You are here

News

News RSS Feed

 

A box of food to donate, including beans, pasta, and canned goods.
November 11, 2024 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Health, AIM for CHangE

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- As the holidays approach, consider three ways to share the joys of the season by supporting local food pantries. Gifts of money, time and food items are all welcome.

Potted plants are covered in various colored blooms.
November 11, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

With their beautiful colors and massive amounts of blooms, chrysanthemums have always been one of my go-to choices for fall decorations.

While many people use them as temporary, potted decorations, they’re also incredibly rewarding to grow in the landscape. Chrysanthemums, also known as mums, are relatively easy to care for. With the right attention, they can thrive in a variety of settings.

I love pairing mums with other fall decor like pumpkins, gourds and hay bales to create a cohesive look that celebrates the harvest season.

A plot of cultivated soil is surrounded by undisturbed soil.
November 6, 2024 - Filed Under: Natural Resources, Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Frustration is mounting for deer hunters across Mississippi whose cool-season food plots died or never got planted because of drought conditions. Although it’s November, hunters still have time to replant.

A crate of sweet potatoes sit in the foreground with many other crates in the background along with a digger and loading equipment.
November 5, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Sweet Potatoes

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Despite another year of dry, hot conditions during the growing season, Mississippi’s sweet potato crop looks excellent overall as producers head into the final weeks of harvest. Lorin Harvey, sweet potato specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said 85% of the crop has been harvested as of Oct. 30. He has been surprised by the yields that many producers are seeing.

Harvested peanuts rest on the vine in the field after harvest.
November 4, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Crops, Peanuts

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi’s peanut producers are close to wrapping up harvest for 2024. Producers planted 25,500 acres of peanuts, a 30% increase from last year. This year, growers returned between 4,000 and 5,000 acres to peanut production.

Leafy greens grow in a wooden container.
November 4, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

I recently visited Buds and Blooms Nursery in Wesson, Mississippi, where they were growing some gorgeous leafy greens in raised beds.

November 1, 2024 - Filed Under: Natural Resources

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension professor of wildlife sciences has earned the top individual honor for excellence in Extension.

Cotton harvester
October 29, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Corn, Cotton, Insects-Crop Pests, Rice, Soybeans, Wheat, Plant Diseases

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Agricultural producers and consultants are encouraged to register for the annual Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course.

Hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the 2024 Row Crop Short Course will be held Dec. 9-11 at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville.

October 28, 2024 - Filed Under: Agri-tourism

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- History enthusiasts of all ages can try their hand at traditional skills and crafts at a festival hosted by the Crosby Arboretum.

The 22nd Annual Piney Woods Heritage Festival will take place on Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crosby Arboretum, located at 370 Ridge Road in Picayune. This yearly event celebrates traditional skills and crafts, providing a platform for artisans to show their expertise in various heritage activities.

A sign announces Rosie’s Garden.
October 28, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

I recently visited Rosie’s Garden in Brandon, a community space where volunteers cultivate a deeper appreciation for how food is grown while also helping to provide fresh produce to those in need.

The garden features 36 raised beds arranged in the shape of a cross, offering a diverse array of vegetable crops, herbs and flowers designed to attract pollinators.

Four people stand in a line for a plaque presentation.
October 24, 2024 - Filed Under: 4-H

Retired state specialist Larry Alexander was honored by being inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame for his career spent serving young people through the Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Program.

October 22, 2024 - Filed Under: Water, Rural Water Association

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University associate Extension professor of water and wastewater systems is one of nine recipients of annual awards presented by the Universities Council on Water Resources, or UCOWR.

Jason Barrett, interim director of the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, or WRRI, was honored with the UCOWR Institute Mid-Career Award for Extension, Outreach and Engagement. The award acknowledges outstanding contributions to water-related efforts in each of these areas.

A stone with a plaque is surrounded by flowers in a garden.
October 21, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Plants have always sparked my curiosity, and I am not alone in this. The Rankin County Master Gardeners have beautifully captured that sense of wonder with their Garden of Curiosity at the Brandon Public Library in Brandon, Mississippi.

A person fills a glass with water at a kitchen sink.
October 17, 2024 - Filed Under: Water, Rural Water Association

Rural water systems in Mississippi face some daunting challenges when it comes to upgrades and improvements. Funding ranks at the top of those challenges.

A gravel trail cuts through a garden in front of a building.
October 14, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Children’s learning gardens are a wonderful way to educate young people about plants. They are designed as places for young children to use their imaginations to relate to their surroundings, explore, touch and play as they develop an affection for the natural world. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pearl Public Library Children’s Learning Garden in Pearl, Mississippi.

A piece of green farm machinery moves through a field of white cotton.
October 11, 2024 - Filed Under: Cotton, Soybeans

Harvest for two of the state’s most significant row crops is well underway, with soybeans and cotton both ahead of schedule.
As of Oct. 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that cotton was 43% harvested, ahead of the five-year average of 31% complete by this date. Soybeans were 76% harvested, where typically the crop is just 60% harvested.

A patch of yellow flowers blooms in a garden.
October 7, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

I’ve always enjoyed visiting educational gardens across the state, and my recent trip to the Hill Garden in Brandon, Mississippi, was no exception.

Established by the Rankin County Master Gardeners in 1995, this garden is a treasured landmark and one of the oldest Master Gardener projects in Mississippi.

Three people pose, with the person in the middle holding a plaque.
October 3, 2024 - Filed Under: Economic Development, Natural Resources

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- The Crosby Arboretum was recently designated an Outpost Business by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, opening the door to future funding opportunities.

The 104-acre plant conservatory managed by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, was eligible for the award through its participation in Gulf Coast Outpost -- a business recognition program launched by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, or MGCNHA, for nature-based tourism business owners. The Arboretum’s designation was made Sept. 20.

A piece of green farm machinery transfers corn to a bin.
October 1, 2024 - Filed Under: Corn, Rice

Corn and rice harvests wrapped up for Mississippi fields a bit ahead of schedule, helped by the ideal weather leading up to the harvest window.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated corn harvest was 96% complete by Sept. 22, 2024. This put harvest ahead of the five-year average, which typically has corn 89% harvested by that date.

A bush has a spiky red cluster of flowers.
September 30, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

This time of year, my Firespike is putting on a show in my garden. This herbaceous perennial is known for its large, dramatic spikes of bright red, tubular flowers. Each spike features densely packed clusters of 3-inch-long blooms that emerge in a striking, fiery red color, which can deepen to a rich crimson at the tips.

Pages

Archive