptly.

More than 62,000 acres of forestland in 10 Mississippi counties sustained damage from the tornadoes. A statewide assessment provided by the Mississippi Forestry Commission reports the value of timber damaged at more than $19 million.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Some Mississippi forest landowners with timber destroyed by the April 24 tornado may be eligible to claim a casualty loss.

Debbie Gaddis, Mississippi State University Extension Service forestry professor, said the tornado destroyed many privately owned forestlands in the state. Those owners who can claim a casualty loss will receive a deduction based on the loss of fair market value or their basis in the asset, whichever is less.

STONEVILLE – Mississippi’s 2010 rice crop is ahead of schedule and looking good, even after strong storms swept through the state in April.

Nathan Buehring, rice specialist at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center, said growers had about 75 percent of the crop planted by the end of April. In the last two years, the majority of the planting took place well into May.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE — A group of Mississippi State University landscape architecture and contracting students stays busy outside the design studio by recruiting other students to join the program.

IUKA – When Mississippi State University confers degrees to the class of 2010, a 1971 graduate of Auburn University can look on his wall to see proof that he is a 2009 MSU graduate.

Dr. James F. Perkins started his educational career at what is now Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville before transferring to MSU for two years.

“I took what we had to have to go to veterinary school,” Perkins said. “Back when I was going to school, my No. 1 goal was to be a veterinarian.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Citizens interested in learning more about community and urban forestry have the opportunity to do so at a free workshop May 6.

Trees in Our Community: A Northwest Mississippi Community Forestry Workshop also provides training for the Urban Forest Master certificate. Sponsored by the Mississippi Urban Forestry Council, the workshop will be at the Starkville Sportsplex at 405 Lynn Lane in Starkville. The session lasts from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. with a break for lunch.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University animal and dairy science majors maintained the university’s tradition of excellence in dairy competitions with a gold award at the Ninth Annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge.

The event was held April 9-10 in Visalia, Calif., hosted by California Polytechnic State University and California State University, Fresno. MSU was one of 28 teams from the United States and Canada that competed.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Storms that whipped through Mississippi on April 24 dumped rain in many fields needing moisture to continue spring planting, and they caused minimal damage to the young crops.

Ernie Flint, area agronomic agent with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said dry conditions had forced farmers to suspend planting.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- On April 24, a series of tornadoes ripped through central Mississippi leaving 15 counties with substantial damage from wind, hail and water. As Mississippians begin the long process of rebuilding and cleaning up their tornado-ravaged landscapes, there are ways to make the process safer and easier.

Safety is the first consideration when removing damaged trees or large limbs that have fallen on electric power lines or pose other hazards to homes or people. Hire a professional to do this when the job is not safe.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Having about half of the Mississippi soybean crop planted by late April is allowing producers to breathe a little easier when they look back on the disastrous year they had in 2009.

Trey Koger, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, urged producers not to make decisions for this year based on the anomalies of last year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Eating well is critical to living well, but many senior citizens find both difficult to do, especially those who live in rural areas.

A study by the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at Mississippi State University found that getting to a well-stocked, affordable grocery store is frequently a challenge for many seniors in rural communities. In “Rural Seniors Have Fewer Options for Healthy Diets,” researchers show that seniors must have access to quality foods at affordable prices to be able to make wise food choices.

STONEVILLE -- Mississippi State University has named Tom Eubank as soybean weed scientist and agronomist at the Delta Research and Extension Center effective April 16.

Eubank has 15 years experience as an agronomist working with Delta farmers and for Mississippi State. He shares a dual appointment with MSU’s Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Those who visit homes to provide inspections, audits or health services are encouraged to participate in training conducted by the National Center for Healthy Housing and hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service May 19 and 20.

Professionals from a variety of fields will gather to share their expertise and learn from others by participating in the two-day Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners course. The course will be held at selected video-conference sites.