Feature Story

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Michael Hingson will soon visit Mississippi State University to explain how the human-animal bond saved his life during the terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

Hingson and his guide dog, Roselle, were among those working in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Through trust and teamwork, Hingson and Roselle escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One moments before it collapsed.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Childhood visits to grandma’s farm, complete with a mean rooster, piglets on the loose and homemade apple pie, led one Mississippi State University graduate into full-time farm living.

Brittany Reyer of Reyer Farms in Lena grows seasonal produce, free-range chickens for egg production, and pasture-raised heritage breed pigs and cattle with her husband, Jody. When they were expecting their first child, they began investigating options that would allow Brittany to stay home full-time.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS -- Leisure gardeners and horticulture professionals are invited to attend the Southeast’s most popular gardening show Oct. 17 and 18 at the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Experiment Station.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dog owners may be surprised to find out that certain ticks can paralyze their beloved pets.

These tick species carry a nerurotoxin that affects the mobility of animals. If the animal is not treated, their limbs may become paralyzed.

PICAYUNE -- Families and school groups can learn about some of Mississippi’s insects and their plant companions during the annual Bugfest Sept. 26 and 27 at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Row crop producers interested in quality soil should sample fields after harvest and apply recommended lime in the fall.

Larry Oldham, a soil fertility specialist and professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said lime is an important component of soil fertility management because it sets the environment in which plants live and grow.

GOODMAN -- Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about growing fall crops and building mobile cooling trailers during the Sept. 19 Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Demonstration Farm Field Day in Goodman.

Bill Evans, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station associate research professor with Mississippi State University, will cover variety selection, planting dates, disease resistance, pest management, crop rotation and more.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Using fast-growing woody crops as a source of energy and fuel may be the key to energy independence in the United States.

The latest Southeastern biofuels research and production methods will be on display for landowners, industry professionals and community leaders during a month-long series of field days in September sponsored by the Southeastern Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems.

POPLARVILLE -- Horticulture enthusiasts and industry professionals can hear research updates and tour demonstration gardens at the Mississippi State University South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville on Oct. 2.

Scientists with the MSU Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Extension Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service will deliver information on pest management, variety trial results and landscaping during the 41st annual Ornamental Horticultural Field Day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The first Mississippi State University student to complete degree requirements for a Master of Science in human development and family studies has graduated from the School of Human Sciences.

Kirsten Ferrell of Horn Lake, Mississippi, received her diploma in August and began working with The Early Years Network. She now trains early child care and preschool teachers in northwest Mississippi.

STONEVILLE -- Pivot irrigation is no longer a common sight across the Delta, but experts say this system remains a viable and efficient way to water crops.

“I would like to see pivots in the Delta,” said Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “They deliver water more efficiently, so if we have an aquifer problem, which everything indicates we do, they would go a long way towards helping address it.”

September: National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month…

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi’s childhood obesity rates, like the pounds in an effective weight loss program, are slowly coming down.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released statistics reflecting a slight improvement among Mississippi high school students. From 2007 until 2009, 18 percent of the state’s high school students were considered obese. That peak declined to 16 percent in 2011 and 15 percent in 2013.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Partners of the Early Years Network are taking their services on the road in September to support the state’s child care providers.

The Early Years Network is a system of services provided by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and its partners. The Provider Road Show brings together all the child-care-provider support services funded through the Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood Care and Development.

TUPELO -- A hands-on event designed to promote an interest in the natural world will be held on Oct. 4 at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is partnering with the Natchez Trace Parkway to host Mississippi BioBlitz, a 13-hour event that teams scientists, students, teachers and community members to track down and identify as many local species as possible.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- More scholarships are available in 2014 for Mississippi State University students who plan careers in waterfowl management and wetland conservation.

The Thomas A. Plein Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship was established in 2011 and is one of the largest graduate student scholarships in the MSU College of Forest Resources. Over the last three years, the Thomas A. Plein Foundation has increased the funding for this scholarship to more than $75,000.

RAYMOND -- As demand increases for locally grown produce, farmers markets have become a way to take fresh fruits and vegetables directly to customers.

“This segment of agriculture is growing, and I think we are only going to see the need for small-scale producers increase in the coming years,” said Rick Snyder, vegetable specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in Crystal Springs.

KOSCIUSKO -- They don’t need paychecks, time cards or coffee breaks. They don’t even complain about the August heat in a Mississippi greenhouse.

Parasitic wasps and predatory mites are just a couple of the insect species growers can release to guard against damaging pests in greenhouses.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Very few insect-related deaths occur in the United States compared with the rest of the world, but that does not mean Americans can ignore the risks.

Jerome Goddard, entomology professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said millions of deaths occur worldwide each year from disease agents transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Several diseases are more common among people living in or traveling to tropical regions, but Americans have their share and should maintain their guard to protect themselves.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has awarded the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine a grant to support the college’s Mobile Veterinary Clinics.

The $40,000 grant will cover some of the expenses incurred as the Mobile Veterinary Clinics travel to 20 North Mississippi animal shelters, where students spay and neuter homeless animals. The program is funded solely by grants and donations.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University fans can cheer for a new food product this fall.

The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Sales Store on the MSU campus has added Bully’s Peanuts to its line of products. The store will carry 5-pound bags and 5-pound boxes of Mississippi-grown, raw, shelled peanuts.