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Feature Story from 2010

Alma Hopper, a 4-H adult volunteer leader in Alcorn County, has spent more than 55 years teaching youth to live according to the organization's credo of "Making the Best Better." Her experiences as a 4-H member in Kentucky influenced Hopper's decision to become a volunteer leader. (Photo by Patti Drapala)
May 27, 2010 - Filed Under: 4-H

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

CORINTH – As a child, Alma Hopper was too shy even to say “please pass the peas” at the family dinner table, but a lifelong journey in 4-H helped her find her voice as an advocate for youth.

Hopper is an adult volunteer leader in Alcorn County’s 4-H program. She serves as a resource person for all of the county’s 4-H clubs. Many club members and leaders speak of her enthusiasm and dedication to the 4-H creed of “making the best better.”

June 3, 2010 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Seafood Harvesting and Processing, Food Safety

MISSISSIPPI STATE – An army of scientists and experts are closely monitoring the Gulf of Mexico oil leak and local conditions to ensure that seafood being sold in Mississippi is safe for consumers.

Dave Burrage, a marine resources specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Biloxi, said the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Health Department are guarding the safety of seafood being caught and sold.

Dr. Paula Ann Schuerer, of Franklin, Tenn., addresses students, faculty and staff at MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine during her recognition as the college's 2010 Alumnus of the Year. (Photo by Tom Thompson)
June 3, 2010 - Filed Under: Animal Health, Pets

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Although she looks for symptoms and clues when examining her animal patients, Mississippi State University veterinary alumna Paula Ann Schuerer never suspected the real reason when a former instructor called with questions.

The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine was considering Schuerer as its 2010 Alumnus of the Year. The college’s feline specialist, Dr. Sharon Grace, needed to complete the nomination about Schuerer and her veterinary practice in Franklin, Tenn., a town on the outskirts of Nashville.

Lowndes County Master Gardeners, from left, Jean Wilson, Mary Faglie, Jennifer Duzan and Nell Thomas examine some of the herbs growing in the garden they renovated for the Culinary Institute at Mississippi University for Women. (Photo by Scott Corey)
June 3, 2010 - Filed Under: Community, Lawn and Garden, Herb Gardens

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

COLUMBUS – The Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women kicked its cuisine up another notch after partnering with Mississippi State University to restore the program’s overcrowded herb garden.

The garden still features many common herbs, such as sage, oregano and thyme, but it now includes several varieties of each one. In the works are plans to add fruit trees and other plants that will broaden students’ knowledge of the preparation and presentation of food.

June 10, 2010 - Filed Under: Agri-tourism, Rural Development

BAY ST. LOUIS – An upcoming conference will offer tips on how rural communities can increase their tourism and thrive during these challenging economic times. 

The fifth annual Regional Tourism Summit of the Miss-Lou Rural Tourism Association can help community leaders, small business owners and tourism professionals identify local opportunities and design creative marketing plans to bring visitors to small, rural areas.

Animal technician Lisa Chrestman, left, helps fourth-year student Amy Dunaway place an intravenous catheter in a dog model. (Photo by Tom Thompson)
June 10, 2010 - Filed Under: Pets

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Researchers at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine investigate diseases and wellness strategies to improve pets’ lives, but many of their discoveries may ultimately advance human health care, too.

June 10, 2010 - Filed Under: Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University is offering two deer management workshops in late July and August to hunters, land managers and foresters working with white-tailed deer populations.

Register by July 9 for the first course, offered July 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Forrest County Extension Office in Hattiesburg. Register by Aug. 13 for the second course, offered Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Thompson Hall on the campus of MSU. The $50 fee for the course covers lunch and educational materials.

June 10, 2010 - Filed Under: Agriculture

STONEVILLE -- Football great D.D. Lewis will be the keynote speaker at the July 15 Agronomic Crops Field Day at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center.

A former Dallas Cowboy linebacker, Lewis was an All-American and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1967 at Mississippi State and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Admiring the landscape plants at the University of Mississippi Museum are, from left, Lelia Kelly of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, museum program coordinator Laura Parkinson, museum director Williams Andrews, and Lafayette County Master Gardeners Kathryn Clark and Anna Haller. (Photo by Scott Corey)
June 10, 2010 - Filed Under: Community, Lawn and Garden

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

OXFORD – Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi have teamed up to make Oxford and the surrounding community an even more beautiful place through an educational partnership.

Mississippi Master Gardeners is an educational exchange program offered through the county offices of MSU’s Extension Service. Individuals who have an interest in plants and gardening sign up for the program, go through basic training, and receive certification in horticulture and its related areas.

Experts at the Mississippi Entomological Museum manage the moth photographers' group website, the largest collection of moth images in the world. Here, museum director Richard Brown and Mississippi State University entomology researcher SangMi Lee compare moth samples to the images posted on the website. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)
June 10, 2010 - Filed Under: Insects

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi Entomological Museum is poised to identify destructive invaders -- taking the form of seemingly harmless bugs -- sneaking into the country and threatening significant damage to U.S. agriculture.

June 17, 2010 - Filed Under: Pets, Snakes

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Many pet dogs encounter venomous snakes during the hot summer months, but tragic consequences can be avoided when owners know what to do when their dogs get bitten.

“More dogs and snakes are out in warmer summer months, creating a situation where they will encounter each other,” said Dr. Kari Lunsford, assistant professor with Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Dogs, curious by nature, agitate snakes and can end up getting bitten.”

Savannah Munn , 10, of Starkville selects a leaf specimen during the insect and plant ecology camp at Mississippi State University.
June 17, 2010 - Filed Under: Environment, Insects

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Participants at Mississippi State University’s Intergenerational Summer Camp on insect and plant ecology may attend because of the bugs, but they soon discover that looking for plants is equally interesting.

Among the camp’s goals are the exploration of the interactions between plants and insects. These relationships, whether positive or negative, can reveal how nature stays in balance said camp director John Guyton of the MSU Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

A brilliant streak of lightning flashes over Suttle Hall, north of Mississippi State University, during a summer storm in this archived photo. (Photo by MSU Geosciences/Michael Brown)
June 17, 2010 - Filed Under: Farm Safety, Family

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The odds of being hit by lightning may seem remote, but the threat is real, and outdoor -- and some indoor -- activities should be altered when thunderstorms are nearby.

Mike Brown, associate professor in geosciences at Mississippi State University, is a seasoned storm chaser. When he is educating new storm chasers, he emphasizes the threats that come from lightning.

June 17, 2010 - Filed Under: Environment, Wildlife, Children and Parenting, Insects

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Equipped with latex gloves and masks, participants at Mississippi State University’s Intergenerational Summer Camp for basic entomology and plant ecology became forensic scientists for an hour.

June 24, 2010 - Filed Under: Food

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University, long recognized for making delicious cheese, will conduct a workshop dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and others with their own interest or appreciation for cheeses.

Focusing on small processing industries, the July 28-29 first-of-its-kind workshop will be hosted by MSU’s Extension Service and the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion.

Butch Smith prepares to package cheese produced from Jersey cow milk on his family farm. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)
June 24, 2010 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Dairy

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

POPLARVILLE – Butch Smith grew up on a dairy farm, chose a different career path and then found helping his daughters with their 4-H Dairy Project made him yearn to go back to working with cows.

Billy Ray Brown stands on the lower level of the milking parlor he built for his Jersey cows. (Photo by Scott Corey)
June 24, 2010 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Dairy

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

YOCONA – Current economics have forced many Mississippi farmers out of the dairy business, but a strong work ethic, savvy marketing ideas and help from Mississippi State University allowed Billy Ray Brown to start a unique dairy operation in Lafayette County.

Backyard flocks should be provided adequate protection from cold or rainy weather and a fenced-in run outside of the coop.
June 24, 2010 - Filed Under: Poultry, Family

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Many people are finding that raising backyard chickens can be an easy way to provide their family fresh eggs, and also to enjoy a rewarding pastime.

“Raising poultry for egg production has become increasingly popular during the last few years,” said Danny Thornton, a poultry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “With the current economic situation, a lot of people are hoping to save money on food by raising their own birds for egg production.”

New beekeeper Mark Lewis of Lowndes County enjoys learning about bees and their care. (Courtesy photo by Keri Collins Lewis)
June 24, 2010 - Filed Under: Beekeeping, Insects

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippians are finding that beekeeping can be a challenging hobby, a profitable business or a good way to learn more about one of nature’s most interesting insects.

There are close to 1,000 people in Mississippi who keep bees for profit or for hobby, and the number is steadily growing.

Ainsley Grey Trimm, of Starkville, enjoys pureed yellow squash and carrots that her mother prepared for her. Ainsley Grey's parents and many others find baby food easy and inexpensive to make. (Courtesy photo provided by Sara Stone)
July 1, 2010 - Filed Under: Family, Children and Parenting, Food

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Homemade baby food gives parents the advantage of controlling what goes into their babies’ sensitive stomachs and provides health benefits for the entire family.

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