Feature Story from 2012

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University is the result of historic legislation passed 150 years ago during the Civil War, and the state’s land-grant institution will mark the anniversary with activities throughout the year.

MSU assistant history professor James Giesen will present “History of the Morrill Act: The Mississippi Perspective” during a March 29 public event at the university. To begin at 3 p.m. in Thompson Hall’s Tully Auditorium, the program is the inaugural spring seminar of Gamma Sigma Delta. A reception follows at the location.

PHILADELPHIA -- Every community has different needs, but poverty weaves a common thread that organizations are uniting to unravel.

Turning the Tide on Poverty is a regional initiative of the Southern Rural Development Center that works in 13 Southern states and is headquartered at Mississippi State University. As part of that effort, government agencies, community leaders and religious groups recently met in Neshoba County to advance the Strengthening Families and Communities Coalition.

BROOKHAVEN -- Twelve Mississippi business women completed 18 hours of training through Annie’s Project, a national program designed for women interested in agriculture-based enterprises.

The training was held in late winter at the Lincoln County Extension office through Mississippi Women for Agriculture and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The curriculum is designed to empower farm women of all ages to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A new smartphone application allows growers, gardeners and landowners to get quick information about soil types and determine what to plant or where to build.

Larry Oldham, Extension professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University, said helping clients in the field is easier than ever with the SoilWeb smartphone app developed by the Soil Resource Lab at the University of California-Davis.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dr. Mark Lawrence, associate dean and professor at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has been honored for his efforts to increase diversity within the veterinary profession.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning recently presented Lawrence with the Black History Month Educator of the Year award for MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will open its doors from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. April 13 and 14 for its annual Open House at the Wise Center, located on the south side of campus off Spring Street.

The April 13 program is for pre-registered school groups, and the April 14 program is open to anyone in the community. School groups can register for this free event by contacting Brandi Van Ormer at (662) 325-0465. There is no cost to attend.

PITTSBORO -- The Calhoun County 4-H club will receive a $2,500 donation through the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program sponsored by the Monsanto Fund.

William “Rocky” Fleming registered for the program, which offered farmers a chance in a drawing to benefit their favorite community nonprofit organization. Fleming and his wife, Dot, selected the Calhoun County 4-H club based on their son’s active participation in 4-H, the youth development program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communication

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Miss Dixie National and Miss Rodeo Mississippi are both current Mississippi State University students striving to raise awareness about the importance of livestock and agriculture.

Paige Nicholson, Miss Dixie National, is a junior agricultural information science major in the College of Agriculture and Life Science. Samantha Golden, Miss Rodeo Mississippi, is a sophomore pre-accounting major.

Nicholson said she hopes to use her education to lend a strong voice for agriculture.

BILOXI -- Mozambique’s farmers can now preserve and better market their mango harvest thanks to training provided by a Mississippi State University specialist.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s gardening public image has taken several forms over its 27-year history, but what is now known as “Southern Gardening” with Gary Bachman has a long history of impacting landscapes in Mississippi.

“Southern Gardening” is a weekly newspaper column, radio segment and television feature produced by the MSU Extension Service. Bachman, the current host, is a horticulture specialist at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Before heading down the trail on a nature hike, take time to protect yourself and your pets from ticks and the diseases they carry, advised Mississippi State University experts.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A charter faculty member of Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has been inducted into the state’s veterinary profession’s Hall of Fame.

Dr. Clyde Taylor, a native of Natchez, was named to the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association’s Hall of Fame at their recent winter meeting in Starkville. He spent his entire career in Mississippi, working first in the Department of Agriculture, then in private practice in Brandon and finally on the faculty at MSU.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A glass of milk may not look like preventive medicine, but daily calcium intake can build strong bones that are less likely to break.

“Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density to the point where fractures occur earlier and more easily. While more prevalent in women, men can also have osteoporosis,” said Diane Tidwell, associate professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion. “As the baby boomers get older, we’ll see a lot more osteoporosis, simply because our society is aging.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University meat scientist is describing recent media reports as irresponsible journalism that casts a shadow over established practices that make certain ground beef products healthier and safer.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Take a look at 4-H livestock show rings anywhere in the state. There are nearly as many goats as hogs, sheep or steers.

“We’ve increased the numbers of goats shown by about 25 percent each year since the first year,” said Kipp Brown, area 4-H livestock agent and meat goat specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service. “It’s helping the kids, the producers and the 4-H program.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The 13th annual Mississippi 4-H Golf Classic will be at the Lake Caroline Golf Course in Madison on Tuesday, May 22.

The annual golf classic is a fundraiser for the Mississippi 4-H youth development program, part of the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Development officer Morris Houston said the event was moved to the new location to make it more convenient and accessible for participants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Local gardeners will have the opportunity to select spring bedding plants and support students in the horticulture club at Mississippi State University during the annual plant sale this Friday and Saturday.

This year’s sale will take place from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, April 13, and from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, April 14, in the campus greenhouses behind Dorman Hall on MSU’s main campus.

A wide variety of plants will be available such as summer annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Tech-savvy 4-H’ers in Mississippi are using their skills to help their communities get connected.

The Mississippi 4-H tech team is composed of 25 senior 4-H’ers who lead technology workshops on such topics as social media and digital filmmaking. Team members are selected through a competitive process and undergo intensive training.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young people interested in robots, the science behind sports, and shaving cream tag are invited to register for the first-ever Junior Robotics Camp at Mississippi State University.

The camp is a program of the MSU Extension Service and 4-H. Activities will include building robots, electrical circuit projects, catapult wars, field trips, campus experiences, a night at the movies and visits from special guests.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A four-day symposium at Mississippi State University will draw researchers, biologists and land managers concerned with enhancing, restoring and managing the prairies of the Southeastern United States.

The Southeastern Prairie Symposium will be May 14 through 17 in Starkville. Sessions will focus on prairie remnants, conservation, management and working grasslands in the region.