Feature Story

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- “Phishermen” do not need lures or worms to get their prized catch; the only bait they need is a good scheme.

Anyone can be phished -- tricked through electronic fraud into unknowingly forfeiting sensitive personal and financial information, such as password and credit card details. In many cases, the result of a successful “phishing trip” is an empty bank account for the victim.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Backyard and exhibition poultry owners can take part in an upcoming biosecurity training session designed to reduce the spread of bird flu and other infectious diseases.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A new Mississippi State University team scored a major victory in its first season of competition.

The MSU Horse Judging Team was named the Reserve Grand Champion Team at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, the largest horse show in the world.

Clay Cavinder, equine specialist with the MSU Extension Service and associate professor in the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, coached the team for the competition, which involved judging 12 classes of horses, with four horses in each class.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – They may not wear tights and capes, but greens are super foods.

Kale, collards, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, turnip greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens and all types of lettuce are good sources of nutrients, said Janet Jolley, a Mississippi State University Extension Service agent in Marshall County.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- One of the most difficult tasks a parent or provider will face is guiding children through the grief and instability brought on by tragedy.

Natural disasters, terrorism, mass shootings, deaths of loved ones, or acts of domestic or physical violence are traumatic for everyone. When faced with these events, children and adults alike experience feelings of fear, helplessness and anxiety. However, children have very little, if any, experience in properly dealing with those feelings.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi sweet potato growers will benefit from Mississippi State University’s work in a U.S.

Some of the best choices we can make for reliable late fall and winter color are cabbage and kale. I’m not talking about the regular vegetable garden varieties, though these are quite pretty in their own right. The cabbage and kale you need are the ornamental types, and the time to plant is now.

By Karen Templeton
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week October 11-17 by recognizing this growing program and the graduates who have found careers in the dynamic animal health field.

BILOXI, Miss. -- The Atlantic hurricane that sunk the cargo ship El Faro in early October highlights the need for sailors to be trained in how to react in an emergency.

Dave Burrage, Mississippi State University Extension professor of marine resources at the Coastal Research and Extension Center, is trained to certify marine safety instructors who are sailors on commercial vessels. Two Mississippi sailors he trained survived an on-the-water collision that sunk one boat in the Gulf of Mexico last year.

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. -- Mississippi tea drinkers are one step closer to experiencing a locally grown product.

The Great Mississippi Tea Company began harvesting a small quantity of leaves from its 2-year old plants in mid-September and will soon share samples with prospective vendors.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- As the leaves begin to change colors, Mississippi State University experts have several suggestions for getting children more involved in outdoor activities.

Leslie Burger, assistant Extension professor in the Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, said kids copy the actions of their parents. If parents want their children to go outside this fall season, they must lead the way and become active and connected with nature themselves.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center launched a new web site Oct. 5.

The updated site is mobile friendly and gives clients of the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station access to the region’s research-based educational resources with a modern look.

“All of the same information is available to our customers; it just looks fresher and is easier to navigate than the former site,” said Andy Collins, web developer with the center.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi 4-H members and volunteer leaders are active every month, but the State Fair in October usually signals the pinnacle of their year.

“The State Fair provides many opportunities for our 4-H members to show off their livestock projects, as well as other projects and activities they have been working on during the last year,” said Paula Threadgill, associate director of the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “The 4-H Village at the fair also highlights the opportunities available through the youth development program in Mississippi.”

CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Miss. -- The Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production will hold its second statewide field day in conjunction with Mississippi State University’s Fall Flower & Garden Fest in Crystal Springs on Oct. 16.

The Fall Flower & Garden Fest is set for Oct. 16 and 17 at the MSU Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs. This collaboration is part of the agricultural alliance’s efforts, with its partners, to hold field days across the state at local demonstration farms.

STARKVILLE, Miss. --The executive vice president and provost of the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, has been named head of the Mississippi State University Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion.

Marion Willard “Will” Evans begins his position December 1. A master certified health education specialist and certified wellness practitioner, Evans brings experience and leadership in health promotion and wellness.

POPLARVILLE, Miss. -- Early childhood education proponents pulled together to establish Mississippi’s 17th resource and referral center on the Pearl River Community College campus.

The Early Years Network, a program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, partnered with Excel By 5 and the community college to open the new center.

CHOCTAW, Miss. -- The 2015 Choctaw Challenge Mud Run and Health Fair will be held Oct. 31 at Lake Pushmataha in Choctaw.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service, along with other state and federal agencies, is partnering with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to organize the event.

The mud run is open to anyone age 10 and up. Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m. Cost is $15 per person.

The health fair is free. It opens at 8 a.m. and closes at noon. Informational booths will be located at the starting line of the race.

NEWTON, Miss. -- Mississippi cattle producers can learn about the latest research on forage management during a Nov. 6 meeting.

The 2015 Mississippi Forage and Grassland Council Annual Conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Mississippi State University Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station in Newton.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy has planned a day full of educational seminars for its annual meeting Nov. 4 at the Grenada County Extension office.

Experts from the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will join other scientists in sharing the latest information about a wide range of crop-related subjects.

By Sarah Buckleitner
MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Hunters can go into the woods armed with the knowledge of Mississippi State University deer experts, thanks to a newly updated MSU phone app called “Deer Hunt.”

Developed by the MSU Deer Lab and MSU Extension Service, Deer Hunt enables hunters and wildlife managers to use mobile technology to easily collect critical deer observation information.