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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

  • A football referee in a black and white striped shirt blows a whistle while another raises his arms to signal a touchdown. Another illustration uses a thermometer to depict the proper freezing, refrigeration, cooking and holding temperatures for food.

    Score a Major Win with Food Safety

    I may not be very interested in football, but I love food. So for me, Superbowl parties are all about the snacks! (Photo credit: Karen Blakeslee/Kansas State University Research & Extension)
  • A group of ripening tomatoes are shown in a close-up.

    Get Ahead of Vegetable Diseases

    Bone-chilling temps have you stuck inside dreaming of that first home-grown tomato sandwich? Well, this is a great time to prepare for a healthy crop. (Photo by Alan Henn)
  • :Black, white, and red logo showing a stylized wild hog with a red circle and a diagonal line across. Text reads Hold Our Ground Operation H.O.G.

    Wild Hogs: Always Open Season

    Got wild hogs? You need a trap. Winter is the best time to use this management tool.
  • The green leaves of an oak tree create a canopy overhead while the thick, rough brown bark covering the leaves and branches dominates the right side of the photograph.

    Free trees for Arbor Day!

    This time of year, my love for trees joins my love for all things free, thanks to the generosity of several organizations, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil & Water Conservation District, and Mississippi Soil & Water Conservation Commission. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)
  • Graphic with five tips for staying healthy during winter

    5 Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

    With more than 200 viruses that cause the common cold, it may seem impossible to avoid getting sick.
    Flu cases in the southern states are unusually high this year, as well.
    (Graphic by: Kim Trimm)
  • Close-up of a young leafy green vegetable plant growing in a salad table with other herbs and marigolds.

    Prepare for Spring: Build Your Salad Table Now

    If you are planning for your vegetable garden this spring, a salad table or two might be in order. Salad tables are a great addition to a traditional vegetable garden or wonderful on their own.
    ​(Photo by Kevin Hudson)
  • Five baked muffins loaded with fruit and nuts on a green floral plate. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson)

    Cook’s Choice Muffins

    Sometimes you need a quick energy boost that doesn’t leave you feeling guilty.

    And sometimes your food preferences or allergies don’t line up with the ready-made options available, box mixes, or the recipes you find on Pinterest.

    One solution to this problem is a recipe I like to call “Cook’s Choice Muffins.”
  • Two birds visit a platform feeder full of black oil sunflower seeds

    How to choose backyard bird feeders

    2018 arrived with a breath of fresh, frigid air. Colder temperatures can mean limited food for our feathered friends. Many people like to provide supplemental food for birds in the winter, which is a great way to draw birds to your backyard for observation.
  • Four Crispy Rice Peanut Butter Bites made with oats, peanut butter, mini chocolate chips, crispy rice cereal, and honey sit on a small dark turquoise plate with a floral border.

    From Scratch: Crispy Rice Peanut Butter Bites

    Need some energy but want full control over the ingredients in your treats? Look no further!
    These tasty, bite-sized snacks are quick and easy to make, and don’t require any baking. If you have little hands to keep busy, this is a fun recipe to make together – you can learn about fractions and get them to help make their own food. Learning can be so sweet!
Mississippi State University Extension 130 Bost Drive Mississippi State MS 39762

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