News

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi State University Extension Service recently formalized a partnership with the Mississippi State University Small Business Development Center to enhance economic development opportunities for entrepreneurs across the state.

Editors Note: The class scheduled for June 2 at the Prairie Research Unit was canceled on May 24 and will not be rescheduled.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer its annual spring grazing school to help livestock producers with their forage management practices.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Federal and state government experts have teamed up with Mississippi State University to search for a small beetle that could mean big trouble for Mississippi.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A museum showcasing the contributions of Mississippians who have participated in America’s largest youth organization is getting a high-tech renovation.

The Mississippi 4-H Learning Center and Pete Frierson Museum is undergoing a transformation of its exhibits, funded by a $120,000 grant from the Mississippi Land, Water and Timber Resources Board. As part of the larger Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, the 4-H learning center focuses on the connection between youth and agriculture.

By Lelia Scott Kelly
Consumer Horticulture Specialist, North Mississippi Research & Extension Center

MISSISSIPPI STATE – As Mississippians begin the process of rebuilding and cleaning up their tornado-ravaged landscapes, they should consider ways to make the process safer and easier.    

Safety is the first consideration, so removing of any damaged trees or large limbs that pose a hazard to homes or people should come first.  Hire a professional to do this if you cannot safely do the job. 

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The cumulative effect of many individual bad choices can be as harmful to the water quality in an area as if a major disaster occurred.

Amy Schmidt, water quality specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said overfertilizing lawns and pouring chemicals into storm drains harm water quality. But dumping unneeded medicines and personal care products into the sewer system can be just as bad.

Containers aren’t just for flowers; they can be used to grow fresh vegetables for aspiring gardeners who don’t have a traditional garden.

Container gardening isn’t just for flowers (top). Many vegetables can be grown in containers, such as these tomatoes in 3-gallon nursery containers.

A container is a great way to grow fresh produce in a small space. These mini bok choy (bottom) are thriving in window boxes. (Photos by Gary Bachman)

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cattle producers and buyers are finding a win-win method of marketing cattle in the Cattlemen’s Exchange and Homeplace Producer Sales.

Mississippi State University’s Extension Service is partnering with several organizations and sale barns to offer auctions in Winona and Hattiesburg for cattle that may never pass through either of those cities. Cattle remain on their home farms while buyers cast bids based on written descriptions of the cattle and video technology.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Northeast Mississippi will be noisier than usual later this spring when periodical cicadas make their once-every-13-year appearance.

Blake Layton, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the periodical cicadas are different from the large, green, annual cicadas that emerge and sound off each summer, usually from mid-June through fall.

“Periodical cicadas are black and orange with red eyes, and they hatch in the thousands,” Layton said. “The singing of the males is loud and long.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi soybean farmers have started planting in spite of unpredictable spring weather that has brought strong wind and heavy rains to some areas while leaving other regions dry.

About 10 percent to 20 percent of the soybean crop is planted.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University will teach kids there can never be too many cooks in the kitchen at the fifth annual Fun with Food camp.

MSU’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion is offering the Fun with Food camp for students entering third through sixth grade.

It takes a special plant to be named a Mississippi Medallion winner, and the Mississippi native Virginia sweetspire was one of the plants that earned that honor this year.

The Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association names Medallion winners based on their superior performance in gardens and landscapes across the state. In response to renewed interest in native plants, the association has begun choosing a Mississippi native each year for one of its awards.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Crop producers have been busy planting corn, and while those in drier areas are nearly finished, those in wetter areas are trying to catch up.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the crop was 79 percent planted by April 10. The bulk of the acres yet to be planted are in northeast Mississippi, where frequent rains have kept producers out of soggy fields.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Eleven young women visited Mississippi State University to learn how to turn their passion for wildlife into rewarding jobs at the first Conservation Careers Discovery Day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Recent winners of Mississippi’s top 4-H clubs can credit the work of volunteer leaders for inspiring youth to exceptional community service.

“Volunteers have been the backbone of 4-H clubs since the clubs started more than a century ago,” said Harvey Gordon, 4-H youth development specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service. He oversees the 7,700 volunteers who lead more than 109,000 youth in 1,120 community-based clubs across Mississippi.

AT&T recognition…

MISSISSIPPI STATE – In the ongoing attempt to put the best seed possible in the ground every time they plant, sweet potato growers often turn to virus-tested foundation seed for their next crop.

Many crops today are grown from genetically modified seed engineered to resist certain pests, diseases or weed-control chemicals. For most crops, growers must buy seed every year, not holding seed back from the previous year’s harvest to plant the coming year.

If you’re looking for a tough plant to keep right on blooming despite the heat of the summer, try gomphrena in your garden. This is one tough plant that likes really high temperatures. Sometimes called globe amaranth, legend has it that the original planting was at the gates of Hades.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The strawberry business in Mississippi may be small, but growers are finding big business with consumers who prefer to buy locally.

“The Mississippi strawberry is as red on the inside as it is on the outside,” said Brooks Brownlee, who owns Brownlee Farms in Marshall County and grows five acres of strawberries. “Commercial strawberries have a whitish color and air pockets on the inside, but our berries are fresh-tasting throughout.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Boosting childhood literacy has become a community-wide enterprise in Neshoba County.

Since 2008, Rotary International and community members have visited the Exhibit Hall Head Start Center in Philadelphia each week to participate in the Neshoba County Preschool Literacy Project. The program is designed to encourage school readiness and provide access to books. Volunteers read aloud, sing songs and engage in story-related activities, creating a bond over classic titles such as Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”