Feature Story

BROOKSVILLE, Miss. – Farmers, scientists and crop consultants are encouraged to attend the Agronomy Field Day and Tour on June 24 at the Black Belt Branch Experiment Station.

Sessions last from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Black Belt Branch in Noxubee County is 2 miles northeast of Brooksville on Highway 45.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Many drivers have experienced the flash of fur and squeal of brakes that ends with an injured dog, but for Starkville pet owner Cindy Callahan, there was just a squeak when Siba was hit in the driveway.

“It happened when we were backing out of the driveway,” Callahan said. “Siba loves tennis balls, and we think he must have dropped his ball and it rolled under the car. He must have tried to get it as we were backing out."

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The American Kennel Club Humane Fund has awarded the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine with a grant to support the college’s Safe Haven for Pets program.

The grant will cover some of the program’s expenses in providing care to the pets of women escaping domestic violence. Dr. Sharon Fooshee Grace, the MSU-CVM clinical professor who applied for the competitive grant, administers Safe Haven for Pets along with MSU-CVM assistant clinical professor Dr. Christine Bryan.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Boxes of supplies can provide important lifelines when storms and other disasters threaten to uproot a household.

It has been 10 years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina occurred, but the disaster still affects the lives of many individuals today. Christian Stephenson, an agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Hancock County, said he was not on the coast when Katrina struck, but he still remembers the aftermath of the event.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service nutritionist has earned two rare designations in his field.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University entomologist John Guyton actually wears them on special occasions in a tie, and some people collect them for science experiments, but homeowners typically want nothing to do with termites.

Termites are estimated to cause $40 billion in damage to wooden structures every year. In the U.S., that figure is $2 billion to $3 billion, and several million dollars are lost to termites each year in Mississippi.

BAY SPRINGS, Miss. -- When Hope James decided to stay home with her children and offer child care to parents in the Bay Springs area, she had no idea her decision would result in her business being recognized as one of the top in the state.

James, owner of Tot Shop of Bay Springs, recently received a 5-star rating from the Quality Rating and Improvement System. The evaluation is based on a national standard and scale, and James’s is one of the few centers in the state to achieve this level of quality.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi 4-H members received an important lesson about the pledge they make to improve their world.

About 50 of the youths taking part in the State 4-H Congress “toured” Kenya, India and Japan without leaving the Mississippi State University campus on May 27. Representatives from those countries hosted tour groups in three rooms, each outfitted with items from those countries and samples of authentic foods.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mother Nature may deserve most of the credit, but management decisions by some “boots on the ground” also contributed to Mississippi’s record yields in cotton, soybeans, corn and rice in 2014.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released the official cotton yield averages, placing Mississippi fields at an all-time high of 1,232 pounds per acre. Cotton joins other 2014 crops with records, including soybeans at 52 bushels per acre, corn at 185 bushels per acre and rice at 7,420 pounds per acre.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Riding all-terrain vehicles is a fun adventure until tragedy strikes, but simple practices can keep riders safe.

Jesse Wilson, a high school senior from Lowndes County, has firsthand experience with an ATV disaster. Wilson was driving up a steep ditch when his ATV fell back on top of him because of excess weight on the back of the vehicle. He was not wearing any safety gear at the time. Wilson broke his shoulder because of this accident, and had to have surgery.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Drinking a beverage that tastes delicious and has good nutritional value is like having your cake and eating it, too.

Brent Fountain, associate professor of food science, nutrition and health promotion with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said milk is a good source of protein. Protein provides the nutrients the body needs to build and repair bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. Milk is also a good carbohydrate source, providing the body with energy. Calcium and vitamin D are also important nutrients found in milk.

May is Older Americans Month…

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Even people who can eat almost anything when they are young will eventually begin monitoring their calories, cholesterol, fiber, sodium or sugar as they get older.

Brent Fountain, associate professor of human nutrition with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said metabolism typically slows down as people age. The amount of calories a person needs usually goes down, and the percentage of protein he or she needs goes up.

GOODMAN, Miss. -- Farmers and producers can learn how to increase farm profits during a series of field days at the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Farm near Goodman.

Ellen Polishuk, a long-time Virginia vegetable grower, will return for part two of the Growing Farm Profits program on June 19. Her farm served as a case study in part one of this session earlier in 2015.

Topics include practical applications of profit management and decision making in the field. Participants also will tour two local farms that use these strategies.

RAYMOND, Miss. – Seemingly endless rains this spring are challenging Mississippi’s strawberry crop.

“The frequent rains we had in the last few months put pressure on the bloom and fruit quality,” said Bill Evans, a horticultural researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “In April alone, we got more than 7 inches of rain.”

May is Older Americans Month …

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Older Americans, along with their caregivers and families, can better navigate legal and financial waters related to aging by making appropriate plans, protecting their identities and being aware of scams.

May is Older Americans Month …

Eating a bowl of cereal for dinner can demonstrate the many factors that contribute to food insecurity for older Americans.

“Sometimes, an older person chooses a bowl of cereal for dinner because it’s quick, easy, inexpensive, available and fairly healthy,” said Sylvia Byrd, a professor at Mississippi State University. “Convenience, cost, ease of use and access are all major factors that influence food security.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi farmers should not take the state’s rich soil for granted, but the question of the best way to treat this valuable resource sparks debate.

“Soil can be thought of as a living organism that must be kept healthy to provide some of the crop requirements and make efficient use of inputs, especially fertilizer,” said Larry Oldham, soil specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Four Mississippi State University professors participated in the joint conference of the Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education and the European Seminar on Extension and Education in the Netherlands in late April.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Southern farmers may never win the battle against imported fire ants, but aggressive tactics can slow the pests’ invasion, reduce damage and prevent further spread across the United States.

Jane Parish is an Extension/research professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. She said cattle and hay producers have learned to live with and work around the troublesome ants since the pests arrived in the state almost a century ago.

NEWTON, Miss. -- Producers can learn about production and management methods for hay and other forage crops during a June 30 field day in Newton.

Experts with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will lead participants on a tour of the MSU Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station. Topics will include pasture weed control, sprayer calibration, current forage research, and hay production and management.