Feature Story

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Protecting providers of the world’s food includes looking out for their mental well-being.

To address this, the Mississippi State University Extension Service has certified over 20 personnel to facilitate a skills-based, online training program: Adult Mental Health First Aid. This curriculum teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health disorders and crises in their communities.

Mississippi State University’s state-of-the-art meat processing facilities drew Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson and a small group of influential lawmakers to campus for a personal tour Sept. 16, 2020.

Every year, lawns and pastures become targets for late-summer grass-eating caterpillars, making it important to watch for the usual suspects and some culprits that are less common.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will accept applications for assistance from agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19.Sign-up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 -- CFAP 2 -- begins Sept. 21 and runs through Dec. 11, 2020. The program is open to producers of row crops, livestock, aquaculture, dairy and specialty crop commodities.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering weekly training on disaster preparation for the food and agricultural sectors.

A constantly updated map showing the spread of crape myrtle bark scale helps Mississippians stay aware of this treatable pest that threatens the beauty of one of the state’s most common landscape shrubs.

Many of Mississippi’s annual traditions were interrupted this year due to COVID-19, but the Mississippi State Fair Livestock Show will go on.

Cottage food laws enacted to allow new entrepreneurs to start small-scale food businesses in their homes were updated recently to stay current with the business climate.

Increased littering of single-use items related to the novel coronavirus pandemic, including masks, gloves, and disinfecting wipes, has troubling consequences for the environment.
When trash is not properly disposed of, it makes its way into watersheds, where it travels by water flow from rivers and streams into the ocean.

Parents welcoming a newborn in the COVID-19 era face potentially tough decisions regarding family visits after delivery.

With dove season opening Sept. 5 and the first deer season opening Oct. 1, many would-be hunters are gearing up and making sure everything is safe and legal for the upcoming hunts.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering another year of free testing for often overlooked nematode pests that frequently cause poor crop performance.

Poultry producers across the Southeast have plenty of experience cleaning up after storm damage to broiler and breeder houses, but they now have new guidelines for hurricane preparedness and recovery.

Fall brings a surge in the number of farm machines travelling on the state’s roads, and drivers everywhere need to be cautious when near them.

The 2020 Fall Flower & Garden Fest will be a virtual, educational event this year.

An exhibition of unbuilt structures by internationally renowned architect E. Fay Jones intended to accompany the completed Mississippi State University Pinecote Pavilion is on display in Washington, D.C.

Private water well owners in Mississippi can get their water screened for bacteria and learn more about how to manage, operate and protect their wells during several upcoming virtual workshops.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippians now have an online tool for opioid misuse prevention resources and strategies. 

Mississippi State University’s Extension Service and Social Science Research Center developed the webpage in collaboration with the Mississippi State Department of Health and the Fahrenheit Creative Group. This new page is a component of an MSU Extension drug prevention initiative called PReventing Opioid Misuse In the SouthEast, or the PROMISE Initiative.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Staff members in Mississippi State’s Office of Agricultural Communications and Office of Public Affairs are bringing prestige to the university with two Grand Awards and other honors from the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s annual competition.