News From 2001

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some adults say youth need encouragement to be their best, but a special group of those Mississippians are preparing to put their money where their mouths are.

More than 2,000 members of 4-H and FFA programs across Mississippi will converge upon Jackson to compete in the Dixie National Junior Round-Up, Feb. 1 through 8. An elite group of winners will receive the top monetary awards following the livestock show at the Sale of Junior Champions on Feb. 8.

By Chantel Lott

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cheese production at Mississippi State University allows researchers to develop improved cheese products and offers students in food sciences hands-on experience while attending college.

Students at MSU studying food science have the opportunity to study the cheese making process and work in a real cheese production plant as part of their curriculum. The plant is operated by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Horticulturists are always looking for "60-mile-per-hour plants," which means pretty flowers in some landscapes can divert your attention while you are zipping down the highway.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A group of 105 youngsters in Kossuth have included gardening in their classroom activities and become the first Junior Master Gardener group in the state.

In November, the Kossuth Aggie Junior Gardeners registered as Junior Master Gardeners. The fifth graders' teachers began teaching a gardening curriculum and the classes began working in their outdoor classroom at the school. The group studies environmental and horticultural topics, does hands-on activities, and has the opportunity to take on community leadership projects.

By Crystel Bailey

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Teenagers love to spend money, and now teachers and financial experts are teaching them how to use it wisely as part of a school curriculum.

After the Mississippi Legislature passed a law in 1999 that required money management be taught in high schools, Mississippi State University's Extension Service joined with schools and businesses to bring this new curriculum to the classroom.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

After those 100-plus degree days in August, we should feel guilty complaining about the cold winter we've had. It helps knowing that some hot new plants like the Bouquet Purple dianthus will be showing up soon to help us forget the frigid December and January.

MISSISSIPPI STATE Most of Mississippi's weather in 2000 did more harm than good for the state's farmers -- until December.

After four relatively mild winters, entomologists predict significant insect mortality from the cold. The state climatologist reported December temperatures were among the coldest in reported history.

By Chantel Lott

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Knowing that corn will grow in Mississippi is one matter, but deciding which kind will grow best on a particular farm puts significant amounts of money on the line and calls for in-depth research.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- For better or worse, few relationships have gotten as much "bad press" over the years as that of parents-in-law.

"Parents are often a major component in the happiness or unhappiness of a marriage," said Louise Davis, family and child development specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The challenges may begin before the vows, during the stressful time of planning the wedding.

By Jamie Vickers Phipps

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Safe food handling at the wedding reception can prevent disasterous affects on the guests and honeymooning newlyweds.

When family and friends pitch in to help minimize reception costs, freshness and food safety are important issues.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Patience and understanding are the keys to smoother transitions when blending children from previous marriages into one big, happy family.

"Remarriages are often more complicated than first marriages because of the presence of children on one or both sides of the union," said Louise Davis, family and child development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

Important steps for a healthy stepfamily include developing a sense of unity, respecting each other and managing time together and apart.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Bridal gowns are major investments, both financially and emotionally, so take extra precautions and perform follow-up care to ensure the dress will last for generations.

Everlyn Johnson, apparel and textile program leader with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said brides can begin to consider the longevity of the gown when the shopping begins or before the gown is made.

By Allison Powe Matthews

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- For brides who want a picture perfect wedding, bridesmaid dresses are an important accent.

Everlyn Johnson, apparel and textile program leader with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said selecting dresses that are satisfactory to both the bride and her maids can be a frustrating task, but starting early can ensure dress success.

"As soon as a bride finds her own wedding gown she should begin searching for the bridesmaids' dresses," Johnson said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dreams of setting up housekeeping with a new spouse may turn into nightmares if a couple fails to carefully study all the details -- structural and financial -- before committing themselves to a housing agreement.

Careful study of all the details for purchasing or renting a home, including the physical layout of the building, and the legal and financial details, is essential for selecting a first home.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- To let the groom know he is more than a well-dressed escort at his bride's wedding, give him nontraditional wedding gifts that let him share the engagement spotlight.

The bride's schedule in the weeks before the wedding tends to be a hectic rush from one shower to the next -- most of which are for women only. While the groom also will benefit from the generosity of these friends and family, he may enjoy some gifts clearly selected with him in mind.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Honeymoons can be as simple as putting gas in the car and renting a hotel room, but when the trip is more elaborate, travel agents can become a couple's best friend.

Beverly Howell, extension family economics and management specialist at Mississippi State University, said professionals can help choose honeymoons that fit personal tastes and budgets.

"For a wedding trip to be meaningful and enjoyable, it doesn't have to be to an exciting place," Howell said. "There are other options people can use depending on their interests."

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The large, tulip-shaped, purple, pink and white flowers of the Japanese magnolia will open soon in neighborhoods all across our state, making you wish you had planted one or two. One of Napoleon's retired soldiers is credited with making the cross.

These huge-flowers produced in late winter and early spring are a sight long remembered. The past few years they have been exceptional in bloom. It won't be long until they start to show up at garden centers.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many Mississippi gardeners are big on container gardening during the spring, summer and even fall, but once cold weather hits, the pots start to look kind of dismal. Take heart gardeners, we still can brighten up those cold dreary porches, patios and decks.