News From 2016

Now is the time to start planning for the color punch that most gardeners want in the upcoming warm summer season.

This weekend will be the first big opportunity to look at the newest and brightest of the summer color when the Garden Extravaganza garden show kicks off March 18-20 at the Trade Mart in Jackson. Shows like this give home gardeners the opportunity to look at a lot of plants in one convenient location. More and more summer color is starting to show up in the garden centers, so don’t get left behind and having to choose from the leftovers.

LEXINGTON, Miss. -- A May 4 workshop in Lexington, Mississippi, will help landowners, farmers and timber producers branch out and earn extra income from natural resources on their property.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- With proper planning, it does not have to cost extra time and money to provide each family member with half a plate of fruits and vegetables at mealtime.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate recommendation is for half our plates be filled with fruits and vegetables at every meal. The remaining 50 percent of the plate should include protein and grains (often meat and bread). USDA also promotes a serving of dairy.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Most Mississippians know obesity can lead to diabetes, but they may not realize it can also increase risks of stroke, asthma, arthritis and some cancers.

Ginger Cross, an assistant research professor in the Mississippi State University Social Science Research Center, is leading a project designed to promote healthy lifestyles in northeast Mississippi. Key components of the project are awareness and education.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Over the years, a number of felines have lowered their standards enough to share their lives with me, and my life was richer for the experience. I wouldn’t call myself a “cat lady,” but I am definitely a cat fan.

Before you dog lovers start hating me, you should know that even more dogs have been part of my family, along with rabbits, horses, goats, snakes, hamsters and assorted poultry.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University social scientist is leading a project to promote healthy lifestyles in a state not usually known for its wholesome habits.

Ginger Cross, an assistant research professor in the MSU Social Science Research Center, is promoting the “WannaBee Healthy?” campaign, sponsored by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Spring-cleaning is bad news for dust, mildew and spiders, which may explain why the majority of American adults plan to get out the mops and buckets this season.

A good house cleaning involves washing windows and window dressing, moving furniture to reach dust and grime that accumulates, and airing out rooms and closets that are kept closed. It is an important step in preventing houses from becoming home to spiders, such as the venomous brown recluse.

HERNANDO, Miss. -- Food safety training courses on March 30 will help make participating in certified farmers markets a little easier for processed food vendors, cottage food operators, and fruit and vegetable producers.

General Food Safety Training and Acidified Canned Foods Training will teach vendors about specific requirements and procedures for selling their products at certified farmers markets in Mississippi. The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host the seminars at the Hernando Gale Center.  

WAYNESBORO, Miss. -- Almost 10 years after graduating from college with the plan of opening her own child care center, LaTonya Hill’s dream will come true.

Hill’s new center on Hudson Lane will serve 35 children in toddler and pre-K classrooms.

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum recently received the Garden Excellence Award from the American Public Gardens Association.

The prestigious award is presented to one public garden each year based on its commitment to supporting and demonstrating best horticultural practices. Past recipients of the award include the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Longwood Gardens, Chicago Botanic Garden and Missouri Botanical Garden.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University has joined a new initiative dedicated to helping farmers better control, manage and maximize the value of the data they collect every day in their fields.

The Agricultural Data Coalition (ADC) is the result of years of planning and coordination by AGCO, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Auburn University, CNH Industrial, Crop IMS, The Ohio State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Raven Industries and Topcon Positioning Group.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Aspirin can knock out minor aches and pains, but what if it also could play a role in cancer prevention?

That is the question a group of veterinarians at Mississippi State University are trying to answer. Drs. Kari Lunsford and Camilo Bulla are two members of the team who have spent about five years trying to understand the link between blood platelets and the spread of certain types of cancer. Their research focuses on canine cancer patients at the MSU Animal Health Center.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Food safety professionals can earn the necessary certification to meet new provisions in the Food Safety Modernization Act next month during a three-day course on the Gulf Coast.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting a Food Safety Preventative Controls Alliance course March 22-24 in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

JACKSON, Miss. -- Teachers, students and community members are invited to learn about biological diversity and take part in naturalist activities at BioBlitz events in Jackson and Tupelo.

Participants will partner with biologists to track down and identify as many local trees, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds as possible. Individuals can help scientists by recording species they see on the free app, iNaturalist.

As I walked around my landscape this weekend, I was really impressed with how my three winter staples -- pansies, violas and Telstar dianthuses -- are enjoying the lengthening days and a little bit of warmer weather.

As I walked around my landscape this weekend, I was really impressed with how my three winter staples -- pansies, violas and Telstar dianthuses -- are enjoying the lengthening days and a little bit of warmer weather.

They are blooming like crazy, almost in response to what I’ve been thinking: It’s time to start planning and planting the warm-season annuals.

MADISON, Miss. -- Jaclyn Anderson admits her strong suit is not math or science, but that did not stop her from providing a robotics class for children at the Rebecca Baine Rigby Library in Madison.

“I really wanted to have this program for the kids,” said Anderson, youth services director with the Madison County Library System. “We had done a very basic class two summers ago, but it wasn’t a hands-on class because we didn’t have any robots or computers or computer software. We just showed them how to build a circuit.”

As I walked around my landscape this weekend, I was really impressed with how my three winter staples -- pansies, violas and Telstar dianthuses -- are enjoying the lengthening days and a little bit of warmer weather.

They are blooming like crazy, almost in response to what I’ve been thinking: It’s time to start planning and planting the warm-season annuals.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- One of the most common questions I get is, “How do I manage the fish in my lake or pond?”

My responses to these landowners vary, but I usually ask them some questions of my own. What is your goal? Do you want big bass, big bream or just an overall increase in all fish species in your pond or lake? Once the lake owners set their goals, then we can go to work.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Gulf Coast landowners who restore natural shorelines on their property can help reduce erosion, support healthy coastal ecosystems and boost local economies.

Scientists from Mississippi State University, the University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the University of Connecticut, The Nature Conservancy and the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve teamed up to find the most economical and effective method of salt marsh restoration for small-scale projects.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- 4-H’ers in three Mississippi counties now have extra tools to learn science, technology, engineering and math concepts thanks to a contribution from a worldwide leader in wireless technology.

The Verizon Foundation donated $14,000 to the Mississippi State University Extension Service for three county agents to buy educational equipment for the youngest 4-H members in the areas they serve.