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Feature Story from 2014

September 8, 2014 - Filed Under: Crops, Commercial Horticulture, Fruit

GOODMAN -- Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about growing fall crops and building mobile cooling trailers during the Sept. 19 Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Demonstration Farm Field Day in Goodman.

Bill Evans, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station associate research professor with Mississippi State University, will cover variety selection, planting dates, disease resistance, pest management, crop rotation and more.

John Guyton, Mississippi State University Extension entomology specialist, shares an insect collection with a school group on Sept. 27, 2013, during Bugfest at the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune. Participants in this year's two-day event can take part in insect collection and identification, tours of the pitcher plant bog, tree identification hikes, a beekeeping tutorial and more. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Susan Collins-Smith)
September 9, 2014 - Filed Under: Community, Urban and Backyard Wildlife, Insects

PICAYUNE -- Families and school groups can learn about some of Mississippi’s insects and their plant companions during the annual Bugfest Sept. 26 and 27 at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune.

September 9, 2014 - Filed Under: Soils, Soil Testing

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Row crop producers interested in quality soil should sample fields after harvest and apply recommended lime in the fall.

Larry Oldham, a soil fertility specialist and professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said lime is an important component of soil fertility management because it sets the environment in which plants live and grow.

Fall Flower and Garden Fest logo
September 10, 2014 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Flower Gardens, Vegetable Gardens

CRYSTAL SPRINGS -- Leisure gardeners and horticulture professionals are invited to attend the Southeast’s most popular gardening show Oct. 17 and 18 at the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Experiment Station.

The Dermacentor tick species is among those that infect dogs with a neurotoxin that can paralyze them if left untreated. (Photo by Thinkstock.)
September 10, 2014 - Filed Under: Insects-Human Pests, Insects-Pet Pests

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dog owners may be surprised to find out that certain ticks can paralyze their beloved pets.

These tick species carry a nerurotoxin that affects the mobility of animals. If the animal is not treated, their limbs may become paralyzed.

Brittany Reyer of Reyer Farms in Lena grows seasonal produce, free-range chickens for egg production, and pasture-raised heritage-breed pigs and cattle. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kevin Hudson)
September 12, 2014 - Filed Under: Farming

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Childhood visits to grandma’s farm, complete with a mean rooster, piglets on the loose and homemade apple pie, led one Mississippi State University graduate into full-time farm living.

Brittany Reyer of Reyer Farms in Lena grows seasonal produce, free-range chickens for egg production, and pasture-raised heritage breed pigs and cattle with her husband, Jody. When they were expecting their first child, they began investigating options that would allow Brittany to stay home full-time.

Michael Hingson escaped the World Trade Center on 9/11 by walking down 78 flights of stairs with his guide dog, Roselle. Hingson will talk about the human-animal bond that saved his life at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine on Sept. 18, 2014. (Submitted Photo)
September 12, 2014 - Filed Under: Animal Health, Pets

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Michael Hingson will soon visit Mississippi State University to explain how the human-animal bond saved his life during the terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

Hingson and his guide dog, Roselle, were among those working in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Through trust and teamwork, Hingson and Roselle escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One moments before it collapsed.

Jennifer Seltzer, a research associate with the Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University, talks to Jameson Clancy, sitting, Thomas Taylor and Simon Smith about a grasshopper they found during the BioBlitz Sept. 13, 2014, at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. The 13-hour event helped educate the public about local ecosystems. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kat Lawrence)
September 15, 2014 - Filed Under: Environment, Natural Resources

JACKSON -- More than 130 students, teachers and community members combed the grounds of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson on Sept. 13 during the state’s first BioBlitz.

Scientists from the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the museum led participants through the facility’s trails during the 13-hour event to inventory insects, spiders, birds, aquatic animals, mammals, trees and mushrooms.

September 15, 2014 - Filed Under: Forestry, Timber Harvest

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The newest technology and machinery used to advance the South’s timber industry will be demonstrated Sept. 19-20 at the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show.

The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Held at the John W. Starr Memorial Forest off of Highway 25 south of Starkville, the show is sponsored by Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources, Hatton-Brown Publishers Inc., the Mississippi Loggers Association and the Mississippi Forestry Association.

Include insect repellent when packing bags, especially when traveling to tropical or Third World regions. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Linda Breazeale)
September 17, 2014 - Filed Under: Family, Insects-Human Pests

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some travelers may be afraid of lions, tigers and bears, but the real health threats come from mosquitoes, ticks and fleas.

David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said people traveling outside the United States should consult doctors, local health departments, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for disease risks and recommendations.

September 17, 2014 - Filed Under: Landscape Architecture

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University is bringing three influential designers to campus in October to give professional and hobby gardeners new ideas about landscape design.

The 59th Edward C. Martin Landscape Design Symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 15 at the MSU Bost Extension Center Auditorium. Bob Brzuszek, Extension professor of landscape architecture, is the symposium program chair.

Speakers this year are Eric Groft, John Mayronne and Sadik Artunc.

Kandiace Gray, a Mississippi State University graduate student from Fulton, prepares materials for workshop on growing mushrooms, mosses and ferns on July 8, 2014 at Dorman Hall on the Starkville campus. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kevin Hudson)
September 19, 2014 - Filed Under: Community, Lawn and Garden

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University graduate student is using a centuries-old teaching method to plant the seeds of success in would-be gardeners.

Kandiace Gray of Fulton is working on her master’s degree in horticulture. She has created a hands-on workshop series designed to share the how-to side of the pretty pictures found on Pinterest gardening boards.

September 19, 2014 - Filed Under: Wood Products

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Anticipating the return of manufacturing to the U.S., Mississippi State University’s Franklin Furniture Institute is hosting the Mississippi Reshoring Summit on Sept. 24.

Higher labor costs in China and technological advances that aid in U.S. production are partly responsible for increasing domestic manufacturing. The summit will help attendees answer the question for their industries, “Is it time to reshore?”

Soil samples undergo pH testing at the Mississippi State University Soil Testing Laboratory Sept. 8, 2014. Researchers at MSU's Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville are conducting a study to determine whether soil test correlations and calibration methods are still accurate for today's improved crop production systems. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Kevin Hudson)
September 22, 2014 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Crops

STONEVILLE -- The thousands of dollars farmers invest in equipment, seed and labor to produce row crops, such as soybeans, cotton and corn, is wasted if they do not have quality soil.

“Everything ties back to how well the soil is maintained,” said Bobby Golden, an agronomist and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at Stoneville. “If we didn’t have a strong, stable foundation, which is the soil, the crop yields we produce wouldn’t exist.”

After processing, deer meat must be put into the freezer immediately for best flavor and highest quality. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Bonnie Coblentz)
September 24, 2014 - Filed Under: Environment, Wildlife, Food Safety, White-Tailed Deer

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- In Mississippi, more than 200,000 deer are harvested each year, providing families with a source of free-range meat. However, hunters must exercise care when processing deer to ensure good-tasting, high quality, safe meat products.

Ryan Akers, an assistant Extension professor in the Mississippi State University School of Human Sciences, left, receives Champions of Change recognition from Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate at recent ceremonies in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative, which is coordinated by Akers, won the national FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award for Most Outstanding Youth Preparedness program. (Submitted photo)
September 24, 2014 - Filed Under: Disaster Preparedness, Family

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service youth initiative and its coordinator earned national honors this month for efforts to prepare communities for disasters.

Drivers should reduce speed anytime they approach a vehicle with a slow-moving-vehicle, or SMV, sign. The small orange triangle indicates a vehicle is traveling below the speed limit. (Photo by Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station/ David Ammon)
September 24, 2014 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Farming, Farm Safety

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- This week marks National Farm Safety and Health Week and it is the perfect time to recognize the dangers of harvest equipment on the highways.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 70 percent of traffic fatalities in Mississippi occur on rural roads. In addition to being more common, crashes on rural roads tend to be more severe and are more likely to result in death. Farm equipment can be a hazard rural roads any time of year, but harvest time means increased traffic.

Mississippi State University President and 4-H alumnus Mark Keenum encourages current and former members of the state's 4-H Youth Development program to participate in the upcoming National 4-H Week's #iam4H campaign set for Oct. 5-11, 2014. (Photo by MSU Ag Communications/Linda Breazeale)
September 24, 2014 - Filed Under: 4-H

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- One week each October packs a double thrill for Mississippi 4-H’ers.

National 4-H Week, held Oct. 5-11, overlaps with the Mississippi State Fair, which runs from Oct. 1-12.

This year, 4-H’ers will promote both the state and national events through social media. The theme for the 2014 National 4-H Week is #iam4H.

Mississippi State University Sustainable Bioproducts department head Rubin Shmulsky tells students at the 2013 Wood Magic Fair sawmill station about lumber manufacturing. (College of Forest Resources/File photo)
September 26, 2014 - Filed Under: Forestry, Wood Products, Wildlife

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Wood is a major part of Americans’ daily lives. In fact, wood consumption in the U.S. is five and a half pounds per person per day. This is just one of the fascinating facts fourth graders will discover about wood when they visit Mississippi State University’s Wood Magic Science Fair.

MSU will host about 4,000 children, teachers and visitors Oct. 6 through 10. They will learn about forestry, sustainable bioproducts and wildlife.

Mississippi State University experts will discuss cattle such as these at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's Prairie Research Unit in Monroe County during the Oct. 25 Fall Beef Cattle and Forage Field Day in Prairie, Mississippi. (File photo)
September 26, 2014 - Filed Under: Forages, Beef

PRAIRIE -- Beef and forage producers will receive current recommendations on a variety of topics influencing production success at a field day on Oct. 25.

The 2014 Fall Beef Cattle and Forage Field Day will begin at 9 a.m on that Saturday at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s Prairie Research Unit in Monroe County. A sponsored lunch will conclude the event.

MAFES researchers and Mississippi State University Extension Service agents and specialists will provide information on nutrition, marketing and other issues related to beef production.

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