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Extension for Real Life

Description

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

  • Heads of cauliflower

    Harvest of the Month: Cauliflower

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

  • A woman stands in a kitchen.

    How Does Alcohol Affect Your Health?

     Drinking too much alcohol or too often can have a negative effect on your health and nutrition goals. Qula offers some tips for reducing or eliminating alcohol.

  • A calculator, handwritten budget, and paperwork sits on a table.

    How to Manage Your Budget

    Are you finding it harder to make ends meet? Many people are having to adjust their spending with rising prices on everything from groceries to gasoline. But even as prices rise, most families can find a little room in their budgets by taking a close look at where their money goes each month.

  • Close up shot of a lawn mower cutting grass

    What Length Should You Cut Your Grass?

    When it comes to taking care of your lawn and garden, there is plenty of advice passed down through generations. While it may seem like sound information, it may not be true. 

  • Garden plants in various containers on a wooden table

    Homesteading: Growing Vegetables and Fruit at Home

    Have you ever considered growing your own food, raising chickens, or building a stockpile of preserved goods in your pantry? 

  • Woman in an exercise class.

    Tips for Healthy Aging

    We’re going to talk about something no one likes talking about – growing older. Aging gracefully isn’t just about adding years to your life, it’s also about adding life to your years!

  • Spotted Salamander

    Meet the Spotted Salamander

    The yellow-spotted salamander is a slippery, shiny Mississippi amphibian. Also known as Ambystoma maculatum, this is a large amphibian, measuring between six to nine inches!

  • Turnip Greens in Garden

    Harvest of the Month: Greens

    Greens are about as Southern of a food as you’ll find. Growing up, my grandparents almost always had a bowl of greens at the lunch table. 

  • A woman stirs balsamic glazed carrots cooking on the stove.

    The Food Factor: Balsamic Glazed Carrots

    Have extra carrots you need to use? Try this recipe with balsamic vinegar.

  • People put trash into a trash bag.

    Litter: Not Just an Eyesore

    Litter is a common problem around the state, and all of that trash eventually makes its way to our oceans. But there are ways to help keep your community clean.

Mississippi State University Extension 130 Bost Drive Mississippi State MS 39762