Feature Story

JACKSON – Greenhouse tomato growers can learn everything from greenhouse design to budgeting during the 24th annual Mississippi Greenhouse Tomato Short Course March 4-5 in Raymond.

Experts from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the University of Florida Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center, Auburn University and the tomato industry will present information to help current growers and those interested in starting a greenhouse tomato business.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Small business owners and tourism professionals can learn how to translate tourism into dollars from expert speakers at an upcoming conference.

The Miss-Lou Tourism Summit will be Feb. 25-27 at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, La.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Southern Weed Science Society recently honored several Mississippi State University students and faculty members for their outstanding contributions.

Alana Blaine of Starkville won first place in the Master of Science paper competition for her paper, titled “The Effect of Dicamba Concentration and Application Timing on Soybean Growth and Yield.” Blaine is an MSU graduate student studying weed science.

GOODMAN – Fruit and vegetable growers can learn how to supply local schools with their produce during a Feb. 21 field day at the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Demonstration Farm in Goodman.

Experts from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and several partner organizations will help local farmers navigate the process required for selling produce to schools.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most spouses know to give romantic gifts on Valentine’s Day, but the gift of time spent developing a healthy relationship is one that will last much longer than a box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers.

Cassandra Kirkland, family life specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said strong marriages are built on common-sense, positive habits.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Landowners who want to earn extra income are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises business workshop on Feb. 25 in Jackson.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi farmers and beekeepers are working together to protect the state’s pollinators from accidental exposure to pesticides used on crops.

Jeff Harris, Mississippi State University Extension Service apiculturist, said ongoing discussions over the course of several months resulted in the Mississippi Honey Bee Stewardship Program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Landowners and farmers need to educate themselves about liability issues related to people on their land, regardless of insurance, signs or fees.

Becky Smith is with the Mississippi State University Extension Service’s Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy. She recently organized a liability webinar to help Extension agents and landowners understand these issues, whether the land is private or open to the public.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University is offering land management workshops about game birds and prescribed burning in Panola and Pike counties.

The workshops are designed for landowners, foresters, loggers and wildlife biologists.

The MSU Extension Service, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks will host the Game Bird Workshop in Batesville on Feb. 21 and in McComb on Feb. 28. The $30 registration fee includes lunch, snacks and publications.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Protecting personal information and preventing identity theft require Mississippians to be careful with documents, especially when it is time to get rid of them.

Shredding documents is the best way to prevent personal information from falling into the wrong hands. The Mississippi State University Extension Service has joined with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and several other organizations to offer six collection events for the safe disposal of personal papers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Southwest Mississippi landowners, land managers and residents interested in oil and gas development can learn about legal, financial and land management planning at two upcoming workshops.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service Center for Government and Community Development and the Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development are hosting “Managing Energy Development: A Workshop for Mississippi Landowners” in two locations.

JACKSON – An interactive, educational event aimed at teaching third-graders about the importance of agriculture comes to the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo Feb. 7-8.

FARMtastic offers hands-on exhibits that help children learn the role of agriculture in the production of food and other products used in daily life. It will be set up in the Mississippi Trade Mart at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds.

BILOXI – An upcoming meeting will allow producers of various commodities in Mississippi’s coastal region to help guide Mississippi State University’s research and educational programs in the district.

Experts from the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will be available to discuss current issues, share research results and answer questions at the annual Commodity Advisory Council meeting Feb. 25 at the Coastal Research and Extension Center.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi food businesses will soon have access to customers all over the world through the expansion of MarketMaker, a database of searchable food industry-related information.

Through a new license with MarketMaker, not-for-profit company Riverside Research has exclusive rights to the database.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Animal enthusiasts can learn about human-wildlife interactions from an experienced wildlife veterinarian at a free lecture Feb. 6.

The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will host guest speaker Dr. Mark Johnson of Global Wildlife Resources as part of the college’s Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series.

Johnson’s presentation, “Care, honor, and respect for every animal: a perspective on wildlife and feral animals,” is also supported by Wildlife Exotic Zoo Avian and Aquatic Medicine.

JACKSON -- Central Mississippi agriculture producers can provide input and direction on educational programming and research delivered by Mississippi State University.

The Central Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting will be Feb. 18 at the McKenzie Arena in Raymond. Representatives from the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will discuss current issues and answer questions.

JACKSON – Winter means cold and flu season is in full swing for humans, but pets can experience similar illnesses all year long.

“Upper respiratory infection is not prevalent during a certain time of year because most cases are caused by viruses, which are present year-round,” said Dr. Christine Bryan, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “Patients can relapse during times of stress, other illness, injury, or in inadequate or overcrowded housing conditions, such as a shelter.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The cover of the most recent issue of the Journal of Forestry highlights a Mississippi State University Extension Service publication series available to anyone interested in the forestry industry.

The national journal is published bimonthly by the Society of American Foresters. Published since 1902, it is the most widely circulated scholarly forestry journal in the world. Its mission is to advance the forestry profession by informing forest management professionals of significant developments and ideas in the many facets of forestry.

POPLARVILLE -- An expert in the mechanized harvesting of blueberries and other fruit crops will be the keynote speaker at an educational workshop for blueberry growers on Feb. 13.

The workshop will be from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Forrest County Extension Office, located at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Most student projects are done for a grade, but a Mississippi State University competition lets students see who can present research findings the best.

Graduate students studying applied row-crop agriculture will compete Feb. 6 in the second Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Competition. The competition gives them experience presenting their research findings to an audience.