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Jars of home canned pickled vegetables

Are you planning to can fruits and vegetables this year? Don’t just wing it. Planning and preparation are important first steps.


Yellow Squash

Harvest of the Month: Yellow Squash

May 16, 2025

Did you know yellow squash is in the pumpkin family and are 95 percent water? 

A woman stands at the kitchen sink.

Are You Washing Your Hands Correctly?

May 14, 2025

Handwashing can help prevent you and others from getting sick, but be sure you are washing the right way!

Tomato with blossom end rot

Common Tomato Troubles

May 9, 2025

Tomatoes are a popular crop, both for commercial growers and home gardeners. Even the best tomato growers run into problems along the way! We put together a simple, easy-to-follow guide to help you spot a few of the most common tomato troubles gardeners see. 

A woman holds a bowl of Teriyaki Meatballs.

The Food Factor: Teriyaki Meatballs

May 7, 2025

Easy Teriyaki Meatballs come together fast and make a delicious meal.

green Carolina anole

Species Spotlight: Carolina Anole

May 2, 2025

Little green climbing machine —the Carolina anole, known as Anolis carolinensis, is often called the American chameleon for its ability to change color.

Grill with hotdogs and chicken on it

Tips for Safe Grilling

April 29, 2025

Warmer weather means it’s grilling season! Summer grilling is all about bringing people together. Some of my favorite childhood memories are ones spent at family cookouts! 

Eastern Gray Squirrel on Tree

How to Identify Eastern Gray Squirrel and Red Fox Tracks

April 25, 2025

Have you ever been on a walk in the woods, park, or backyard and noticed animal tracks in the mud or dirt? Some tracks are easy to identify, while others are a bit harder to tell which animal they belong to. It’s a fun guessing game trying to figure out which animal has been visiting nearby.

When examining animal tracks, ask yourself a few questions:

  • How many toes does the animal have?
  • Are there claw marks?
  • Is the front or rear foot larger?
  • What are the general shapes of the tracks?
  • How long and wide are the tracks?
  • ...
A person reads a Nutrition Facts label on a can of food in the grocery store.

How to Use the Nutrition Facts Label

April 22, 2025

That box of granola bars looks nutritious, and it may be. But do you know how to tell for sure if certain foods on the grocery store shelf fit into your daily diet? Here's how to tell.

Closeup of Pineapple Fried Rice

The Food Factor: Pineapple Fried Rice

April 15, 2025

Pineapple Fried Rice is both savory and sweet and makes an easy, nutritious weeknight dinner!

Heads of cauliflower

Harvest of the Month: Cauliflower

April 11, 2025

Did you know cauliflower is an underdeveloped flower bud? Cauliflower is a great substitute for high carbohydrates and starchy foods. 

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About Extension for Real Life

Extension for Real Life is a product of the MSU Extension Service’s Office of Agricultural Communications.

That’s a long way of saying we are professional communicators who get to talk about food, families, 4-H, flowers, and farming for a living.

Blog content is created by a core team of communicators, including Susan Collins-Smith, Ellen Graves, Natasha Haynes, Qula Madkin, Michaela Parker, and Jonathan Parrish. But we get by with a lot of help from our friends in Ag Comm and Extension!

You can reach us at 662-325-2262 or extreallife@msstate.edu