News From 2016

By Michaela Parker
MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE, MISS. -- Toddlers who like to bite are a common source of concern for parents, but moms and dads can help their children manage this behavior.

Biting is a normal developmental step that begins when a child starts teething, said Karen Benson, Neshoba County coordinator for the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

PONTOTOC, Miss. -- Mississippi State University faculty and specialists will update producers at a field day in Pontotoc Aug. 24 on recent sweet potato research.

Sweet potato producers, researchers, agriculture industry representatives and crop consultants can view research plots and variety trials at the MSU-Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station during the program.

Personnel with the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will present information on weed management, crop fertility and sweet potato varieties.

DURANT, Miss. -- Early child care educators, families and other residents in the Durant area now have a new place to visit and borrow educational books, toys and games.

On Aug. 2, the North Central Mississippi Resource and Referral Center celebrated its grand opening, becoming the 18th center of its kind in the state.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Mississippians interested in working with the state’s natural resources can get in-depth education and certification through an eight-week course.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium will host the Coastal Mississippi Master Naturalist Program from Sept. 2 to Oct. 21.

Participants will meet once a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to learn basic principles of natural resource ecology and management through classroom instruction, field activities and team exercises.

In the past, I’ve expressed my love for chili peppers -- the hotter the better. But there are only so many ghost, Trinidad Moruga and Carolina Reaper peppers I can eat. Lately, my gastrointestinal tolerance for their heat is waning.

BILOXI, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service employee recently received a national award for his significant contribution to the floral industry.

Jim DelPrince, an Extension floral design specialist, accepted the American Institute of Floral Designers Award of Distinguished Service to the Floral Industry during the organization’s annual National Symposium in July.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion in the Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences places an emphasis on outreach that is shown through more than a dozen programs offered in conjunction with the MSU Extension Service.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The hottest days of the summer may drive many people indoors to the air conditioning, but bird-watchers know it is a great time to go outside to see some of Mississippi’s most colorful visitors.

PELAHATCHIE, Miss. -- Rankin County forage producer Jeff Adams anticipates an average hay harvest this year, but he has sprayed twice for fall armyworms in just three weeks.

“I’ve used two different sprays that are supposed to give you a 20-day residual between applications,” he said. “Neither one got me through more than seven.”

CEDAR BLUFF, Miss. -- Farmers can learn about soil fertility, growing fall crops and preserving the harvest during the upcoming Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production field day Aug. 19.

The on-farm field day will be at High Hope Farm, located at 10705 Milam Road in Cedar Bluff.

Experts with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and cooperating agencies will present information and lead question-and-answer sessions. Farmers and vendors can also display their services and items for sale.

Because this is the first week of August, we can rest assured that it’s going to be hot in our Mississippi gardens and landscapes.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- July rains hold a special place in soybean growers’ hearts – and in their pocketbooks.

“July is typically a very hot, dry month, but it’s also one when soybeans still need water to grow and fill out pods,” said Trent Irby, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “There have been some exceptions, but most growers have been lucky to get some showers to help their crops along.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Outdoor recreation is an economic giant that receives far less attention than most of the other industries in our country.

We usually think of the pharmaceutical, insurance, energy, automotive and health care industries as drivers of a strong economy. We rarely discuss with our friends and relatives the industry of outdoor recreation or its potential to create jobs. Yet, outdoor recreation has changed in the modern world, and it’s time to change the way we view this expanding market.

Learn by doing…

WINONA, Miss. -- Families, friends and agents of the Mississippi State University Extension Service watched smoke rise from several grills housed inside the Montgomery County Coliseum as an aroma of herbs, spices and charcoal filled the air.

Each year, dozens of 4-H members from Mississippi pack their grills, meat, utensils and secret ingredients to compete in the annual state 4-H Cook-Out.

By Michaela Parker
MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Student athletes will be returning not only to the classroom soon, but also to after-school practice and games.

Research shows that around 70 percent of children participate in organized sports. In addition to exercise, young athletes need nutritious, well-balanced diets to reflect their active lifestyles.

By Michaela Parker
MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Children are supposed to enjoy being around each other, but bullies can quickly spoil the fun and hurt a child’s feelings.

Watching children endure bullying is difficult, but what should parents do when their child is the bully?

Tashmia Turner, a family and consumer sciences agent for the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Madison County, said bullying is a behavior that should not be accepted.

JACKSON, Miss. -- Landowners and hunting clubs eager to earn extra income while improving land management for wildlife are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises Business Workshop.

The Sept. 29 event will take place at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation in Jackson, located at 6311 Ridgewood Road.

CARRIERE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University will host the annual Muscadine Field Day Aug. 27 at the McNeill Research Unit.

Speakers from the MSU Extension Service, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service will discuss muscadine cultivars, best production practices, and insects and diseases.

The field day is from 9-11 a.m. Preregistration is not required for the free event. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

DURANT, Miss. -- The Early Years Network and Durant Excel by 5 Coalition invite parents and young children to attend a grand opening event for the new North Central Mississippi Resource and Referral Center on Aug. 2.

The open house at 515 Northwest Ave. in Durant will be from 3-5 p.m. Following a brief ceremony, staff and Early Years Network personnel will be on hand to visit with patrons and community members.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A group of 34 elite 4-H’ers toured part of northeast Mississippi July 18-21 learning about leadership and business cooperatives.

The first-place winners in the senior level of 4-H competition at this year’s 4-H Club Congress, state 4-H Ambassadors and the state 4-H Council officers participated in the 2016 Cooperative Business Leadership Conference. Mississippi State University was home base for the group as they took a bus tour to Mayhew, West Point, Greenville and Greenwood.