Feature Story from 2012

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show will showcase the newest technology and machinery being used to advance the South’s timber industry.

The event is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the John W. Starr Memorial Forest off of Highway 25 near Starkville. It is sponsored by Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources, Hatton-Brown Publishers Inc., the Mississippi Logger’s Association and the Mississippi Forestry Association.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Landscape and garden enthusiasts can get help planning for next spring from nationally acclaimed designers at a Mississippi State University landscape design event.

The 57th annual Edward C. Martin Jr. Landscape Design Symposium will be Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bost Conference Center on MSU’s Starkville campus. Attendees can preregister by Oct. 12 for $20 or register at the door for $25.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – To most consumers, the idea of someone purposefully contaminating food seems far-fetched, but to food business owners, it is a reality for which they must plan.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Fall is an ideal time for farmers to add value to their businesses by engaging in agritourism and developing farm-to-table relationships.

Becky Smith, Mississippi State University Extension Service instructor of agricultural economics, said farmers can diversify income through fall agritourism activities like corn mazes, tractor rides and pumpkin patches.

VERONA – Several agencies joined forces in Wiggins and Verona to help train first responders how to rescue large animals safely following a disaster or accident.

“Mississippi is a rural and agricultural state, but many of our first responders have no experience with horses, cattle and other large animals,” said Elmo Collum, disaster preparedness coordinator for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “Over the years that we have conducted these trainings, we have discovered that even people with large-animal experience can learn from the classes.”

VERONA – DeSoto County emergency responders were just settling in for a day of large animal rescue training when the call came on Sept. 28.

“An 18-wheeler hauling about 100 calves through the state hit the Coldwater River bridge on Highway 78 in DeSoto County,” said Dr. Carla Huston, an associate professor with the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and a member of the CVM Disaster Response Team. This was not a drill.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Gardeners can add fresh color to their landscapes with plants purchased at the Mississippi State University horticulture club’s annual fall plant sale.

This year’s sale will take place Oct. 12 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Dorman Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Popular flowering plants, such as chrysanthemums, pansies and dianthus, will be available for purchase. Ornamental white and orange pumpkins and cold-hardy vegetables, such as Swiss chard and kale, also will be for sale.

By Amy Cagle
MSU Foundation

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Willis Durden “Dan” McGeary left Mississippi to follow his dream of becoming a pilot, but he never forgot his connection to his home state or his alma mater, Mississippi State University.

The last surviving member of a prominent Delta family, McGeary willed Sidon Plantation in Leflore County to Mississippi State University. The bequest includes 2,069 acres of farmland and 568 additional acres around Sidon Plantation near Greenwood, as well as one of the oldest homes in Leflore County. McGeary died in 2011 at age 91.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Southern hospitality does not need to extend to members of the insect world when temperatures drop.

“Now is the ideal time to prepare your home for winter, before the paper wasps, Asian lady beetles and kudzu bugs start looking for a warm place to spend the cold months,” said Blake Layton, Mississippi State University Extension Service entomologist.

In nature, many insects overwinter under tree bark, in rocky outcrops or hollow trees, Layton said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As a boy growing up in central Mississippi, Joe Gordy never imagined that his love of flowers would grow into an accomplished career.

Gordy, a Mississippi State University alumnus, has a passion for floral design that began in childhood.

“As a child I was fascinated with plants and flowers. I grew up on a farm, and I loved working in the flower garden,” Gordy said. “Horticulture was a subject I wanted to study because I have always been interested in plants. But design is what I love.”

JACKSON – Mississippians can see the talent of the state’s youth at 4-H Day at the Mississippi State Fair on Oct. 13.

Contests, exhibits and other events will be open to the public beginning at 9 a.m. Most contests will conclude around noon. Livestock events will continue throughout the day.

All 4-H events and contests will be held in the Trade Mart, except one. Public speaking will be held in the Cattlemen’s Association building located across from the fairgrounds at 680 Monroe Street, Suite A. Exhibits will be displayed in the Trade Mart’s 4-H Village.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A long-standing and well-attended festival in Ocean Springs gave Mississippi State University researchers an opportunity to calculate the value of these fun events to the state’s economy.

The John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development and the Extension Service at Mississippi State University completed two economic impact studies of the Peter Anderson Arts and Crafts Festival. This annual festival draws more than 100,000 people to the community of 18,000 residents and has a $13 million impact on the local economy.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Owners and operators of the state’s agricultural businesses now have more agricultural economists to consult through the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

James Barnes and Brian Williams are located on MSU’s main campus in Starkville. Larry Falconer is based out of MSU’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University Extension Service fruit crops expert recently received recognition for his work on a national project.

Eric Stafne was honored with the 2012 eXtension Community of Practice Individual Achievement Award based on his leadership as project director for the National Grape Community of Practice. The eXtension website is an online consortium of Extension Service experts with nearly 60 topical resource areas, called communities of practice.

POPLARVILLE -- A Mississippi State University experiment station recently won first place in a North American landscape design competition.

The South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville took top honors in the first annual All-America Selections’ Landscape Design Contest.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Dr. James Peddie has treated some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and is coming to Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine to share his stories.

As veterinarians, Peddie and his wife, Dr. Linda Peddie, have cared for and treated animals on many major motion picture sets, including “Water for Elephants” and “Dances with Wolves.” Dr. James Peddie will speak on Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the Wise Center’s large auditorium as part of the MSU-CVM and Nestle Purina Human-Animal Bond lecture series. The event is free and open to the public.

JACKSON -- Mississippi 4-H’ers from 42 counties put their talent on display at 4-H Day at the Mississippi State Fair on Oct. 13.

Exhibits by 4-H members totaled 1,225 this year, said Larry Alexander, 4-H youth development specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Sixty-five people will have the opportunity Dec. 4 to learn ways to manage wild hogs that have become a serious problem for landowners.

The Wild Pig Management Workshop will be held in Raymond at Mississippi State University’s Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The program is provided by the MSU Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nov. 9 is back-to-school time for cattle and hay producers when Mississippi State University hosts a daylong event in Meadville on topics related to cattle grazing and hay production.

The 2012 Southwest Mississippi Grazing School will be held at Sage Farms from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The school is limited to 80 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is free but must be completed by Nov. 2.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS -- More than 900 students from central Mississippi recently took part in a two-day festival aimed at increasing their knowledge about agriculture and how it fits into a healthy lifestyle.

Twelve schools brought 940 students to the Youth Fall Flower and Garden Fest on Oct. 9 and 10 at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs.