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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

  • Emerald ash borer larva is shown on a dime.

    How to Protect Your Trees from Emerald Ash Borers

    Do you have ash trees or white fringe trees in your home landscape? If you do and you love them, you should be on the lookout for the emerald ash borer.

  • A wooden spoon is used to stir mint leaves in a pitcher of lemonad.

    The Food Factor: Mint Lemonade

    Hot summer weather is here, and this mint lemonade is just the thing for cooling off! If you’re not already growing your own mint, I recommend trying it. Be sure to plant mint in a pot, because it thrives in Mississippi and will spread like wildfire if you put it in the ground!

  • A bright green moss pathway with large pavers.

    How to Create a Moss Pathway

    A moss pathway is an easy way to add a special touch of elegance, enchantment, and royalty to your landscape. A pathway covered with bright green moss seems like something a king or queen would have in their landscape, right? 

  • A woman sits in a chair outside.

    How to Build Your Body’s Natural Defenses with Food

  • A family eats at a picnic table in the park.

    How to Keep Food Safe in a Cooler

    During your outdoor outings, you'll want to take some steps to ensure your food doesn't spoil in the cooler.

  • fruit salad with whipped topping in a clear glass bowl

    The Food Factor: Red, White, and Blue Salad

    Fresh, cold fruit and creamy, fat-free topping make this Red, White, & Blue Salad the perfect treat to beat the heat at your next summer gathering. A little bit of lime juice will keep the bananas from browning and adds that zesty citrus flavor I love so much!

  • Water poured over brown eggs in an electric pressure cooker.

    The Food Factor: How to Boil Eggs in an Electric Pressure Cooker

    Hard-boiled eggs are a quick, affordable, and protein-filled snack. They are the foundation for egg salad and deviled eggs and are tasty in a variety of salads. So use your electric pressure cooker to make easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs!

  • Watering colorful flowers with a blue watering can.

    Gardening Tips for July

    And just like that, we’re over halfway through the year. How is that possible? I have spent more time at my home over the past few months than I have in a long time!

  • A poison ivy vine.

    Poison Ivy vs. Virginia Creeper

    With many summer attractions closed or limited due to COVID-19, people are heading into the great outdoors. As you’re exploring nature, you don’t want to have a run-in with the dreaded poison ivy.  

Mississippi State University Extension 130 Bost Drive Mississippi State MS 39762