News

Piney Woods festival features traditional skills, crafts

Volunteer-run Rosie’s Garden feeds the needy

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.

Larry Alexander named to national 4-H Hall of Fame

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.

MSU Extension’s Barrett receives outreach award

Brandon’s curiosity garden welcomes library visitors

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.

Extension helps rural water systems evaluate decisions

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

Pearl children’s garden is outdoor treat for all

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.

Soybean, cotton harvests benefit from clear weather

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.

Brandon’s Hill Garden offers diverse flowers

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.