Feature Story

By Jennifer Wesson

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The honeymoon can be the most exciting vacation a couple takesñand the most expensive.

With the average cost of today's wedding approximately $20,000, couples must be flexible and creative in planning their honeymoon to avoid financial hardships at the beginning of their marriage.

"A honeymoon does not have to wreck a budget," said Jan Lukens, consumer management consultant with Mississippi State University Extension Service. "It doesn't take a lot of money for a couple in love to have a good time."

By Jennifer Wesson

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Planning a wedding can be stressful for any couple, but for those who elope or choose to get married away from home, pressure from family and friends can be overwhelming.

Many factors, including the desire for simplicity, could inspire a couple to opt for a quiet wedding.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Talking about potential hot topics before the wedding helps many couples avoid marital problems that could drive them apart later.

Dr. Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said preventing problems before they ever start is much better than trying to solve existing ones in a marriage.

"Preparation for marriage is vital," Davis said. "For the sake of their marriage, there are many questions couples should answer before they come to the one that ends with ëI do'."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Food stored for a year-end computer glitch that didn't happen now must be stored safely until used or given away, an option food banks nationwide are welcoming.

John Alford, executive director of the Mississippi Food Network in Jackson, said the charity's parent national organization, Second Harvest, has set aside Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 as a food drive for excess Y2K stockpiled food.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Revolutionary new food safety standards are presenting a challenge to meat companies committed to providing top quality products, so Mississippi State University is serving as a resource to help meet the new regulations.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Subfreezing temperatures send many people seeking warmth any way they can, resulting in deadly house fires each winter season.

Preventing fires involving gas water heaters and flammable vapors is the emphasis of this year's Burn Awareness Week Feb. 6 through 12. According to information released online by the International Shriners, water heater and flammable vapor fires account for about 2,000 fires a year in the United States and lead to more than 300 deaths or injuries.

By Laura Martin

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Starting a winter fire in a cold fireplace may present potential hazards for homeowners. As temperatures drop, the warmth of a fire may attract kids and may threaten birds who have made nests inside the chimney.

Dr. Frances Graham, a housing specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, offered a few safety tips when starting a fire at home.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's total value of farm and forest production in 1999 is expected to hold near the $5 billion mark despite depressed market prices and another challenging growing season for many of the state's crops.

Mississippi's total commodities, which include poultry, forestry, crops, catfish and livestock, have been estimated to have a market value of more than $4.6 billion for 1999, a decrease of about 2 percent from 1998. Increased government payments will bring the total gross receipts to just over $5 billion.

By Laura Martin

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's poultry industry held on to the state's top agricultural spot besting last year's record value despite lower prices and decreased exports.

Poultry, the state's largest crop, should reach an estimated 1999 value of $1.55 billion, topping last year's record of $1.53 billion. It is the first and only agricultural industry in the state to top $1.5 billion in farm value.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's forest industry dipped in 1999 after riding a wave of record highs in 11 of the last 12 years, but maintained its seventh year with a value in excess of a billion dollars.

Mississippi timber production has a 1999 estimated value of $1.33 billion, down almost 3 percent from 1998's all-time high of $1.36 billion. Despite the downturn, its value remains above 1997 levels. Forestry continues to hold the state's No. 2 spot in value, just behind poultry.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cotton took a beating both in prices and yield this year, but with significantly more acreage than last year, the final numbers look a lot like 1998.

Mississippi cotton acres again broke the million mark, rising from 760,000 in 1998 to 1.18 million in 1999. Yield, however, averaged just 708 pounds an acre, a drop from 737 pounds per acre in 1998. The biggest hit came from prices, which were down 10 to 15 cents from last year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- After enduring some of the lowest prices for their crops in recent years, Mississippi farmers are looking more to the experts for management advice for the 2000 crop as they tighten their budgets another notch.

County agricultural agents with Mississippi State University's Extension Service are advising farmers on management decisions ranging from land and variety selections to labor and pricing decisions.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Plants can make memorable gifts for the hard-to-buy-for person on anyone's list this holiday season.

Unlike many other gifts, plants are easy to shop for, come in colors and sizes to please almost anyone, and can last for years with proper care.

Norman Winter, horticulture specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said plants make good planned or last-minute gifts.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Research at Mississippi State University is developing new ways to apply space-age technologies to the state's agriculture in hopes of increasing efficiency and yields.

This research is being conducted by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station through the Advanced Spatial Technologies for Agriculture and the Remote Sensing Technologies Center at MSU.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Catfish is not a new agricultural commodity to Mississippi, but research is underway on a new variety that may replace channel catfish as king of the farm ponds.

As a relatively new and growing industry in East Mississippi, catfish has emerged as a viable economic entity in the hilly Blackland Prairie region of the state. For the last 10 years, East Mississippi production has been primarily in Kemper, Noxubee, Lowndes, Clay, Monroe and Chickasaw counties, but there were no local suppliers of fingerlings.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The increasing value of land makes it financially harder than ever for farmers trying to survive bad crop years or farmers trying to get into the business.

Real estate prices in the South have historically been tied to returns from row crop agriculture, but with the South's economic diversification and urbanization, agriculture is just one of many factors influencing land values. With fewer acres available for farming, prices are rising even on less fertile farmland.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The convenience plastic offers holiday shoppers can be a liability if the card is lost or the account number stolen.

Automated Teller Machine cards, debit cards and credit cards are extremely popular with shoppers, especially at the holiday season. Consumers need only produce their card, signature and sometimes a Personal Identification Number to access money in their account or on their credit line.

But if that card is lost or stolen, a thief needs only the same information to make the card work for them.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Many shoppers try to avoid the holiday shopping rush by mail-ordering gifts, but while convenient at times, it can lead to more hassles.

Americans have always consumed goods through mail-order catalogs and with the popularity of the Internet, ordering merchandise has taken on a new dimension. A growing percentage of holiday shoppers are abandoning at least some shopping the old-fashioned way of standing in line, competing for items and handling objects before purchase.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's environment is the big winner as youth organizations across the state such as 4-H garner grant money from the Chevron Companies.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Gardeners discouraged by drought this year can improve their chances next season by working in their gardens this fall.

Mississippi State University gardening specialists recommended mulching, fall bed preparation, soil testing, cover crops and continued watering to prepare gardens now for next spring.

Dr. David Nagel, vegetable specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said ground covers and advance bed preparation can make a difference in next spring's garden success.