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Feature Story from 2009

June 18, 2009 - Filed Under: Forestry

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Carbon trading has been around for about a decade, but with the increasing global concern regarding climate change, it is receiving even more attention.

Forest landowners have the potential to generate additional income by using their forest for carbon sequestration, a method providing long-term storage of carbon dioxide.

June 18, 2009 - Filed Under: Agri-tourism, Rural Development

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Rural communities in Mississippi and Louisiana have unique cultural atmospheres, attractions and small-town qualities that tourists enjoy.

The fourth annual Regional Tourism Summit of the Miss-Lou Rural Tourism Association can help community representatives identify these elements and design a creative marketing plan to bring visitors to the area.

The summit will be held Aug. 11-13 at the Paragon Casino in Marksville, La. The theme is “Gateways to Get-A-Ways: Preserving the Past, Preparing for the Future.”

June 18, 2009 - Filed Under: Animal Health

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Some graduating Mississippi State University veterinary students participate in a national match-making program each year that has nothing to do with romance and everything to do with successful careers.

The national match program enhances career opportunities for graduating doctors of veterinary medicine, or DVMs, and introduces potential faculty to jobs available at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Artificial reefs provide a place of refuge for red snapper and Mississippi State University is researching the role that the reefs play in enhancing fisheries targeting red snapper. (Photo by Mississippi Department of Marine Resources)
June 25, 2009 - Filed Under: Seafood Harvesting and Processing

By Jason Brandt and Karen Brasher
MSU College of Forest Resources

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The red snapper has proven to be an economically and culturally important fish species, but their numbers are declining throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.

To help address this problem, Mississippi State University scientists, in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, are examining how artificial reefs might slow red snapper decline and assist in its recovery.

June 25, 2009 - Filed Under: 4-H

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippians who are firing up their grills have a valuable resource for tips and tricks in their community’s 4-H youth.

Youth who participate in the 4-H program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service sharpen their culinary skills by competing in the meats cookoff contest each summer. They often carry this experience into adulthood and become avid about the end result from barbecuing meat the correct way.

June 25, 2009 - Filed Under: Cotton

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Fewer cotton acres in Mississippi mean less demand for cotton ginning, and whole communities in the Mississippi Delta are feeling the impact of the loss of their livelihood.

A cotton gin is the piece of equipment that separates the cotton seeds from the cotton. Eli Whitney mechanized this process for the first time in 1793.

June 25, 2009 - Filed Under: Crops

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University research and Extension experts will provide information and demonstrations about agronomic research activities on July 14.

MSU’s Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station will host its annual Research and Demonstration Tour. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.

From left, Lamar Land, Ben Barker and Murritta Lane work as a team kneading dough to make bread. "Fun with Food" participants made many nutritious meals during their week at camp. (Photo by MSU Office of Ag Communications)
July 2, 2009 - Filed Under: Family

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Busy schedules and hectic lives are making it increasingly difficult for families to prepare meals together and find the time to sit down to enjoy them.

Mississippi Extension office associates Joyce Thompson of Oktibbeha County, Barbara Curry of the Northeast District office, Mary Minor of Marshall County and Colleen Butler of Scott County sort through hundreds of food items collected during their 2009 state meeting. (Photo by Linda Breazeale)
July 2, 2009 - Filed Under: Community

By Steven Nalley
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University Extension Service county offices receive a wide range of questions from the state’s diverse population, and the office associates typically are on the front line of all incoming calls.

July 2, 2009 - Filed Under: Poultry

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – While Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District celebrates its new No. 1 status in poultry production, industry insiders know Mississippi State University’s support made this achievement possible.

July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: Health

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The initial impact of the H1N1 flu virus on communities was minimal last spring as schools were preparing to dismiss for the summer, but health officials warn that may not be the case this fall and winter.

Jane Clary, health specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said in the months since the initial outbreaks were detected, the virus has grown to become an official pandemic, a disease outbreak that spans the world.

July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: Children and Parenting

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some parents use age to determine if children can stay home alone, but Mississippi State University experts say maturity level and problem solving skills are more important factors to consider.

Mississippi child protection laws back up this philosophy. The state sets no age limitation on children left alone at home, but guidelines issued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services emphasize the child’s maturity level as a gauge for parental decision making.

July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: 4-H

By Steven Nalley
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi has been a driving force in helping expand the National 4-H Council’s “Health Rocks!” program from a regional experiment to a national standard in less than a decade.

Health Rocks! began as one of 4-H’s Youth-Adult Partnership programs, in which two teenagers lead their peers with the help of an adult facilitator. Initially, the goal was to establish an anti-smoking program that would target 10- to 14-year olds.

July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: Family Financial Management

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- College students moving away from home for the first time are often amazed at how much it costs to eat every day, and high consumer prices can make it harder than ever to eat well on a budget.

College students can expect to spend as much as 30 percent of their budget on food, said Susan Cosgrove, Mississippi State University Extension Service family resource management area agent. Especially in tough financial times, college students should identify all sources of income, then stick with a monthly budget that covers all expenses.

July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: Biofuels

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The interdisciplinary faculty at Mississippi State University’s Sustainable Energy Research Center, who are exploring how to convert plant biomass into renewable energy, will present their findings at the fourth annual MSU Biofuels Conference Aug. 6-7 in Jackson.

Researchers from the energy industry, other universities, laboratories, foundations and government agencies will join them at the conference to share information about sustainable, environmentally sound energy alternatives.

July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: Food

MISSISSIPPI STATE – As the economy continues to present challenges, an upcoming workshop will help new food business owners learn how to battle the stiff odds and have a better chance to succeed.

“Food as a Business” is a day-long video conference Aug. 11 with satellite locations at Mississippi State University and in Biloxi, Raymond, Verona and Cleveland. The $40 registration fee covers breaks, lunch and conference materials, and must be received by July 31.

MSU veterinary student Shannon Vawter of Horn Lake works with third grade Starkville Academy students Carly Smith and Montana Brasher while MSU student Katie Ebers of Jackson (background) spends a moment with elementary student Mallory Barber. (Photo by Tom Thompson)
July 9, 2009 - Filed Under: Pets

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University veterinary students are not satisfied learning about animals themselves; they want to lay the educational foundation for future pet owners, as well.

Pet Awareness With Students, or PAWS, is a pilot project initiated by third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students Shannon Vawter of Horn Lake and Katie Ebers of Jackson. The two students also are pursuing master’s in public health degrees in the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s dual-degree option.

Farm manager Sean Horton prepares a grader to check road beds at Mississippi State University's Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. Maintaining safety standards is one of Horton's many responsibilities at the 4,100-acre site. (Photo by Rebekah Ray/MSU Delta Research and Extension Center)
July 16, 2009 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Family

By Rebekah Ray
MSU Delta Research and Extension Center

STONEVILLE – Even though Sean Horton’s father discouraged him from pursuing a career in forestry and agriculture, the Greenville teenager was determined to follow his dream.

Since 1993, the younger Horton has worked as farm manager at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, the university’s largest off-campus research center.

July 16, 2009 - Filed Under: Forages, Livestock

MISSISSIPPI STATE – It is common in Mississippi to see cattle grazing in pastures surrounded by trees, but researchers at Mississippi State University are looking into the feasibility of bringing it all into one field.

The goal of silvopasture systems is to use space and the growing season more effectively by combining trees or shrubs with forage and livestock production in the same acreage.

Hernando High School student Christian Crews, 16, removes a plant from its container as part of a laboratory exercise. (Photo by Patti Drapala)
July 16, 2009 - Filed Under: Community

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most high school students who attend Mississippi State University’s horticulture summer seminar do not become plant scientists or landscape architects, but the experience often shapes the way they approach their future vocations.

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