Welcome to our new website! We are actively working to add missing content and fix broken links, so please check back throughout the week. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Give Now

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

  • Graphic with symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

    How to Recognize Heat-Related Illness

    It’s hot! And the heat isn’t just uncomfortable, it can be dangerous. Learn to recognize the signs that tell you your body is overheating.

  • Three plates with tortillas, fish, and a completed grilled fish taco with peach salsa on a picnic table.

    The Food Factor: Grilled Fish Tacos with Peach Salsa

    Fans of The Food Factor know I like spicy food, and these tacos bring the heat! What I love about this recipe is how the peach salsa has both sweet and spicy elements that enhance the flavor of the fish.

    While the original recipe recommends tilapia, you can substitute Mississippi farm-raised catfish and support your local farmers!

  • A cluster of bright pink roses.

    Gardening Tasks for August

    Whew. It’s hot outside! Just a trip to the mailbox makes me break into a sweat. As you’re outside working in your lawn and garden, remember to stay hydrated and come inside if you start feeling overheated Here are four tasks to complete in your yard for the month of August: 

  • Graphic showing kids wearing masks with tips for parents.

    How to Help Children Stay Healthy at School Amid COVID-19

    If your children are headed back to the classroom, they may be required to wear a mask. We have some tips to help you and your children get ready for this new rule.

  • An orange butterfly on a yellow flower.

    Seven Native Plants for Pollinators

    What are pollinators and why are they important? Bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, and other mammals play a vital role in our environment. These creatures help move pollen from one flower to another, which helps fertilize plants so they can reproduce.

  • Cubed watermelon with spices and fresh mint.

    The Food Factor: Fire & Ice Watermelon Salad

    Every once in a while, I get the urge to try a recipe that is totally different from anything I’ve ever tasted. Fire & Ice Watermelon Salad uses sweet, cubed watermelon, but adds savory flavors and fresh mint for a unique and refreshing salad.

  • 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? 

Mississippi State University Extension 130 Bost Drive Mississippi State MS 39762