STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Agricultural producers and consultants are encouraged to register for the annual Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course.

Hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the 2024 Row Crop Short Course will be held Dec. 9-11 at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville.

I recently visited Rosie’s Garden in Brandon, a community space where volunteers cultivate a deeper appreciation for how food is grown while also helping to provide fresh produce to those in need.

The garden features 36 raised beds arranged in the shape of a cross, offering a diverse array of vegetable crops, herbs and flowers designed to attract pollinators.

Retired state specialist Larry Alexander was honored by being inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame for his career spent serving young people through the Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Program.

Plants have always sparked my curiosity, and I am not alone in this. The Rankin County Master Gardeners have beautifully captured that sense of wonder with their Garden of Curiosity at the Brandon Public Library in Brandon, Mississippi.