News By Department: MSU Extension- Bolivar County

Petunias are great summer annuals to have in your landscape. They offer beautiful blooms that can withstand the Mississippi heat and thrive up until the first cold snap of the winter. Get the most out of your petunias by properly deadheading them! Deadheading the wilted or dead blooms only encourages new blooms to grow and keeps them looking great for several months.

People can enjoy the annual rice tasting event held in Bolivar County in a different format this year. The Rice Festival will be held Sept. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the streets of downtown Merigold.

Video by Michaela Parker

Pruning your rose bushes is one late winter chore you shouldn’t overlook! It’s so easy to neglect yard maintenance, especially during cold weather. Pruning helps shape the bush, remove dead canes, open the center for air flow, and stimulate new growth. 

Pruning any plant can be intimidating at first, but it’s actually quite easy. Before you get started, it’s comforting to know that roses are very forgiving plants. They will grow out of many mistakes you may make. Whew!

Mississippi’s 259 rice-producing farms rank the state No. 5 nationally in rice production, a fact highlighted in September when Mississippians are urged to “Think Rice.”

Dry fall weather in recent years delayed wheat planting and reduced acreage significantly, but rains in 2018 are creating a different problem for wheat producers.

Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said wet soils have delayed fall harvest in some areas. Harvest of other crops is the foremost priority before effort and acreage are devoted to wheat.

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- Delta area residents and chefs will show off the versatility of rice -- one of Mississippi's four major row crops -- during the 27th annual Rice Tasting Luncheon.

The event, which celebrates National Rice Month, draws more than 1,000 people from the state, the region and other countries. As the top rice-producing county in Mississippi, Bolivar County has the honor of hosting the luncheon every year.

It begins at 11 a.m. and concludes at 1 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the Delta State University Walter Sillers Coliseum in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- Business-minded Mississippians who realize that tourism is a lucrative enterprise that reaches far beyond the state’s beaches will have an opportunity for training and funding in October.

Leveraging Cultural Tourism for Community Development is a two-day workshop planned for Oct. 13-14 in Cleveland, Mississippi. It will teach anyone interested and involved in tourism how to design tours, create weekend getaways and capitalize on current tourism trends and resources available in the Mississippi Delta.

CLEVELAND – Mississippi farmers want to show off their rice crop at its best, served in hundreds of dishes for sampling at the 23rd annual rice-tasting luncheon in Cleveland.

The dishes will be available from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sept. 20 at Delta State University’s Walter Sillers Coliseum.

Laura Giaccaglia, Bolivar County Extension agent and coordinator, said the event attracts about 1,500 people each September, which is National Rice Month.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Placing first at the Southern Regional Horse Show might not seem like a great feat to some, but for former Bolivar County 4-H’er Jamie Mangum, it meant overcoming difficult obstacles.

Mangum is no ordinary 4-H’er. Though he was born with cerebral palsy, a disorder affecting the ability to control movement, he has never let his disability control him.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The yield of early-planted rice looks good so far, but only time will tell how seriously the high heat of early August will cut into yields from later-planted fields.

Nathan Buehring, rice specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said harvest began in mid-August and will proceed at full speed until completed, probably by the first week of October.

“Those who have a good feel for yield have been pleased with what they’re harvesting so far,” Buehring said. “It won’t be a bumper year, but we should be average.”

CLEVELAND -- Mississippi farmers want to show off their rice crop at its best, served in hundreds of dishes for sampling at the 17th annual rice luncheon in Cleveland.

The meal will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sept. 21 at Delta State University’s Walter Sillers Coliseum.

Ben Spinks, Bolivar County director for Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said the event attracts more than 1,000 people each September, which is National Rice Month.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Farmers and agricultural consultants across the region will converge on the Mississippi Delta in January to learn practical ways to the save energy costs during the 2006 production year.

“Every farmer in the nation felt the impact of higher fuel prices in 2005,” said Don Respess, Bolivar County Extension director and co-chair for the event. “We want to provide energy conservation solutions farmers can implement this year.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Many of Mississippi's row-crop farmers depend on the information gathered at the annual Delta Ag Expo in Cleveland to help them make farming decisions for the upcoming season.

This year's two-day agricultural exposition and educational event will be Jan. 20 and 21 at the Bolivar County Exposition Center. Admission is free, and the doors open daily at 8:30 a.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi leads the world in catfish production, but for various reasons, the state's children may not be introduced to fish on their plates as soon as they should.

As the Bolivar County home economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, Sharon Allen works in the heart of catfish production -- the Mississippi Delta. She sees firsthand what children are eating and what they are not eating. She also knows the importance of consuming a variety of foods to maintain a healthy diet.