Feature Story

By Lani Jefcoat

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Family planning efforts can protect today's pets from unwanted litters and health risks and significantly reduce the number of animals put to sleep in the years to come.

Dr. Richard Hopper, Mississippi State University Extension Service veterinarian, said the best way to help control the pet population and protect animals from serious medical problems is through spay or neuter efforts.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Digital technology is allowing Mississippi plant specialists to lend their expertise without leaving the office, drastically cutting response time to problems.

Dr. Frank Killebrew, plant pathologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, is using digital cameras and e-mail to distance diagnose plant diseases. He established a pilot program in five counties, and expects to expand this year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Federal relief is on the way to small hog producers who managed to survive the 1998 market catastrophe.

Mark Crenshaw, swine specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said the assistance comes too late for many of the state's smaller producers who opted out of the business months ago. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimateed there are 100,000 eligible producers, but Crenshaw said Mississippi may have 50 qualified farms.

By Jamie Vickers

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young people from across the state learned techniques and ethics of managing and hunting waterfowl before returning to experience the satisfaction of a December day's hunt.

Nearly 60 youth and their guardians took part in the Third Annual Youth Waterfowl Hunters' Workshop at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge on Oct. 31. They returned to the Refuge in December to a green-tree reservoir where the participants had the exclusive opportunity to hunt waterfowl.

By Lani Jefcoat

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Couples celebrate Valentine's Day by expressing love and affection, but people should know how to convey love throughout the year. While it is traditionally for lovers, Valentine's also can be a time to communicate and develop love within the family.

Dr. Louise Davis, Mississippi State University Extension Service child and family development specialist, said children and adults need to be reminded that they are loved all the time and not just on Valentine's Day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most newlyweds have a closet full of gifts they didn't need or want, but choosing a quality item will reduce the chances of a gift going into storage instead of regular use.

Kitchen items are popular wedding gifts for engaged couples. Most newlyweds, especially those setting up their first home, need practical and quality items that will last for years.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Few aspects of a courtship receive the high level of public attention as the moment he proposes marriage.

Most women can't help the romantic side of their personalities that longs for a special, thoughtful proposal. From the time their mothers recount their own stories, many girls begin dreaming.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- No matter how well a couple knows each other, some adjustments are expected in the first months and years of marriage.

Dr. Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said realistic expectations as a couple enters a marriage are important in making all the adjustments to each other.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Shopping for a wedding dress can overwhelm a new bride and make her think finding the groom was easy.

Dr. Betty Fulwood, clothing specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said many options are available as brides search for the wedding dress of their dreams.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- "For richer, for poorer" is usually in the vows, but many couples may not realize the potential hardship financial issues can have on their marriage.

"Finances are a common source of conflict for couples, but as with many other issues, good communication can help reduce the problems on the relationship," said Dr. Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

By Jamie Vickers

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Convert a hobby into a money-saving opportunity by using homegrown flowers and greenery for wedding decorations.

"One of the best ways to make a wedding personal and keep the cost down is to grow your own flowers," said Norman Winter, Extension horticulturist with Mississippi State University.

"Growing flowers for a wedding is particularly convenient for June weddings," Winter said. "Even if some flowers such as roses are planted in January, there should be a good number of blooms by June."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Low yields and market problems brought on by Mississippi's weather challenges and Asian economic problems resulted in an estimated 8 percent loss to the state's agriculture's total gross income.

Dr. John Robinson, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said observers should remember 1997 was a record year, and supplies were high going into 1998. The "Asian Flu" resulted in less movement of U.S. products to Pacific Rim countries.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The poultry industry in Mississippi fared well again in 1998, retaining its top agricultural spot in the state as excellent prices boosted the projected value into record territory.

Mississippi broilers and eggs combined to bring an estimated 1998 value of $1.46 billion, up 6.6 percent from 1997. Poultry topped forestry, valued at $1.31 billion, as the state's top agricultural commodity. Broilers saw a projected 8 percent increase in value to $1.3 billion, while eggs actually declined 5 percent from 1997 to $139 million.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's timber industry may break its string of record years as preliminary figures show a slight decrease in value as higher prices couldn't completely offset reduced harvests.

The state's timber industry has a 1998 projected value of $1.31 billion, down about $3 million from 1997. This fraction of 1 percent decrease still put it above the 1996 harvest value.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi cotton growers chose to plant fewer acres in 1998 knowing the world market offered little promise. The hot, dry summer prevented a repeat of 1997's record yields, but growers still managed to harvest near the five-year average.

Dr. John Robinson, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, predicted the 1998 farm-gate value of Mississippi's cotton will be about $541 million, down 16 percent from the previous year. Cotton felt a triple whammy from reduced acres, smaller yields and lower prices.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Many homeowners are considering ways to put their Mississippi homes to work for them in the growing business trend of bed and breakfasts.

"As Mississippi's tourism grows, so does the interest in bed and breakfasts," said Linda Mitchell, coordinator of the Family and Youth Center in Lee County. Mitchell recently arranged a conference in Verona, Jackson and at Mississippi State University held consecutively and joined audiovisually by technology.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Tragedies happen every month, week and day of the year, so why do they seem so much more devastating around the holidays?

Dr. Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said people naturally notice unexpected events more than the common experiences of life. Even when someone has battled an illness for a long time, their family and friends still don't expect a death around the holidays.

By Jamie Vickers

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Don't break a New Year's resolution to save money this year. Create a budget in six steps that helps manage money with careful planning.

"Successful money management requires planning," said Dr. Beverly Howell, family economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "It also requires self-discipline and the ability to say ëno' to unnecessary spending, which is why saving money is an easy New Year's resolution to break."

The first of six steps to creating and staying with a budget is to determine goals.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- While heredity decrees that some people start life with a pair of glasses and some centenarians need no vision aids, eyes should be babied so they last a lifetime.

Linda Patterson, health education specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said eyes are fragile and should be treated with care. Have eyes examined regularly, and take all measures to avoid eye injuries.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A program aimed at improving soybean yields in Mississippi helped farmers produce 1998 soybean yields that, despite the drought, averaged 45 bushels an acre, 20 more than the state average.