Feature Story

STARKVILLE -- Turn on the lights, ready the store and post an online update. Business owners are incorporating social media into their daily routines, and customers like it.

Ellen Graves, social media strategist for the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said using online platforms allows entrepreneurs to join the conversation about their businesses.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Professional inquiry and persistence recently resulted in the confirmation of a new cattle virus in Mississippi that previously had been identified only in California.

Dr. Jim Cooley, a veterinary pathologist and professor in the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, worked with a colleague at the University of California-Davis to identify the neurologic disease that causes inflammation in the brains or spinal cords of affected cattle.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University scientists analyzed risk-management programs in the Agricultural Act of 2014 and have a recommendation to help soybean producers make informed decisions.

In the new farm bill, soybean producers must decide which of two types of coverage -- Agricultural Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage -- will best protect their profit margins.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Shooting fireworks is an exciting way to celebrate Independence Day, but an accident can quickly turn the holiday into a tragedy for any family.

In the month around the Fourth of July, an average of 200 people go to emergency rooms across the U.S. every day with fireworks-related injuries. At least a quarter of the victims are younger than 15, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which provided these figures.

PURVIS – The Pine Belt Master Gardeners reached a milestone June 19.

The group constructed its 100th salad table, which is designated for donation to the University of Southern Mississippi’s Office of Sustainability. It is one of many the group has donated throughout the last year.

When the Pine Belt Master Gardeners built two raised beds for demonstration at the Mississippi State University Lamar County Extension office in 2013, they did not expect the educational project to become so popular.

LOUISVILLE -- When the April 28 EF4 tornado leveled Destiny’s Day Care in Louisville, center owner Deborah Holmes was relieved by the quick response from two Mississippi State University programs.

“I started getting calls from MSU wanting to know how we were and what we needed,” Holmes said. “They showed up at the right time.”

The first call Holmes received came from the Early Childhood Institute, a program of the MSU College of Education, which had previously provided technical assistance to her staff.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Warmer weather and no school mean local streets and sidewalks are filled with more walking and biking traffic, so drivers and parents must pay special attention to children’s safety.

“In the summer months, there are many additional precautions that parents need to focus on to reduce accidents,” said Louise Davis, Extension professor and director of the Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral Network with Mississippi State University Extension Service.

STONEVILLE -- Mississippi State University personnel gathered Tuesday to address weed, insect, disease and plant development concerns related to the challenge of another growing season pushed off schedule by a late, wet spring.

The MSU Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville stationed 13 Extension and research personnel at eight field stops to discuss soybean, corn, rice, cotton and peanut production at the half-day event. They summarized current crop conditions, discussed the challenges producers face and answered specific questions.

COLUMBUS -- Teens gained an inside look at the agriculture industry and service-learning during a three-week residential collegiate experience at the Mississippi Governor’s School in Columbus.

By partnering with Mississippi State University’s Center for Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence, or CASLE, the Mississippi Governor’s School engaged students with activities about farmers markets, family-run farms and barn quilts.

OAKLAND -- As the first woman to win the Mississippi Forestry Association Tree Farmer of the Year award, Patrice O’Brien is a testament to the impact women make on the agricultural industry.

O’Brien jumped feet-first into the agriculture business when her father passed away in 1982, leaving the family farm, Twin Oaks Farm in Oakland, for her and her siblings to manage.

NEWTON -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station welcomed a plant materials specialist on June 16.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Exploring the wonders of nature does not have to be time-consuming, expensive or complicated.

June is National Great Outdoors Month and is an ideal time to encourage kids to explore the world around them, said Marina Denny, a research associate with the Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A 66-year-old piece of forestry equipment on display at Mississippi State University is being restored by the company that built it.

The Logger’s Dream is a 1948 log loader manufactured by Louisville, Mississippi-based Taylor Machine Works. The equipment has been on display at the biennial Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show at the university’s John W. Starr Memorial Forest since 2005.

J. D. Massey of Starkville was the loader’s original owner and operator. His son Paul donated the loader to the equipment show.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cancer kills nearly 600,000 Americans each year, and a team of researchers at Mississippi State University is developing new and better ways of fighting back.

Dr. Cody Coyne, professor of molecular pharmacology and immunology in the Department of Basic Sciences at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, and his team of scientists are researching more effective ways to kill cancer cells.

While his work is incredibly complex, he has a simple analogy.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service is taking steps to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities involving all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs.

Larry Alexander, 4-H youth development specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said national ATV Safety Week, June 8-15, is the perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of properly using these powerful vehicles.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Area forage and livestock producers are invited to the Broadhead Cattle Farm July 8 for a half-day program on forage issues.

The Simpson County Forage Field Day is from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the farm in Mendenhall. It is sponsored by the MSU Extension Service Forage Program, the Simpson County Extension office and the Simpson County Soil and Water Conservation District.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As graduates transition from enrollment to employment, they face challenges in the workplace that can leave them asking, “Now what?”

Leslie Corey, a Mississippi State University human resources professional, said learning does not stop once the caps and gowns are issued.

“One of the best things you can do for your job is continue to learn,” Corey said. “A willingness to learn helps you be professional, which is essential for your success.”

STONEVILLE -- Researchers at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center believe a new research project can help farmers reduce their number of pesticide applications without reducing peanut yield.

Jeff Gore, an Extension entomologist and assistant research professor with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at the MSU Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, said Mississippi peanut producers soon will have pesticide recommendations tailored specifically to the local climate.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A program that provides equine therapy to children and adults with special needs recently received special recognition from an international organization.

The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International) accredited the Mississippi State University Extension Service’s Elizabeth A. Howard 4-H Therapeutic Riding and Activity Center (TRAC).

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Area forage and livestock producers are invited to Mississippi State University July 10 for half-day program on warm-season forage production.

Registration for the Warm-Season Forage Tour begins at 8:30 a.m., and the tour lasts from 9 a.m. to noon at the Henry H. Leveck Animal Research Farm at MSU. It is sponsored by the MSU Extension Service Forage Program and the Oktibbeha County Extension office.