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News Filed Under Rural Health

December 11, 2023 - Filed Under: Food and Health, AIM for CHangE, Rural Health

JACKSON, Miss. -- For five years, AIM for CHangE has turned federal dollars into park updates, playgrounds, food pantries, ride-sharing programs and community produce gardens for underserved areas in Mississippi.

Man leads room full of teenagers in dance exercise.
April 25, 2023 - Filed Under: 4-H, Health and Wellness, Food and Health, Health, Rural Health

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Community improvement starts with a volunteer spirit and a desire to serve as a role model for positive change.

In north Mississippi, plenty of teenagers are ready to step up. They just need to know how to help.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H program hosted 69 14- to 18-year-olds April 22 at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville to help some of these future leaders learn not just how to lead, but also how to take care of themselves and help their peers during challenging times.

A group photo of the Rural Medical and Science Scholars Class of 2022.
March 8, 2023 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Rural Health

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. -- High school juniors can explore health and science careers and get a jump on college during the Rural Medical and Science Scholars program this summer at Mississippi State University. The June 10-29 program is now accepting applications until April 1.

September 20, 2022 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Health, Rural Health

A Mississippi State University Extension Service specialist was recently reelected to the National Board of Public Health Examiners board of directors. Initially elected in 2020, David Buys, Extension health specialist and associate professor in the MSU Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, will now serve a second two-year term.

A man stands on crutches in silhouette against a background of farm equipment.
August 16, 2022 - Filed Under: Disaster Response, Food and Health, Health, The PROMISE Initiative, Prescription Opioid Misuse, Mental Health First Aid, Farm Stress, Rural Health

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The rollout of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers more hope to individuals dealing with mental-health-related distress. That population includes farmers and farm workers, who are among those most at risk for suicide and mental health distress.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male agricultural workers have the fourth highest suicide rate among men in all industries. 

Man on a farm holding a baseball cap.
June 3, 2022 - Filed Under: Farming, Farm Safety, The PROMISE Initiative, Farm Stress, Rural Health

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- For Nathan Casburn, the land that has been in his family since the early 1900s is now more than simply his workplace.

The Tallahatchie County farm is a place of healing from an opioid addiction that began with pain medication prescribed after he was in a car accident during high school.

Casburn explained in a miniseries titled “On the Farm” that one of the biggest hurdles in his recovery was “saying I can’t do this on my own, and I need help with this.”

April 21, 2022 - Filed Under: Rural Health, Water, Mississippi Well Owner Network, Rural Water Association, Water Quality

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service is promoting a free water sampling campaign in seven Mississippi Delta counties.

Water samples will be analyzed for coliform bacteria and metals. Any Mississippi resident with a private well is eligible to participate. Test kits and detailed sampling instructions will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Participants can pick up sampling bottles April 26 to May 10 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the following MSU Extension county offices: