Feature Story

FLOWOOD, Miss. -- When responding to emergencies, collaboration between state agencies is critical in the effort to save lives.

Full-scale exercises like Operation Angel Flight test and evaluate these agencies’ preparedness in the event that they are called to assist with a disaster event. This drill, conducted by the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was held May 9 at the Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base.

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. -- A pilot program designed to increase food pantries’ capacity to provide health-related foods and services recently completed its initial classes.

In response to the continued expansion of screwworm flies into southern Mexico, the U.S. suspended live animal imports from Mexico on May 11, 2025, halting imports of feeder cattle from Mexico.

STONEVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University’s National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research in Leland will demonstrate an easier method for deploying polypipe at a field day showcasing irrigation water management strategies on June 12.

Irrigation experts are testing a new automatic system that punches holes in polypipe, which is used for furrow irrigation in row crops. In the Mississippi Delta, about 70% of farmland is irrigated, and furrow irrigation is the most common method, used on about 83% of those acres.

NEWTON, Miss. -- New and experienced cattle producers can learn about the latest research in grazing management and forage during a conference June 19-20.

Mississippi State University continues to keep seed and agricultural industry professionals up to date with the Seed and Agricultural Technology Short Course offered this year Aug. 5-6.

While Mississippi high school students have history, English and algebra on their schedules, several are now adding advanced animal husbandry skills to their academic load.

Brandi Karisch, beef cattle specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said Extension began offering a youth stockmanship competition this year to improve young participants’ knowledge and skills in beef cattle handling.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s first confirmed rabies case in a decade is a reminder that proper vaccination of domestic animals is helpful in preventing infection.

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health, or MBAH, announced May 6 that a bat in Tippah County tested positive for rabies, a fatal viral disease. Two potentially exposed puppies were quarantined.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Many older adults want to remain in their own homes and communities as they age, but deciding to age in place should be carefully considered. Some of the first factors to consider are the home itself, finances, personal health and the community.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Concern has spread among Mississippi landowners who have recently noticed extensive pine needle browning and loss among their mature loblolly pine trees recently. Kristy McAndrew, a forestry health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said brown spot needle blight, or BSNB, is widespread in Mississippi right now and may be the culprit.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Sheep and goat producers, researchers and industry professionals will convene at Mississippi State University June 13-14 for the sixth annual Small Ruminant Conference.

The two-day event, hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, highlights cutting-edge research and practical applications in small ruminant production.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- With a renewed interest in home canning in recent years, advice and recipes are abundant, but experts remind home canners to be sure they use safe practices. The foundation of safe home canning begins with research-tested recipes and the correct equipment.

Many Mississippians take steps to live sustainably, but they may not be aware of the impact their clothing choices have on the environment.

Beyond material sourcing and item manufacturing, what happens when the piece of clothing is retired from the closet can have a significant environmental impact. Textile waste is unwanted clothing and fabrics that are thrown away rather than recycled.

Artificial intelligence is the most recent tool in the toolbox for the Mississippi State University Extension Service in its ongoing efforts to provide the best research-backed information to the residents of the state.

MSU’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute, or AAI, hosted the National AI in Agriculture and Natural Resources Conference on March 31-April 2 in Starkville. ExtensionBot was the first item to be addressed at the conference.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Row crop producers who reported financial loss in 2024 may be eligible for economic assistance through a U.S. Department of Agriculture resource.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency has made $10 billion available through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP, for growers to offset increased input costs and lower prices for their commodities.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Row crop growers in Mississippi expect to plant more corn in 2025 than they did last year, but not as much cotton or as many soybeans.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service, a unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, released its annual prospective plantings report March 31. Surveys are conducted with farm operators nationwide during the first two weeks of March each year to collect data on which row crops they plan to plant and how many acres.

GULFPORT, Miss. -- Every day at Gaston Point Head Start Center starts the same as teachers and staff strive to prepare each child for excellence in school.

The day at each Mississippi State University Extension Head Start center begins long before the first child arrives as classrooms are prepared for the day. Activities are set up, lesson plans finalized and hall decorations checked to make sure there is a warm, welcoming space for children and families.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Entering this spring, beekeepers will be tasked with rebounding from the worst winter in over a decade for winter bee mortality.

A nonprofit organization, called Project Apis m., surveyed more than 700 U.S. commercial beekeepers and found they lost 62% of their colonies between July 2024 and February of this year.

Fruit production requires considerable effort, and some fruits require much more care than others -- facts specialists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service keep in mind as they provide research and information support to the industry.

MSU has ongoing blueberry research at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville and the Beaumont Horticultural Unit, and muscadine research at Beaumont and the McNeill Research Unit. MSU also has trials and research on blackberries, wine grapes, elderberries, passion fruit and strawberries.

SENATOBIA, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer free bacteria and chemical screenings for private water well owners in Tate County during an upcoming workshop.