MAGAZINE OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR O ur family of agents, specialists, friends, and clients at the Mississippi State University Extension Service are preparing for another fall harvest. Extension partnerships and friendships continue growing, and our team remains committed to expanding our opportunities to share with Mississippians the most recent, reliable, science-based information. This issue of Extension Matters features a variety of people who are benefitting from Extension instruction. Three agriculture and natural resource clients, including a Northeast Mississippi broiler producer, a Delta soybean farmer, and a family of nursery owners, are improving their operations’ profitability through Extension assistance. One 4-H’er has improved her quality of life by participating in 4-H shooting sports, and the children at LaTonya Hill’s Waynesboro childcare center are learning and growing thanks, in part, to Extension’s Early Years Network. Karen Kurr, in a feature beginning on page 15, explains how her determination to feed her family healthy foods made of natural ingredients eventually grew into Mississippi’s only small casserole business. Extension agents and faculty helped her as she learned to navigate the challenges so many small business owners face. After years of working hand-in-hand with the University of Mississippi Medical Center to inspire young people to pursue healthcare careers through the Rural Medical Scholars program and the more recent 4-H Junior Master Wellness program, Extension leaders are expanding this longstanding relationship. Along with Extension, MSU and the Myrlie EversWilliams Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities at UMMC have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to improve health outcomes for all Mississippians. In Extension’s Junior Master Wellness program, specialists and agents work with high school allied health teachers to integrate Community Health Advocate training into their classrooms. Read about three Junior Master Wellness volunteers from Sunflower County on page 12; they’re improving health in the Delta and looking forward to continuing their healthcare training. Even as Extension celebrates these efforts to increase healthy living all over the Magnolia State, I, along with the Mississippi 4-H Youth Development family, have been mourning the unexpected loss of two 4-H’ers. Annalisa Laudadio, from Ripley, was a dedicated 4-H’er who participated in a variety of programs, including horticulture, shooting sports, personal development and citizenship, and clothing and textiles. Her older sister Marisa was featured in the summer issue of our magazine. 4-H’er Austin Thomas, from Hinds County, passed away unexpectedly in an accident that also took the life of another young man, Tanner Gardo. Austin was an enthusiastic member of his 4-H club’s shooting sports team. The entire Extension family extends its condolences to these families as they mourn their loss and celebrate these young people’s lives. Our team of Extension personnel work hard to make a difference in everyday Mississippians’ lives by increasing their knowledge and enhancing their quality of life. We look forward to making this great state even better, working together day by day. I hope you enjoy this issue of Extension Matters. Sincerely,
Gary Jackson Director, MSU Extension Service
Extension Matters is published by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
CONTENTS
Dr. Mark E. Keenum President
Dr. Gregory A. Bohach Vice President Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine
On Target
4
From Contractor to Poultry Farmer
7
Dr. Gary B. Jackson Director MSU Extension Service
Dr. Steve Martin Associate Director Agriculture and Natural Resources
Dr. Paula Threadgill Associate Director 4-H Youth Development, Family & Consumer Sciences, and Center for Continuing Education
Randy Loper Department Head Extension Center for Technology Outreach
Where You Are
10
Doing the “Heart” Work
12
Working with Extension
15
Celebrating Arboretum Excellence
20
More Options, More Customers
22
New Ways to Water
25
What’s New
28
Growing the Tourism Trade
30
New Fundraising Pro Joins Extension
34
Sumner Davis Department Head Center for Government and Community Development
Elizabeth Gregory North Department Head Office of Agricultural Communications
Richard Swann Assistant to the Director and Fiscal Administrator
Extension Matters is produced by the Office of Agricultural Communications.
Elizabeth Gregory North Executive Editor
Leah Barbour Managing Editor
Amelia Plair Editor
Phillip Smith Designer Writers
Susan Collins-Smith Nathan Gregory Keri Collins Lewis Addie Mayfield Photographers
Russ Houston Kevin Hudson Extension Matters Office of Agricultural Communications P.O. Box 9625 Mississippi State, MS 39762 We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
extension.msstate.edu
On the cover: Joe Ellis, a poultry producer from Okolona, works with MSU Extension Service agents and faculty to increase his farm's profitability. Read his story on page 7.
M A G A Z I N E O F T H E M I S S I S S I P P I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y E X T E N S I O N S E R V I C E
Brandy Barnes, 4-H'er
4 Extension M AT T E R S
ON TARGET Hinds County 4-H’er learns patience, persistence through rifle competition By SuSan CollinS-Smith
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
W hen a heart condition kept Brandy
development organization. She joined
certified 4-H shooting sports instructor for
Barnes from playing basketball, she
because she wanted to learn to shoot.
Hinds County 4-H. “She started from the
ramped up her dedication to 4-H shooting sports.
“I can’t really explain where my interest
beginning. She had never fired a rifle
came from, but I was curious about it,”
before that first practice. She stuck with it
Her condition affects heart rhythms
says Brandy, who participates in the .22-
and didn’t get discouraged.”
and is treated with medication and lifestyle
caliber rifle division. “I really enjoy it. It’s
practices, such as getting proper rest,
challenging, and I’ve come so far in the
must focus on the fundamentals to excel.
drinking plenty of fluids, and avoiding
four years that I’ve been involved. That
And the first fundamental all shooting
chocolate and caffeine. Brandy follows her
encourages me to stay with it.”
sports members learn is firearm safety and
doctor’s orders and is a typical teenager. “When I found out that I wouldn’t be
Her commitment to the sport earned her a trip to the National 4-H Shooting
In competitive shooting, individuals
the rules of the range. “Everyone is required to take a safety
able to play basketball, I decided to focus
Sports Championship in Nebraska over the
course first,” Brandy says. “They teach us
on getting better at shooting,” Brandy
summer, but her learning curve was pretty
how to handle our firearms safely and
explains.
steep.
correctly. We learn everything about the
“Brandy showed up to her first practice
gun and what to do and what not to do at
of Hinds County 4-H, the Mississippi State
four years ago with a brand new rifle—still
the firing range. Mr. Mike makes sure that
University Extension Service youth
in the box,” says Mike McArthur, who is a
safety is maintained at all times. At each
The 17-year-old was already a member
Extension M AT T E R S 5
practice, he reminds us of range safety, and
“He helps her with practice,” Donna
he watches to make sure all of the rules are
says. “He watches as she shoots and goes
followed.”
out to look at the target with her. I can’t
elected her president of the shooting sports club this year. “4-H has helped me grow as a person,”
do that. It makes us both too nervous
Brandy says. “I considered myself a shy
stance and how to control the trigger and
because I want her always to do well.
person before being elected. But this
their breathing while they develop other
When the target is good, she gives me a
responsibility has helped me learn to make
skills that also help them with accuracy.
smile or a thumbs up.
decisions and work as part of a group. I
Then, team members learn the proper
feel very welcome in this club. Everyone is
“From there it’s just practice—and lots
“Gerald tells her to have fun,” Donna
of it,” McArthur explains. “Brandy is very
continues. “He wants her to concentrate
accepting, and we all encourage each other
focused. She attends practice regularly, and
and do her best, but he emphasizes that
to do our best.”
she pays attention to detail.”
having fun is important, too. I’m the
Hinds County Extension Agent Lurlinda
serious one during practice and
Soignier says she has seen Brandy evolve
thinks of as a coach and father, is a steady,
competition. I really want her to do well
from a shy young lady into a prepared
calm presence behind her shooting mat
because I know her ultimate goal is to
leader.
during practice every Monday afternoon.
compete in the Olympics. My role is to
Occasionally, he lifts his miniature
keep her encouraged and focused on the
for our shooting sports club,” Soignier
binoculars to study Brandy’s shot
prize. At the end of the day, there will
says. “She is tremendously focused and
placement in the target.
always be a hug and kiss no matter the
serves as an example for other team
outcome.”
members. Her sweet disposition is warm
Gerald Branson, who Brandy says she
“He helps me not only during regular practices, but when I’m practicing on my
Brandy has excelled as a competitive
own,” Brandy says of Branson, who is a
shooter since Branson, a friend of the
37-year member of the National Guard
Barnes family, began helping her with her
and former hunter. “He critiques my
shooting three years ago.
shooting—in a good way—and helps me
“Her technique and ability has
“Brandy serves as greeter and mentor
and welcoming, but she is a fierce competitor once called to the firing line. “I love her dedication to her sport and the support she has from her family and coaches. Youth who are self-motivated and
with my breathing, aiming, adjusting my
improved dramatically,” he says. “It’s still
goal-driven, like Brandy, will be successful
sites, and proper firearm etiquette.”
improving. She is willing to learn, and she
in their future, and it makes me proud to
listens. That is what helps her the most.”
know that 4-H has played a role in that.”
Donna Barnes watches her daughter from the sideline, just a few feet behind Gerald and Brandy.
6 Extension M AT T E R S
4-H provides Brandy with more than just shooting skills. Her team members
Joe Ellis, poultry producer
FROM CONTRACTOR TO POULTRY FARMER Story By SuSan CollinS-Smith
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
Extension M AT T E R S 7
Extension helps Okolona producer improve profitability and maintain healthy birds
J oe Ellis knew almost nothing about
But in 2013, Ellis came across a
Replacing the pads more often was not
chickens when he began raising them for
problem he could not solve. The
financially feasible because they cost
Peco Foods, Inc., in 2008.
evaporative cooling pads that helped keep
between $30,000 and $40,000. Ellis
the chickens cool in high summer
needed to find a fix.
For the previous 20 years, he had been a construction contractor, and, although his
temperatures were dissolving. Growers add
father-in-law had chicken houses, Ellis had
well or community water to the cooling
not been involved with that business. He
pads located at one end of a house and run
learned to manage his six broiler houses
large exhaust fans located at the other end
Extension, took water samples to the MSU
and more than 140,000 chickens by
to help regulate the critical balance
chemical lab. Scientists determined high
reading, consulting with other growers,
between temperature and humidity in the
levels of sodium and chloride in the
and watching his own chickens.
houses.
untreated water, coupled with a high pH,
“I’d been in and out of my father-in-
“I knew it had to be the water quality,
So he decided to call the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Tom Tabler, poultry specialist with
were eroding the pads. Tabler helped him
law’s chicken houses some, but I didn’t
but I couldn’t figure out how to adjust it,”
adjust the water quality by adding a gas
know anything about chickens,” explains
Ellis says of the disintegrating cooling
chlorinator and a chemical pump that
Ellis, of Okolona. “I had a really good
pads. “The pads were just melting, going
injects apple cider vinegar into the water.
placement man with Peco. He helped me a
away. They are supposed to last seven to
That call to Extension became the first
lot. I also spent a lot of time sitting on a
ten years, and I’d only had them for three
of many. Ellis has since developed a strong
five-gallon bucket just watching my
or four years.”
relationship with the educational
chickens.”
8 Extension M AT T E R S
organization and says it has helped him improve profitability and maintain healthy birds. “After we got the water problem solved, Joe asked me about LED lighting,” Tabler says. “So I explained that LEDs do not affect the birds and that flock performance will be equal to incandescent bulbs, but LEDs do help reduce energy bills a good bit. LED bulbs use about 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.” That move has saved Ellis about $1,000 per month in energy costs, he says. Tabler also tested the chicken litter from Ellis’s barns as part of a statewide research project to get up-to-date nutrient values to help crop and livestock producers who use the litter for fertilizer. “The Extension Service has been really
“Sometimes I call Dr. Tabler to find out what I can expect if there are changes I’m
Ellis’s conscientious approach contributes to his success, Tabler says.
good to me,” Ellis says. “Dr. Tabler has
making,” Ellis explains. “I’ll call him if my
“Joe is very meticulous,” Tabler says.
helped me tremendously. I’ve been well
chickens don’t look just right, and he can
“He is a very good farmer, and he wants to
pleased with his recommendations.”
tell me what to do. I also see the county
do what is right. He has a lot of faith in
agent a lot about litter recommendations
my ability. I’m grateful for that, and I try
In fact, the Extension Service is now at the top of Ellis’s reference list. He talks
and if there are things I need to
often with Tabler over the phone and
know relative to my county.
checks in regularly with the county Extension agent.
“I am indebted to Dr. Tabler and Extension.”
to be worthy of that faith. He pays attention and will take my advice or listen to other growers who can help him."
Extension M AT T E R S 9
ASCENDING THE HILL Waynesboro pre-K educator earns accreditation through Early Years Network program, opens new center Story By nathan GreGory
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
LaTonya Hill dedicated herself to early childhood education as a college student, but an odd turn of events convinced her to open her own childcare center. “I was teaching at a Head Start center, but I couldn’t teach my child because our family did not qualify due to our income,” she says. “I was working there teaching other kids and paying somebody else to teach mine somewhere else.” Thanks to help from the Early Years Network, a Mississippi State University Extension Service program, Hill opened the doors of her first licensed childcare center in March, to begin the transition to new, expanded responsibilities after four years as a home-based provider. The Waynesboro native always knew she had a knack for working with children, even when she was a child herself. “When I was growing up, people at church and family events would observe how well children took to me,” she says. “I eventually thought, ‘This is something I can do for the rest of my life.’” Hill graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2007 with a degree in early childhood education before she began an eightyear run as an educator at the Friends of Children of Mississippi center in her hometown. She found out about the Early Years Network through Head Start while she was taking the continuing education classes required as part of her job. “A college classmate of mine was working for MSU at the time and told me about courses I could take there to earn the credentials I would need to open a center,” she says. “After taking several of these and learning more about the Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care program, I opened my home-based center in 2012.” The program provides learning materials, supplies, and lesson plans to independent childcare providers. To earn her In-Home Quality Rating
10 Extension M AT T E R S
LaTonya Hill, childcare provider
and Improvement System (QRIS) rating through the Family, Friend,
The transition has taken Hill some time to get used to—from
and Neighbor Care program, Hill took courses from professionals at
starting a new routine to getting everything moved into her new
the Early Years Network. They instructed her on how to create a
location—but Hill is doing what she always wanted to do, and she
budget for her business and evaluated her classroom instruction to
credits the network with playing a critical role in her success.
ensure her teaching methods prepared children for kindergarten.
“I know I wouldn’t be where I am now without Extension and the
Norma Hayes, a network field technical assistant, visited Hill’s
Early Years Network,” she says. “They worked with me and gave me
home-based site and monitored her teaching style to ensure she was
a lot of encouragement and tools along the way that I needed to reach
meeting the QRIS benchmarks.
my potential, and I’m grateful for everything they do.”
“LaTonya participated in our Quality Rating and Improvement System, which improves the quality of childcare and the resources available at their centers,” says Kelly Carmody, Early Years Network Project Director. “All of the instructional and technical assistance and materials helped grow her business to the point where she had a
Learn more about EYN at http://www.earlyyearsnetworkms.org/.
Extension representatives Norma Hayes, left, and Miltoria Heath, right, celebrate with LaTonya Hill at her new childcare center.
large-enough waiting list to expand into a fully licensed childcare center.” Providing quality education to children was not the only necessary ingredient, though. Hill also had to save money and wait for the right opportunity to branch out. That came in the form of a building in downtown Waynesboro that once housed another childcare center. By the time she bought it, Hill was licensed to teach 35 children in the 1- to 5-years-old age range. In April, enrollment from her home-based center doubled. She is now getting 20 children ready for kindergarten. “The new center is definitely a more convenient location than my home,” Hill says. “But I’ve also had more visibility because of (network field technical assistant) Miltoria Heath. She was instrumental in helping me put together flyers and the paperwork I needed to have in place to get started.”
Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care is an educational and technical assistance project of the Early Years Network.
The program also teaches health and safety, nutrition, and caring for children. Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care has training courses
This program involves the project director, the field supervisor, and
available in CPR and first aid. Additional offerings include administra-
field technical assistants meeting together with childcare providers to
tive and financial courses that educate providers about the business
provide technical assistance, books, and other materials to help them
aspects of the family childcare business.
with instruction.
Participants can also opt to be involved with the In-Home Quality
During a visit, network personnel work with the provider's
Rating and Improvement System, the state’s tiered quality
students so the provider can observe the most recent early childhood
rating system. Childcare providers earn accreditation and are ranked
development models and best practices. Network staff leave those
1 to 5 stars based on administrative policy, professional development,
educational materials at the center so providers can continue to work
learning environments, parent involvement, and evaluation.
with the children in the same way.
Extension M AT T E R S 11
DOING THE “HEART” WORK
ARLENCIA BARNES • Indianola Her family has battled diabetes for decades, but Arlencia Barnes is determined that her generation will overcome it. Because of the Mississippi State University
Three Junior Master Wellness volunteers share healthy living messages Story By leah BarBour
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
Extension Service’s Junior Master Wellness Volunteers program, Arlencia and her family are now making healthier eating choices. “Elders in my family have diabetes and high blood pressure, but, after I decided to do Junior Master Wellness, I started talking with them about how to maintain their blood sugar and eat healthier,” Arlencia explains. “My grandmother’s diet and my father’s diet have changed drastically. “Now, neither of them have to take their diabetes pills every day. They are so much better.” Arlencia studied health science at Indianola Career and Technical Center before her May graduation from Gentry High School. She says being a Junior Master Wellness volunteer gave her a great foundation for becoming a wellness professional. The Extension program, recently piloted in Sunflower and Itawamba counties, partners with Allied Health Services. “Being able to be hands-on and give accurate advice gives me the feel of what I’ll be doing as a doctor,” Arlencia says. “The No. 1 lesson for people is to be active. Diabetes can be prevented by eating right and working out. Sugar and salt taste good, but they’re not healthy.” Communicating with people and making personal connections are just two benefits of the program, Arlencia says. “Be dedicated: Junior Master Wellness is about helping people,” she emphasizes. “If you have it in your heart to help somebody find a solution and feel better, this program will give you insight into what you need to know to be able to talk to your patient.” Arlencia’s Junior Master Wellness volunteer success inspired her to join Sunflower County’s 4-H Youth Development program. She participated in the 2015 Mississippi 4-H Congress and won third place for her Health/Visual project.
12 Extension M AT T E R S
QUINDARRIUS WHITLEY • Indianola Quindarrius Whitley plans to be a sports physician, but the Class of 2016 graduate got his real start in medicine, he says, by becoming a Junior Master Wellness volunteer. He signed up when the Junior Master Wellness program was introduced in 2014 at Gentry High School’s Indianola Career and Technical Center. Extension agent Ann Twiner partnered with health science teacher Angela Patton to train volunteers about healthy eating and living, as well as stress management and health screenings. Quindarrius now shares research-based health knowledge with school athletes, including track runners and football players, as well as other students. Interacting with his peers has improved Quindarrius’s self-confidence, he says. “When I joined the Junior Master Wellness volunteers, I felt part of something much bigger,” he emphasizes. “It made me feel like I had a confidence booster, and, now, when I talk to people about their health, I’m very confident, and I like to help them.” Quindarrius says using the right words helps him explain health topics and connect with his audience. “Before I started talking to the other students, my teacher talked a lot about being polite to the people we talk to, being social with others,” he says. “It’s important to watch what you say. I like to help, and knowing how to talk to people is helping me help them.” As a Junior Master Wellness volunteer, Quindarrius is sharing important health messages that are improving health among his classmates, he says. “Stress management and healthy eating are my top two things: I’m telling other students that they need to eat better, and I’m showing them how to manage their stress,” Quindarrius says. “People ask me, ‘What can I do to be better, to be more healthy?’ I love talking to them about what they can do.”
Extension M AT T E R S 13
TAYLOR HARRIS • Moorhead Like the rest of the Class of 2016 at Gentry High, Taylor Harris had to complete a volunteer requirement. For Taylor, though, becoming a member of Extension’s Junior Master Wellness program was an opportunity, not an obligation. “Being a Junior Master Wellness volunteer is the easiest way for you to earn the community service hours you need to graduate,” Taylor says. “It’s great to be able to tell people what they can do to prevent diseases and help them live better lives.” Taylor has always been interested in healthcare, and she joined the Junior Master Wellness program to reinforce the concepts she was learning in the high school’s health sciences track. She learned how to take an accurate blood pressure reading and how health issues can negatively impact quality of life, she explains. The knowledge she’s gained by becoming a Junior Master Wellness volunteer has changed the way that Taylor—and her friends—eat and exercise. “We feel we have to eat better, and I’ve started to exercise more with my friends,” she says. “We’ve been exercising an hour-and-a-half a day at the park. We walk the track when we get there; then, we do a 30-minute workout on the iPhone. We finish doing two more laps around the track. “The Junior Master Wellness program has really helped motivate my friends and me.” She says her favorite part of the volunteer experience is working with people one-on-one. By talking to community
Visit http://extension.msstate.edu to learn
members about diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and tobacco addiction, Taylor is improving both
more about the Junior Master Wellness program, or contact program coordinators, David Buys or Ann Sansing. Buys, State Health Specialist and assistant Extension and research professor, is available at david.buys@msstate.edu or 662-325-3060, and Sansing, Extension instructor, can be reached at aps6@msstate.edu or 662-325-4043. 14 Extension M AT T E R S
her communication and leadership skills. “I love working with people, and I’m loving being a Junior Master Wellness volunteer right now,” Taylor says. “It’s a great way to get to interact with people.”
WORKING WITH EXTENSION No Time 2 Cook Brings Home Southern Specialties Story By Keri CollinS lewiS
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
Karen Kurr, business owner
Extension M AT T E R S 15
I t’s been a little more than 10 years since Helping Hands
degree in home economics but little formal
Karen Kurr stood behind her array of slow
foods training. I was at the mercy of those
cookers at a North Mississippi farmers market and offered samples of savory
Like many home-based entrepreneurs, Kurr had a lot to learn about running a
meals from the bayous of her native
business, especially one as heavily
Louisiana: spicy gumbo, crawfish étouffée,
regulated as the food industry. She turned
and red beans and rice.
to the Mississippi State University
At the time, Hurricane Katrina had
Extension Service and began learning
devastated the coast, and many survivors
everything she could about turning No
had come north.
Time 2 Cook into a profitable operation.
“It smells like my mama’s kitchen,” one customer told her. When she tasted Kurr’s home cooking, her eyes welled with tears. “I haven’t tasted gumbo like that since I left New Orleans,” the customer said. Sold out by day’s end, Kurr realized she
From the “Food as a Business” workshop to personal consultations with food science and business experts, Kurr had a network of professionals she could rely on to help her get her business off the ground. “When I had to have FDA-approved
had a new business opportunity on her
labels, I turned to Dr. Anna Hood with the
hands, and she named it No Time 2 Cook.
Extension Service,” she says. “I have a
16 Extension M AT T E R S
with expertise, yet fortunate to be building a food business in a state with one of the strongest food-support systems in the country.” Extension offers a wide variety of services to those in the food industry, from holding classes on best practices, food defense, and safety, to working with MSU scientists on product analyses and consumer preferences. “I went to classes required for licensing and got help from MSU agricultural economists on pricing and cost analysis. Without their help, my dream would have been impossible,” Kurr asserts.
A True Home Business Kurr’s business, like her love of cooking, started at home. But if she had lived in town, zoning laws would have kept her from expanding. “As we grew, we turned a room attached to our house into a commercial kitchen,” she explains. “Then we took over my daughter’s bedroom, the sunroom, my husband’s office, and the entire garage. I hired several friends to help with the cooking, and my driveway began to look like a car lot.” Kurr cooked, froze, and sold her signature Cajun dishes at flea markets and farmers markets. Over time she expanded the menu to include casseroles, side dishes, desserts, and appetizers, including downhome favorites, such as shrimp and grits, old-fashioned meatloaf, and home-style
“My daddy’s hobbies included raising
chicken pie.
Black Angus cattle, tending his grape
A Commitment to Family and Quality
vineyard, and making homemade wine,”
A Blessing in Disguise One day Kurr got a phone call that
she says. “My mother was an organic
changed her life and almost put her out of
gardener before anyone knew about
business. She had been renting spaces in
organic gardening, and we grew up eating
antique malls around North Mississippi
family mealtimes changed both her
her fresh vegetables in the summer and
and keeping freezers in those spaces
cooking habits and her career. After she
home-canned and frozen vegetables
stocked with her products for sale.
had her second child, Kurr spent weekends
through the winter.”
Unfortunately, selling meat products this
Kurr's passion for quality food and
batch cooking so she’d have suppers on hand. “When I got home from work, I’d pull dinner out of the freezer, add steamed vegetables, a salad, and bread, and we
Because of Kurr’s dedication to fresh, high quality ingredients, all of No Time 2 Cook’s original recipes are cooked from scratch. “We try to keep our ingredients list as
way violated U.S. Department of Agriculture rules. Kurr faced a big decision: To expand her business, she had to be able to wholesale all of her products. But without a facility
would sit down together as a family and
short and simple as possible, and we stay
regulated by the U.S. Department of
eat,” she remembers. “The idea behind No
away from added preservatives and
Agriculture, she would be limited to
Time 2 Cook’s frozen foods actually came
extenders,” she explains. “We use real
nonmeat products.
from the way I fed my family as I tried to
dairy products, such as butter, milk,
keep up with our busy lifestyle.”
cheese, and cream. We also avoid MSG
move, build a food plant and move the
and hydrogenated oils.”
business out of the house, or just shut
Her own childhood experiences also inspired her business. When she was
No Time 2 Cook is proof families do
growing up, Kurr’s family spent their
not have to sacrifice flavor or quality to eat
weekends on the family farm.
a quick, family-style meal at home.
“I had to build a bigger house and
down altogether and find another use of my time,” she says.
Extension M AT T E R S 17
KAREN'S
t s HOMEMADE TAMALE LAYERED DIP o m l a Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total time: 30 min Serves 12-15 appetizer servings 1
No Time 2 Cook Tamale Pie— Available at Kroger in the frozen family meals section
8 oz.
Sour cream
8 oz.
Guacamole
8 oz.
Chunky Salsa or fresh Pico de Gallo, drained if too watery
4 oz.
Microwave the Tamale Pie for 15 to 18 minutes, and stir every 3 to 4 minutes. [May bake according to package directions, which takes about 60 to 70 minutes.] Stir the tamale topping and filling occasionally while it’s cooking. Spread the tamale mixture on the bottom of your serving dish. Spread the sour cream, then the
Lettuce, shredded
guacamole, and then the salsa over
Tomato, chopped
the tamale mixture. Layer the lettuce,
Cheddar cheese, grated
tomato, cheese, onions, and olives
Green onions, chopped
over the salsa.
Black olives, drained
Serve with chips. Enjoy!
Tortilla or corn chips
Kurr decided to build what is now the only USDA-approved small casserole plant in Mississippi. Once again, she turned to the MSU Extension Service for help. “Anna and Ken Hood helped me with all kinds of issues, and I toured the food production facilities at MSU,” she says.
The Taste of Success Today, buying this Mississippi-made product has never been easier. No Time 2 Cook products can be found with the family-sized meals in freezers at 300 Kroger grocery stores across the Southeast, and plans are in place for continued expansion. No Time 2 Cook offers mailorder delivery nationwide.
18 Extension M AT T E R S
“When I began this business 11 years ago, hauling coolers to local farmers markets, I had no idea we would end up in one of the largest grocery chains in the world,” she reflects. “At the time, I was just thrilled to see my customers returning every week to buy more of my family favorites. In looking back at the company’s growth, it seems like it should have been an impossible task—and it would have been, if not for the support and knowledge I gained from the Mississippi State Extension Service. “Every call and visit I made to campus was met with valuable information, new resources, and encouragement. I think one of the most important things Drs. Anna and Ken Hood gave me was their belief that I could be successful, but they also gave me the tools to do so. I will forever be grateful to them and to the Extension Service for being there for me.” Beyond her commercial success, Kurr’s heartfelt hope is that her business will help her customers. “Studies have concluded that the single most important thing families can do to cut down on drug and alcohol abuse and sexual promiscuity among their teens is to sit down at the family table, share meals, and really talk to each other,” she says. “By providing affordable, home-style meals, I hope No Time 2 Cook can strengthen American families by helping to bring them back to the dinner table.” To learn more about No Time 2 Cook, including product descriptions, recipes, and a store locator, go to http://www.notime2cook.com.
Extension M AT T E R S 19
20 Extension M AT T E R S
CELEBRATING ARBORETUM EXCELLENCE The Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune received the 2016 Garden Excellence Award from the American Public Gardens Association. Only one U.S. garden is selected each year for the award, which recognizes a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best horticultural practices. The MSU Extension Service operates the arboretum, featuring more than 700 acres dedicated to research, education, and preservation and 104 acres reserved for cultural, scientific, and recreational programs. Learn more about the arboretum at http://crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu. Photo By Kevin hudSon
Extension M AT T E R S 21
Megan Daley, left, and her parents Tom and Teresa Jackson, nursery horticulturalists
22 Extension M AT T E R S
MORE OPTIONS, MORE CUSTOMERS Nursery using Extension publications to host workshops, reach new customers Story By nathan GreGory
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
B usiness continues to blossom at Jackson
Tom and Teresa Jackson began as row-
grew row crops and has continued since
Farms in Bassfield, and one reason may be
crop producers but switched over to
they opened the nursery’s doors for the
because the family-owned nursery
growing hydroponic greenhouse tomatoes
first time.
connects with its clientele in ways that its
and entered the nursery business in 1989.
big-box competition does not.
They have since added flowers to their
call away, and they would be in our field in
Mississippi State University Extension
“Our county agents were just a phone
business, but that is not the only addition
a few hours,” Tom Jackson says. “As we
Service specialists are equipping nurseries
that has helped them grow a loyal
moved to growing greenhouse tomatoes,
across the state, like Jackson Farms, with
customer base. Their daughter, Megan
the agents put us in contact with
publications they can use to conduct do-it-
Daley, is helping manage the business and
specialists who could walk us through that
yourself workshops and help their
hosting the workshops.
process. We worked a lot with the
customers get the most out of their gardens and flowerbeds.
The family has a partnership with Extension that dates back to when they
Experiment Station in Crystal Springs on greenhouse tomatoes. They would trial
Extension M AT T E R S 23
Need guidance for your small business? All Extension publications are available online at http://extension.msstate.edu/publications.
new varieties for us. Their work and advice
nursery and use to hold our own local
holding a program with the assistance of
helped our business become more
workshops,” Jackson says. “As a vendor, if
Extension materials.
profitable.
a customer has a question about
“We now have more flowers than tomatoes, but we’ve relied on Extension
“Megan wanted to do a workshop for
something I’m not as familiar with, I can
her customers on succulent pumpkins,”
refer them to the Extension booth.”
Denny says. “We offered a publication we
Geoff Denny, an assistant Extension
had recently completed on the subject.
needed them to do soil testing and analysis
professor in plant and soil sciences, says he
This works well for both of us because
to solve a problem we had, or if we wanted
and Extension Associate Kandiace Gray
people in the industry are using it to draw
input on current trends, so we could offer
began developing programs to see how
more customers in, and we’re getting our
popular plants,” he adds. “We have a lot of
they would work in commercial settings.
information in the hands of the general
customers who come in with questions
“One of the goals I had was for the
public where it belongs. Social media has
about diseases and pesticides, and I can
people who attend these programs to have
always refer them to Extension researchers
hands-on assistance and create something
if it’s a problem where their expertise will
while they are there instead of just
publications as a guide for her workshops
help.”
watching us do it,” Denny says. “Each time
has provided an educational outlet for
we think of a project idea that we think
Jackson Farms that is helping expand its
the Mississippi Nursery and Landscape
might interest people, we try to put
customer base while building a loyal
Association, which hosts several garden
together a workshop and host it ourselves
following.
and patio shows in the state each year. He
as a beta test. If it works, we develop
is a vendor at each show.
handouts and PowerPoints that are
because they can do the research we don’t
accessible enough for Extension agents and
have the technology to do ourselves, but
the Garden Extravaganza, and that gives us
nursery owners to study so they can host
we can use the results of their work to help
another chance to talk with them and get
their own workshops.”
amateur gardeners,” she says. “Extension’s
specialists the whole time, whether we
Jackson is also a longtime member of
“Extension always has representatives at
their latest publications that we can use to improve what we have to offer at the
24 Extension M AT T E R S
Daley was one of several in the state’s nursery industry to approach Denny about
also been a very effective delivery method.” Daley said having Extension
“Extension is a vital part of our success
assistance gives us credibility and a lot of return customers.”
NEW WAYS TO WATER Delta soybean producer irrigates his fields, increases yields Story By leah BarBour
• PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
Extension M AT T E R S 25
A nother beautiful summer day dawns in the Delta. The
Most of the Delta is already irrigated,
of seeds. They gave me materials, they
but not all farmers are taking advantage
talked with me, and they’ve been just
of the latest irrigation technologies.
sun shines radiantly against
instrumental in helping me ever since,
However, agents with the Mississippi
especially with irrigation.”
the backdrop of clear blue sky.
State University Extension Service are
With no clouds in sight, the chance of a storm blowing up to water the rows is slim. As midday approaches, the bright sunshine continues to beat
increasing Delta producers’ knowledge— and application—of new, more efficient ways to water the rows. Extension’s Row-crop Irrigation Science Extension and Research program, or RISER, pioneers the latest strategies to
down, and the soil bakes as
decrease the amount of water used and
the plants wither.
increase harvest yields. When producers
The field’s soil moisture
use computerized hole selection, soil
sensors detect the dryness
moisture sensors, and surge irrigation
and deliver a quick message
cycles, the tools decrease the water used
to the well’s flow meter. The
and increase crop yields by an average of
surge irrigation cycle begins. Thanks to the computerized hole sensors in the polypipe
25 percent. For irregularly shaped fields, water usage decreases and yield increases by an average of 50 percent. Clarksdale native David Wade began
tubing along each furrow, the
farming only five years ago, but, from
optimal amount of water
seed selection to irrigation expansion, he
flows into the crop’s root
knew that the place to go to receive
systems, and the plants take a
assistance was Extension.
deep, thirsty drink. The freshly watered rows smile up at the sun.
26 Extension M AT T E R S
“I was the new kid on the block, and I knew I had to have help at farming,” Wade explains. “So I went to the Extension office to find the right variety
Wade’s brother had already installed a small well, but it didn’t pump enough water to improve yields of the farm’s main crops, soybeans and wheat. When Wade took over the farm, he made efficient irrigation a top priority, and he partnered with Extension to bring more water to his rows. “Extension helped me get a grant to put in a new well. Then, we brought in what they call ‘PHAUCET’ (Pipe Hole and Universal Crown Evaluation Tool) with the polyester pipes, and we placed moisture sensors in the ground,” Wade says. “I was able to irrigate about half of the farm." PHAUCET is a computerized hole selection tool, says Extension Irrigation Specialist Jason Krutz. The free software determines what sizes of holes should be punched in polypipes, and the holes allow a precise amount of water to flow down each furrow. Wade’s new irrigation system places the well at the top of a slight incline so the water flows down across the rows.
Even though only a section of his farm
“I’m going to need to do some land
irrigated with the latest technologies,
leveling. To do irrigation like this, you
Wade’s harvest has already increased. He
have to take certain steps, and you need
is also better protected from the impacts
certain kinds of equipment to irrigate it
of drought. Patience is key, he says, and he
and irrigate it right,” he continues. “I’m
is continuing his work with Extension,
taking it little by little so I can do it right.
especially Coahoma County Extension
“Extension has all the expertise that I
agent Don Respess, to irrigate the entire
need to be able to irrigate, and it’s a great
farm.
program that I will continue using.”
EXTENSION AGENTS AND FACULTY MODERNIZING Surge Irrigation DELTA l Alternates wetting and drying cycles. IRRIGATION Row-Crop Irrigation Science and Extension Research (RISER) tools include Computerized Hole Selection l Decreases the amount of water
needed to irrigate plants. l Applies water based on the
furrow’s length and the soil’s characteristics. l Can improve harvest yields
15%-50%.
l Pushes water to the back of
the field. l Decreases tail water. l Minimizes deep percolations
where water gets behind the rooting zone.
RISER SOYBEAN IRRIGATION RESULTS* For regularly shaped fields…
25% $10
needed, accounting for
• • •
depth. the active rooting zone. infiltration depth.
savings per acre.
For irregularly shaped fields…
Soil Moisture Sensors l Determine where water is
faster growth. less fuel. less water.
50% $20
faster growth. less fuel. less water. savings per acre.
* Numbers presented are averages. Extension M AT T E R S 27
CAPPS PARTICIPANTS TOUR MSU CAMPUS Twenty Choctaw teens are participating in a new mentoring program, the Choctaw Agriculture Professionals Program for Students, or CAPPS. Jim McAdory, the Mississippi State University Extension Service agent for the only Native American reservation in the state, says he saw a disconnect between Choctaw youth and agriculture, so he developed CAPPS to help close that gap. Participating students visited many of MSU’s agricultural and animal research facilities and met with agricultural professionals. McAdory says he hopes the Choctaw teens will use what they learned at MSU as motivation to continue working hard, learn more about agriculture, and become successful adults.
CULTIVATING STRONG, HEALTHY FAMILIES THRIVE! is a new workshop series offered by the Mississippi
Dr. William Martin, clinical psychologist and The COHORT
State University Extension Service in partnership with The COHORT,
director, developed the workshops’ content, while Extension
the Coalition of Healthcare Organizations for Resiliency Training.
specialists developed interactive activities for participant
Enriching people’s mental wellness and enhancing their mental resiliency are the workshops’ goals. THRIVE! learning opportunities focus on understanding and managing stress, depression, and
engagement. For more information, contact State Health Specialist David Buys, assistant Extension and research professor, at
anger; communicating with family members; helping children cope
david.buys@msstate.edu or 662-325-3060, or Extension Family
with change; and building children’s resiliency skills.
Life Specialist Alisha Hardman, assistant professor, at a.hardman@msstate.edu or 662-325-7839.
28 Extension M AT T E R S
FIRST 4-H FISHING CLUB IN MISSISSIPPI ESTABLISHED After he started the first 4-H sport fishing club in Mississippi, Chickasaw County Extension Coordinator Scott Cagle said overall 4-H membership doubled there. Cagle began holding monthly meetings in February. Guest speakers taught about regulations, baits, lures, reels, and species identification. Students have also learned practical skills, such as first aid and GPS use. In the spring, participants will compete in a quiz competition and go on fishing trips with their parents. “We want this to be a way for them to bond,” Cagle says. “In addition, 4-H’ers will record the weight, length, and species of each fish they catch and give that information to the landowners. This will open doors to young people to fish some lakes that haven’t been fished in years.” Extension offices in other counties are taking notice of the pilot program’s success. “We have been contacted by agents who want to mimic what we’ve done so far,” Cagle says. “The Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks have partnered with Extension on other 4-H programs and continue to do so with what we’re starting now.”
SPONSORING UAV OUTREACH As people around the world consider how best to use unmanned aerial vehicles, the Mississippi State University Extension Service will soon begin offering outreach programs to inform agriculture stakeholders how UAVs might best benefit them. UAVs have a clear potential for crop scouting—UAVs with sensors can see an entire field and identify stressed plants—and farmers, as well as crop consultants, will need to learn how to use different applications for different machines. Also, UAVs can assist in protecting natural resources by evaluating the impacts of fires and allowing environmental authorities to scout the land, both in relation to natural disasters and urban sprawl. Louis Wasson, senior Extension associate, and Jason Ward, assistant Extension professor, are leading the initiatives to develop these outreach opportunities all over the Magnolia State. Classes and the new website will be available soon.
Extension M AT T E R S 29
Meg Cooper, coordinator of the Lower Delta Partnership
30 Extension M AT T E R S
GROWING THE
TOURISM TRADE Lower Delta Partnership teams with Extension to attract more visitors Story By leah BarBour PhotoS By Kevin hudSon
Extension Agent Emily Carter, left, visits with Lower Delta Partnership representatives Melissa Thomas, center, and Meg Cooper.
W hen the Lower Delta Partnership
to a rich volunteer base and neighborhood
meeting to encourage Rolling Fork
coordinator sat down with the Mississippi
resources could inspire more people to
residents and businesses to tell how they
State University Extension Service county
come to Rolling Fork.
wanted to improve and promote their
coordinator, the two were meeting for
They were right.
community, as well as what kind of look
more than just an everyday business lunch.
Longtime friends Meg Cooper, with the
would appeal to visitors, Cooper explains.
They were two friends getting together
Lower Delta Partnership, and Emily Carter,
Rachael Carter, an instructor with the
to figure out the best ways to encourage
Extension agent for Sharkey and Issaquena
Extension Center for Government and
more visitors to come to Rolling Fork. They
counties, along with other community
Community Development, assisted the
brainstormed and listed which of its
partners and concerned citizens, have
Rolling Fork team. Though she’s not
unique Delta landmarks they thought were
helped develop, promote, and expand
related to Emily Carter, they partnered to
the most fun and interesting. They also
tourism initiatives. Now, more visitors are
use Extension resources to help the
made plans to poll community residents to
coming to Rolling Fork than ever before.
community develop signs, a logo, and
help them identify even more locations,
Extension leaders helped local residents
marketing and advertising themes based
activities, and celebrations that visitors
determine how additional music concerts
on community members’ feedback from
might want to experience.
and dramatic productions might attract
that meeting.
They agreed that Extension’s expertise
more visitors. In partnership with
“I just know that I have been very, very
in tourism and community development
Extension and the city of Rolling Fork, the
impressed with the Mississippi State
and the Lower Delta Partnership’s access
Lower Delta Partnership sponsored a
Extension Service and the range of services
Extension M AT T E R S 31
and the variety of activities it offers,”
“Emily helped create the production
the teddy bear. In town, 11 chainsaw-
Cooper says. “Many groups are unaware of
event, and she coordinates the actor
carved bears stand in various locations
all Extension does.
volunteers. The entire production involves
around the community, and an additional
over 100 community volunteers,” Cooper
one is unveiled annually and placed at a
says.
new location. Extension distributes
“I see now—after working with Emily and others from Extension on programs such as ‘Bricks to Clicks’ and with Rachael
Since the Lower Delta Partnership
brochures and assists in tourism outreach for the event.
on our town’s economic impact analysis—
began promoting the play with Extension,
that Extension is for everyone in all walks
it sells out—literally, Cooper emphasizes—
of life.”
within hours of the opening of ticket sales.
Carson serve on the steering committee,
One of Rolling Fork’s most popular
Extension also helps the Lower Delta
assist with youth art and essay contests,
tourist draws, a play titled “Mont Helena:
Partnership promote the Great Delta Bear
Great Delta Bear Affair Youth Education
A Dream Revisited,” reflects another
Affair, which celebrates the birth of the
Day, and other Great Delta Bear Affair
partnership between the Lower Delta
teddy bear. Extension’s partnership with
activities.
Partnership and Extension. Both
the Lower Delta Council has increased the
organizations promote the play and recruit
already large, diverse audience for these
community’s Blues Trail marker for Muddy
volunteers to participate.
celebrations, Cooper says.
Waters, a Rolling Fork native,” Cooper
A Colonial Revival-style home built in
President Theodore Roosevelt visited
Extension agents Emily Carter and Jon
“More people are also visiting the
says. “We are promoting the natural
the late 1800s, Mont Helena is an historic
Sharkey County in 1902 and refused to
resources of the South Delta together.
plantation house that lends its name to
shoot an injured black bear that had been
Rolling Fork is a great day trip for tourists.
the popular play production. Extension’s
“saved” for him to kill. After the media
Emily Carter plays the lead of Helen
released the story, a toy shop owner asked
Johnstone Harris, a Delta woman whose
the president if he could call his stuffed
fiancé was killed in a duel just days before
bears “Teddy Bears.” The President agreed.
their wedding. Harris died in 1917.
The Great Delta Bear Affair celebrates Rolling Fork’s status as the birthplace of
Extension’s Rural Tourism Conferences Teach How to Attract More Visitors Participants reported improved approaches to bringing more tourists to their community.
Improved already existing events.
Changed their marketing strategies.
Reported greater confidence in attracting tourists.
Experienced greater job satisfaction.
32 Extension M AT T E R S
“Extension is helping us grow tourism here.”
Extension M AT T E R S 33
NEW FUNDRAISING PRO JOINS EXTENSION Will Staggers, Extension development officer
34 Extension M AT T E R S
Staggers encourages individuals, businesses to support Extension
impact the MSU Extension Service has made in the lives of Mississippians. He is very aware of how much Extension changes lives and supports businesses, local governments, families, and communities.” Staggers’s responsibility to secure funds
By addie mayfield and SuSan CollinS-Smith
• Photo By ruSS houSton
will bolster support for MSU’s ongoing capital campaign, Infinite Impact, Jackson
C ontributing to the Mississippi State
Staggers then assumed the role of accounts
says. The support of the MSU Foundation
University Extension Service just got a
payable specialist with MSU’s Department
is a wonderful asset to Extension.
little easier.
of Procurement and Contracts.
William “Will” Staggers joined the
“The professional staff at the
“I’m truly honored to join the
foundation can provide Extension
MSU Foundation in December 2015 as
Extension team,” says Staggers, who
personnel with development needs
an assistant director of development. He
divides his fundraising efforts between
assessments, goal setting, and other
works to attract additional support for
Extension and the Mississippi Agricultural
necessary preparations as we cultivate
Extension’s research-based educational
and Forestry Experiment Station, or
private giving,” he says.
programs, facilities, professional
MAFES. “I am pleased to play a role in
development, and other needs.
building the awareness and support that
agent and faculty professional
Extension needs and deserves, so we can
development, selected programs of
fund, and we are excited to have an MSU
make positive changes in the lives of even
excellence, endowed faculty positions, and
Foundation development professional to
more Mississippians. That’s exactly what
awards and programs.
work one-on-one with individuals and
I’m going to do.”
“Extension has always had a foundation
businesses that want to support
Staggers will solicit funds primarily for
Jackson says he would like to establish
Staggers says Extension has needs just
an Annual Giving Fund to allow donors to
Extension,” says Gary Jackson, Extension
like the university’s academic colleges, and
contribute once annually to a general fund
director. “Will has the educational
he is dedicated to helping meet those
used for an area of greatest need. Donors
expertise and the organizational and
needs. He joins fundraising efforts with
to this fund could also designate their gifts
people skills required for success in the
fellow alumnus Jud Skelton, director of
to a particular project.
development world.
development for the College of Agriculture
“We are delighted to have Will in this role.”
and Life Sciences. Extension, one of the largest units at
Individuals, corporations, and organizations may contribute gifts of money and property in any amount at any
Staggers is a 2010 graduate of MSU and
MSU, serves all of Mississippi’s 82
time. Deferred gifts, such as bequests and
a Starkville native. Before joining the MSU
counties and educates and engages
annuities, are also accepted. Donors may
Foundation, he was a high school physical
residents all over the state, Jackson says.
designate how their donations are used.
science teacher and football coach in
“We are fortunate to have a vice
For more information or to donate,
Quitman. Later, he returned to Starkville
president of development who recognizes
contact Staggers at (662) 325-2837 or
and began working for Shelter Insurance,
fundraising opportunities in Extension,”
wstaggers@foundation.msstate.edu.
where he gained valuable experience in
Jackson emphasizes. “John Rush grew up
Online contributions may be made at
customer service and financial reporting.
in rural Mississippi and has seen the
http://www.msufoundation.com.
Extension M AT T E R S 35
NONPROFIT ORG. US Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit No. 290
Box 9625 Mississippi State, MS 39762
extension.msstate.edu
www.facebook.com/MSUExtService www.twitter.com/MSUExtService www.pinterest.com/msuextservice Instagram: @msuextservice Snapchat: msuextservice
ON TARGET BY SUSAN COLLINS-SMITH
• PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON
Brandy Barnes, center, celebrates her success in 4-H shooting sports with her mother, Donna Barnes, and Gerald Branson, a family friend.