Feature Story

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nine teenaged 4-H leaders addressed current issues and shared their passions in hopes of winning a spot on a team representing Mississippi at the national 4-H conference in Washington, D.C.

Selected delegates will spend April 5-10, 2014, working with their peers in round-table discussions to prepare presentations for federal agencies on a variety of topics, such as texting while driving and obesity.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi’s major land-grant university recently hosted a delegation from the Philippines who wanted to learn more about the Extension Service -- everything from federal funding to local county programming.

Mississippi State University Extension Service Director Gary Jackson provided an overview of the state’s programs and arranged for a visit to the Oktibbeha County Extension Office.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A well-respected and popular professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics has received a national award for his excellence in student advising.

Randy Little is a professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who has formally guided the career paths of more than 300 undergraduate students since he began at MSU in 1990. He has informally advised more than 1,000 students during that time as students value his wisdom and seek his guidance.

Mississippi’s Commissioner of Agriculture Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to Boys State 2013 participants in Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium. (Photo by MSU University Relations/Megan Bean)

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cindy Hyde-Smith, the state’s leading advocate for Mississippi agriculture, touted the nation’s food supply as the safest and most affordable in the world when she spoke Tuesday [May 28] at the 2013 Boys State.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Conservation-minded Mississippi farmers have enrolled 126,470 acres in the Research and Education to Advance Conservation and Habitat program, a Mississippi State University effort to impact land management.

Robbie Kroger, an assistant professor of aquatic sciences in the MSU Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, leads the REACH initiative, which as of April includes 41 farmers. Participation in the program impacts management practices on their acreage.

STONEVILLE – Soybean growers and consultants will benefit from an upcoming tour that teaches control measures for a springtime weed that plagues fields every year.

Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center will host a yellow nutsedge discussion from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. May 31 in the B.F. Smith Auditorium. Following a brief seminar, participants will travel a short distance to a trial area that has been established to demonstrate various tactics for controlling this weed, both before and after soybean plants have emerged.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Healthy eating does not mean home chefs must abandon favorite dishes, but they can trim sugar, salt and fat and boost fiber to create lighter versions of beloved recipes.

Many Southern comfort foods include rich, high-calorie ingredients that can be exchanged for lower calorie options, said Natasha Haynes, a family and consumer sciences agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Baking chicken instead of frying it is just one way to lighten up a traditional dish.

STONEVILLE – Mississippi State University named two researchers to Extension Service appointments at the Delta Research and Extension Center, effective May 1.

Entomologist Jeff Gore and rice agronomist Tim Walker will divide their work between the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Extension Service. MAFES, the research arm of MSU’s agriculture division, is funded separately from Extension, MSU’s service branch.

JACKSON -- Social media is often thought of only as a way to keep up with friends and family, but electronic communication is an essential part of today’s farming operations.

Angus Catchot, Extension professor and entomology specialist with Mississippi State University’s Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, said the number of farmers and consultants who use social media and other online platforms might surprise many people.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A career interest developed in Mississippi State University’s School of Human Sciences led one student to Nigeria, where she spent a week teaching agriculture.

Alyssa Barrett, a senior agricultural science major from Wiggins, spent spring break in the West African nation teaching Nigerians how to plant and use moringa trees. Her team used Extension Service techniques to share practical information designed to improve lives.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will host the sixth annual Merial Rabies Symposium on World Rabies Day, Sept. 28, 2013.

The symposium, sponsored by animal health company Merial, brings together noted public health speakers, veterinarians and veterinary students to discuss this major public health issue.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cattle producers wanting to improve their herds’ genetics recently turned to Mississippi State University for an advanced, hands-on reproduction workshop.

“If producers want to make rapid progress in herd genetics, the economic benefits of artificial insemination are there,” said Jane Parish, beef specialist with the MSU Extension Service. “Producers can have access to a top-quality bull in another part of the country or one that has been injured or died after its semen has been collected.”

By Karen Templeton
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

COLUMBUS – Regular eye exams are an integral part of animal health maintenance, so the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is providing free eye screening to service animals throughout the month of May.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Planting the right trees in the best locations is a good investment that can also pay dividends in energy savings for home and business owners.

Bob Brzuszek, associate professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture, said planting trees that block the summer sun on the south and west sides of buildings and roofs can substantially reduce air-conditioning costs.

JACKSON -- As the number of female leaders in agriculture increases, a program dedicated to their success prepares to expand.

Annie’s Project teaches women in agriculture-related fields problem solving, record keeping and decision-making skills. Facilitated by Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, organizers plan to train educators across the state to deliver the program. Extension educators in the 25 Mississippi counties with the highest number of female landowners and principal operators will learn to teach the workshops.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When kids react to the natural world, Leslie Burger wants them to say “Oh, wow!” instead of “Oh, gross!”

“I want people to understand what is happening around them and to appreciate it,” said Burger, an Extension instructor at Mississippi State University’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center. “When they hear a bird singing in a tree, do they stop and listen? Do they try to find it? Do they run over a snake in the road because they think all snakes are evil, or do they swerve to give it life?

JACKSON – Getting routine health care for family pets is just as important as having a fully-stocked emergency kit and a home evacuation plan when preparing for disasters.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University architecture students designed a sustainable home that can provide its own electricity, water supply and food for a family of four.

In the final project of a sustainable design class, the students turned theoretical principles into a practical home and landscape. They designed all aspects of a self-supporting, modern homestead, including features like solar energy use, rainwater harvesting, wastewater management, and gardens, trees and shrubs to provide a year-round food supply.

By Alicia Barnes
MSU School of Human Sciences

MISSISSIPPI STATE - Families who use child care may want to pick up an extra bouquet while shopping for Mother’s Day.

While the second Sunday in May is a day to honor mothers, the Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral Network encourages families to also celebrate Provider Appreciation Day on Friday, May 10. This annual event recognizes early care and education providers for their contributions.

By Sarah Shields
MSU School of Human Sciences

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Recognizing that learning is not confined to the classroom, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is promoting quality learning environments in programs for school-age children.

“A child’s learning doesn’t stop at the end of the school day,” said Brittney Rye, project manager of the Out-of-School Project.