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News From 2019

Small planters in a row overflow with young lettuce plants.
December 30, 2019 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Vegetable Gardens

As we approach the end of the year 2019, I’ve been reflecting on gardens and gardening in general. I wrote several weeks ago about the changing attitudes and current perceptions that home gardeners have about their landscapes and gardens

Dozens of blue flowers bloom over green leaves.
December 23, 2019 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Our Mississippi landscapes and gardens really had a tough year in 2019.

A silver fish is released into green water.
December 19, 2019 - Filed Under: Other Aquaculture Species, Fisheries

When most people think about tarpon, they probably picture a giant, shimmering, 6-foot fish leaping up towards the sky from the crystal-clear waters of southern Florida. What many people don’t know is that tarpon are also found just off our beaches in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Although tarpon are not considered table fare in the United States, they are prized by recreational anglers because of their large size and acrobatic behavior. Tarpon generally swim in schools and make long coastal migrations from the southern Gulf of Mexico to the north in the late spring before migrating back south in the fall.

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December 18, 2019 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Rice, Soybeans, Poultry, Timber Prices

In 2019, Mississippi’s agricultural industry faced the prospect of dipping below $7 billion for the first time in eight years, but federal payments pushed its value up enough to post a slight gain over 2018.

The estimated value of Mississippi agriculture in 2019 is $7.39 billion, a 0.2% gain from last year’s $7.37 billion. Included in the total is an estimated $628 million in government payments, the largest amount of federal assistance Mississippi producers have seen since 2006

A white chicken sits among a flock of chickens in a poultry house.
December 18, 2019 - Filed Under: Poultry

Overcoming every challenge that comes its way, Mississippi’s poultry industry maintained its 25-year streak in 2019 as the state’s No. 1 agricultural commodity.

Pine trees surround a small clearing in a Mississippi forest.
December 18, 2019 - Filed Under: Forestry, Forestry Impacts, Marketing, Timber Prices, Forest Management, Timber Harvest

Mississippi’s timber industry remained its second highest producing agricultural commodity again in 2019.

Coming in with an estimated production value of $1.15 billion, timber followed the state’s poultry industry, which generated an estimated value of $2.78 billion in 2019. Timber’s value of production is estimated by monthly severance taxes collected by the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

A cluster of green kale plants with white centers.
December 16, 2019 - Filed Under: Greens

I’m continuing to catch up with my landscape and garden work after an extremely busy fall and early winter season. This past weekend was perfect to get some much-needed cool-season color planted.

Purple, red and yellow stems are topped by rich green leaves.
December 9, 2019 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Vegetable Gardens

Winter is finally here, whether you go by the meteorological date of Dec.1 or the upcoming astrological date of Dec. 21. To me, it means that I’m going to enjoy the freshly harvested cool-season greens from my little urban farm.

December 4, 2019 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Agricultural Economics

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service invites growers and  financial professionals in the agricultural industry to the 2020 Agricultural and Rural Outlook Conference.

The conference will be held Jan. 7 at the Bost Extension Center auditorium on the main MSU campus in Starkville. It begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes by 3:30 p.m.

Financial management, farm policy, trade and agricultural commodity outlooks will be among the topics covered.

December 3, 2019 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Food Safety, SNAP-Ed, Nutrition

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has hired two new community wellness planners.

December 3, 2019 - Filed Under: Agriculture

Mynelle Gardens will be the host site for an Alliance of Sustainable Farms produce safety training Dec. 13.

A branch with green leaves and dozens of clusters of red berries is in the foreground of an outdoor parking area.
December 2, 2019 - Filed Under: Landscape and Garden Design

I love when the calendar strikes December 1, because it means we are officially in the Christmas season. Now, I know it seems like many stores have had their holiday decorations out since before Labor Day, but none of that counts until we get to December.

November 27, 2019 - Filed Under: Local Food System Economies, Small Business, Food, Food Safety

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Experts from the Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer a workshop designed to help food-related business owners prepare for disasters.

“Food as a Business: Disaster Preparedness for Food Businesses” is for anyone who currently operates or is interested in operating an agriculture-based food business, including retail, cottage food or food processing operations.

Topics include financial preparedness, risk management, record keeping, crisis communication planning, emergency-action planning and food recall and traceability planning.

Small, flat blooms of white and lavender rise above a bed of green leaves.
November 25, 2019 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

For cool-season color, you can’t beat the old-fashioned plants our grandparents called Johnny jump-ups. We now call these pansy cousins violas, and they give the home garden big color.

A roasted turkey and side dishes fill a table set for a meal.
November 22, 2019 - Filed Under: Food and Health, Food Safety

A few, simple preparations can mean the difference between achieving a healthy success or suffering a major disaster during the traditional biggest meal of the year.

November 22, 2019 - Filed Under: Forestry

Mississippi State University welcomed a new forestry specialist Nov. 1.

Shaun Tanger joined the MSU Extension Service in the southeast region as a forestry specialist with area and statewide duties. 

Long, narrow orange and red leaves dangle from branches.
November 18, 2019 - Filed Under: Plants and Wildlife

I am thoroughly thankful I made the move to coastal Mississippi a dozen years ago. One of my truly enjoyable fall pursuits happens after the temperatures have gotten chilly. On bright, sunny fall days, I really like driving on Highway 90 to my office at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi along the Gulf of Mexico.

Mississippi Department of Mental Health Helpline, 1-877-210-8513
November 18, 2019 - Filed Under: The PROMISE Initiative, Rural Health

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is doing what it can to make sure everyone in the state’s agricultural community knows there is help available when the stress of life seems unrelenting.

November 18, 2019 - Filed Under: Local Flavor, City and County Government

Mississippi fruit and vegetable producers, specialty foods producers and interested farmers can learn how to get their products on local store shelves and into new markets during an upcoming meeting.

Green cypress tree rows in a field.
November 15, 2019 - Filed Under: Agri-tourism, Christmas Trees

Mississippians pondering ideas for a side business could consider investing in land and planting stem cuttings of Leyland and Murray cypress trees.

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