Extension Matters: Volume 7 Number 2

  • A man with glasses standing behind a table with shells, teeth, and bones on it.

    Finding Perspective

  • Headshot of a young black woman in business attire.

    4-H Where Are They Now?

  • A smiling couple standing next to each other in a garden.

    More Than Just a Farm

  • Two masked women with glasses and brown hair holding a brown bag.

    Extension in Action

  • A young woman wearing safety goggles and a blue lab coat working in a lab.

    A Stepping-Stone to the Future

  • A catfish net rises in the foreground with 2 men standing on a boat in back.

    Superior Catch

  • A woman sits behind a desktop computer at a desk talking on the phone.

    Commitment to Transparency

  • Four people stand behind a recently cut large red ribbon on a new bridge over a body of water.

    What’s New in Extension

  • A man and woman wearing masks hold each side of a banner that reads “2020 Winner $2,500.”

    Doing the “Heart” Work

  • A smiling teenage girl stands behind a table covered in ingredients for a recipe displayed on a phone screen she holds in front of her.

    Where You Are

  • An older man and woman with a younger man stand smiling in front of a sign honoring Sadye Weir.

    Ripples Make Waves

  • Hummingbird.

    Social Media Connection

  • A man sits in a chair with his hands on his knees.

    Development Direction

A man with glasses standing behind a table with shells, teeth, and bones on it.

Extension connects landowner experts to identify fossils

The kids who dig in the dirt and rifle through the gravel do grow up, and many of them still keep their eyes on the ground whenever they’re outside. And, if they find an old bone or even a shell from an extinct oyster, they know they’ve found something special.

Headshot of a young black woman in business attire.

When her mother signed her up for 4-H in Lee County at the age of 10 with now-retired agents Sherry Smith and Beth Randall Youngblood, Shannon native Alivia Paden Roberts had no idea how influential the program would be in her life. Through participating in project areas such as leadership and public speaking, Roberts gained skills that led to her success. Roberts now works in Washington, D.C., as deputy White House liaison at the United States Department of Justice.

A smiling couple standing next to each other in a garden.

Growers address nutrition and criminal justice shortfalls

Growing vegetables and raising farm animals are demanding endeavors by themselves. Kevin and Teresa Springs are already succeeding at these activities, but their sights are set on combining them with their backgrounds in criminal justice to address greater societal challenges.

Two masked women with glasses and brown hair holding a brown bag.

Extension Brown Bags flying off shelves in DeSoto County

Mississippi State University Extension agents in DeSoto County are partnering with public librarians throughout the county to distribute Extension Brown Bags to members of the community. Extension has offered a range of educational programs at these libraries, so joining with them to expand the giveaways was a natural choice.

A young woman wearing safety goggles and a blue lab coat working in a lab.

Rural Medical & Science Scholars program provides insight, courage for careers

Zoe Fokakis is on her way to realizing her dream of becoming a physician scientist. That dream was partly fueled by her participation in the Rural Medical & Science Scholars program.

A catfish net rises in the foreground with 2 men standing on a boat in back.

Catfish production continues in Mississippi, and despite labor shortages slowing processing, pond inventories remain strong. Superior Catfish, based in Noxubee County, continues distributing Mississippi-born and bred catfish nationwide.

A woman sits behind a desktop computer at a desk talking on the phone.

New municipal clerk uses Extension training to earn promotion

From municipal elections to public-records requests, all official records for the city of Jackson are the responsibility of Angela Harris.

 

Four people stand behind a recently cut large red ribbon on a new bridge over a body of water.

Extension distributes 78,000 masks in Mississippi

When a federal agency made mass shipments of thousands of masks available nationally, the Extension health director in Washington, D.C., Dr. Roger Rennekamp, reached out to his longtime colleague Dr. David Buys, an associate professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

A man and woman wearing masks hold each side of a banner that reads “2020 Winner $2,500.”

Full circle

As a farmer for more than 37 years, Dot Fleming understands the law of the harvest. So, when she had the opportunity to channel a $2,500 donation from the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program to the nonprofit of her choice, she immediately chose Calhoun County’s 4-H club. She says she wanted to give back to the program that nurtured her family and that she has supported for years.

A smiling teenage girl stands behind a table covered in ingredients for a recipe displayed on a phone screen she holds in front of her.

Mississippi fresh chef

4-H’er’s recipe appears in national cookbook

When Sydnee Thompson found out the National 4-H Council was putting together a cookbook, she decided to submit one of her family’s favorite recipes.

An older man and woman with a younger man stand smiling in front of a sign honoring Sadye Weir.

How one Extension agent influenced generations of community leadership

When Helen M. Taylor left the one-room schoolhouse to integrate a new school in the 1950s, she met someone who would change her life, and the lives of countless others, for decades.

Hummingbird.

Popular post

Hummingbird migration information reached more than 400,000 on Facebook, thanks to this post highlighting the featured Extension for Real Life blog post.

A man sits in a chair with his hands on his knees.

Investing in the future

Whether it’s in time, resources, hard work, or even patience, investment is at the center of showing livestock.

 

 

 

Extension Matters cover volume 7 number 2.
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Extension Matters Issues

Message from the Director

Dr. Gary
Jackson

Extension continues its mission of extending knowledge to change lives, and we continue delivering the information people need to make their lives and communities better.

This issue of Extension Matters features two new sections: “Extension in Action” and “Social Media Connection.” “Extension in Action,” featuring DeSoto County in this issue, showcases a county making new connections with clients through innovative approaches. “Social Media Connection” highlights what’s going on across Extension’s social media channels. Consider it an invitation to join the conversation.

Other stories highlight three former 4-H’ers, all in different phases of their adult lives, who share how participating in the youth development program impacted them and prepared them for their careers. One current 4-H’er, whose recipe was recently published in a national 4-H cookbook, explains how 4-H is teaching her about nutrition and other topics.

Other Mississippi residents tell how Extension is answering their pressing questions. When a Noxubee County resident found fossils on his property, Extension connected him with a network of scientists for identification. When a couple decided they wanted to begin a farming operation in Choctaw County, Extension opened its doors, shared information, and created connections.

Extension’s Rural Medical and Science Scholars program for rising high school seniors continues, adapted to pandemic conditions. In this issue, one former participant explains how the program not only solidified her interest in medical science but also convinced her that she wanted to complete her bachelor’s degree here in Mississippi.

Also, a city clerk from Jackson explains how training with Extension prepared her to achieve a top municipal clerk designation, demonstrating her up-to-date knowledge in overseeing elections, managing public-records requests, and informing the public about city ordinances and resolutions.

Even as our great state continues to overcome the many challenges presented by the pandemic, Extension remains here to serve. Whether we are in the office or in the field, we continue to lead by example as we work to make a difference every day in Mississippians’ lives.

Sincerely, 

Gary Jackson
Director, MSU Extension Service