News

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Spared from avian influenza outbreaks in 2015, Mississippi’s poultry industry benefitted significantly from higher egg prices but still felt the pinch from export declines.

Preliminary estimates indicate a 3.4 percent increase in the state’s poultry value. The largest growth is an almost 40 percent increase for eggs. Chickens (replacement egg layers) may be up 5 percent, and broilers were near even with a 0.4 percent increase, according to recent estimates from the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

STONEVILLE, Miss. -- Because bees are important to the success of crops, honeybee health is important to Mississippi State University.

Jeff Gore, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, participated in a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service study of pesticide toxicity to honeybees. The study was conducted in Stoneville at the USDA-ARS Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center. It was part of ongoing efforts to protect the population of pollinators.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- People who care about honeybees know that insecticides and pollinators are usually a bad mix, but it turns out that herbicides used to control weeds can spell even bigger trouble for bees.

Jeff Harris, bee specialist with the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher, said herbicides destroy bee food sources.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The holiday season can be just as much fun for pets as it is for their owners if they are treated with love and care.

Dr. Joey Burt, associate clinical professor and hospital director at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, said pets should be treated as small children and not be kept outside in extreme weather.

The workshop, a program of the 10-year-old collaborative Miss/Lou Rural Tourism Education Initiative, will look at technology trends and how to create virtual tours, along with other interactive sessions and activities.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Sylvia Byrd is committed to improving the nutrition and health of low-resource households through her efforts as the new project director for the Mississippi State University Extension Service Office of Nutrition Education.

FOREST, Miss. -- When the new year begins, so do commitments to drop extra pounds and live healthier lifestyles. But many people find it hard to keep these promises to themselves.

Walk-A-Weigh, a program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, gives people the proper tools to change their lifestyles by helping them improve their eating habits and stick to regular exercise routines. It began as a pilot program in 2015 but will be offered statewide in 2016.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University Extension Service Director Gary Jackson recently was selected to be a professional member of North America’s first conservation organization.

Founded by Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes wildlife conservation and management, including sportsmanship, habitat conservation and the ethical standards of fair chase hunting.

Ornamental grasses are reliable warm-season performers that keep on giving, even in winter landscapes. Their color and interesting texture make them great choices for any garden.

A couple of good ornamental grasses that I like are Gulf muhly grass and pampas grass.

Gulf muhly grass is a native plant that really performs in the winter. It flowers in billowy masses that resemble pink clouds in the landscape. The color will hold as long as there isn’t a hard freeze. Even after freezing temperatures, the flower heads keep their airy shape.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Low voter turnout may not be a big deal to some Mississippians, but for a group of concerned experts with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, a lack of interest in the election process signals an educational opportunity.

Jason Camp, an Extension associate with the Center for Government and Community Development, said he and his colleagues wanted to boost involvement and interest in local government.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- So, you have finally worked up the nerve to ask that landowner for permission to hunt his property for the upcoming hunting season, and he said yes.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A longtime department head at Mississippi State University has been named the new director of the Southern Rural Development Center.

Steven Turner, who has served as head of the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics for 12 years, will officially begin as the center’s director Jan. 1.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Two Mississippi State University faculty members are participating in an executive leadership program to gain enhanced management skills and a broader perspective on food systems.

Mike Phillips, head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, and Mary Beck, head of the Department of Poultry Sciences, began the Food Systems Leadership Institute program in the fall of 2015.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A proven ability to work with producers, university professionals and industry representatives has earned Steve Martin new responsibilities with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Korie Stallings, 8, gets her hair pinned by Mississippi State University senior Claudia Robinson of Jackson, Mississippi. Robinson and other School of Human Sciences students made dresses for girls in the Starkville Boys and Girls Club as part of an apparel design class service-learning project. Participants modeled new dresses in a fashion show on Dec. 5, 2015. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kat Lawrence)

Driving around Mississippi’s coastal counties has reminded me that we are in the middle of the red berry season. Yaupon hollies have translucent red berries that sparkle like landscape jewels, and Nellie R. Stevens have dark, glossy-green foliage that provides the perfect background for bright-red berries.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Wild animals are amazing for many reasons. Whether it’s flying high in the sky, singing beautiful songs or simply displaying the amazing colors and patterns of their feathers or fur, wild creatures attract people. So, when we come upon an injured or sick animal, in most cases, we want to help it any way possible.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University’s horse judging team continues to earn honors in its first year of competition.

Clay Cavinder, equine specialist with the MSU Extension Service and associate professor in the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, coached the team for the recent American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show in Oklahoma.

CEDAR BLUFF, Miss. -- High Hope Farm in Cedar Bluff is set to host the year’s final field day organized by the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production on Dec. 11.

Experts will present information on timely issues, including presentations from David Nagel Mississippi State University Extension Service horticulture specialist; Eric Stafne, Extension fruit specialist; William Kingery, an agronomist in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences; and Nancy Woodruff, a member of the Mississippi Food Policy Council.

LEXINGTON, Miss. -- A new Mississippi Homemaker Volunteer Club spread some holiday cheer with a set of quilts they made throughout the summer and fall.

On Nov. 24, residents at Lexington Manor Senior Care facility received 67 lap quilts made by the recently formed Holmes County club.

Mississippi Homemaker Volunteer Clubs, called MHV clubs, are supported by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and provide a variety of educational opportunities and services to their communities.