Rural Development
As a predominately rural state, Mississippi has untapped potential for rural development. MSU Extension specialists and agents work with community leaders, business owners, nonprofit organizations, and state agency partners to address the increasing demand for a variety of experiences that can be found only in the country. Whether it’s developing a new business based on a landowner’s available natural resources or capitalizing on an existing agritourism venture, Mississippians have access to a wide variety of subject-matter experts who can help them shine a light on what makes their corner of the state special.
Publications
News
DREW, Miss. -- The small Delta town of Drew in the heart of Sunflower County has created a private, public and academic partnership to fight food insecurity.
For its efforts, the town recently received a big new honor, along with funding to advance ongoing health equity improvements. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) last month awarded Drew and nine other communities the 2020–2021 Culture of Health Prize, along with $25,000.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A team led by a Mississippi State University unit has been recognized on the national level for its contributions to race relations.
The Coming Together for Racial Understanding (CTRU) project received the 2021 National Diversity in Extension Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, Cooperative Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
While National Rural Health Day is celebrated Nov. 18, the Mississippi State University Extension Service works daily to build and maintain this personal and community-level commodity.
From computer programs that regulate moisture sensors to smartphone apps that allow growers to monitor market data, most facets of agriculture continue their shift to digital platforms. This transition makes reliable internet access no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
Despite Mississippi agriculture’s annual economic impact of around $7 billion, broadband infrastructure is in short supply in the state’s densest agricultural hub: the 19-county Mississippi Delta.
John J. Green is bringing a career immersed in Southern sociology and community development to his new position as director of the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at Mississippi State University.
Success Stories
Even before the first crop in the Belzoni Community Garden was planted in 2019, Clifton Williams and Chandra Hines had devoted countless hours toward keeping the town both beautiful and fed as part of Keep Belzoni Beautiful.
Extension/Research Professor Named Co-Investigator on $1 Million Grant
The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program recently announced a $1 million research and education grant.
Extension helps town secure grant funding to land local grocery
From 2017 to 2021, living in Quitman County meant driving nearly an hour to Batesville and back to buy groceries.
Extension food pantry serves rural community
On Tuesdays and Thursdays before lunch, Robert Jamison is usually exercising with people who have been his neighbors in Lambert for 30 years. The Quitman County Veterans Service Officer also volunteers for a food pantry there that serves about 800 local families every other month. The county does not have a grocery store, but the pantry, since it opened in 2014, has helped people in need.
Lower Delta Partnership teams with Extension to attract more visitors
When the Lower Delta Partnership coordinator sat down with the Mississippi State University Extension Service county coordinator, the two were meeting for more than just an everyday business lunch.
