Mississippi Youth for Agriculture

05/19/2025

To register and for more information, please contact Leah Eubank at [email protected]

07/26/2023

As part of our Mississippi Youth For Agriculture () program, we hosted several high school and college students for a summer internship program. They worked with faculty at DREC in plant pathology, apiculture and aquaculture.

It was our joy to host these exceptional students this summer, and we were so proud to read about Christian Price's experience here: My overall experience was a 10 out of 10 because everyone here is dedicated and loves what they do. This motivates me to keep going and push for more opportunities such as this one.

We are so grateful for our summer interns and wish them the very best as they continue their academic careers!

01/03/2023

11/30/2022

Some of you already know us and love us, but some people haven't connected with Extension yet! So, we thought we would answer some commonly asked questions about ourselves...

Q: What is the Extension Service?
🔸The Extension Service is the statewide, community-based education agency of Mississippi State University. We provide useful, practical education based on the best university research to help Mississippians improve their businesses, strengthen their communities, and live healthier lives.
🔸Our main goal has remained the same for more than 100 years—we extend knowledge that changes lives.
🔸Agriculture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, government and community development and 4-H youth development are our priorities.

Q: Where are you located?
🔸We are headquartered at the Bost Extension Center on the MSU campus in Starkville AND we have Extension offices in ALL 82 counties. We also have four regional MSU Research and Extension Centers.

Q: How do you get all of your knowledge and resources to people?
🔸Local Extension agents and staff receive training in a wide range of subjects and are ready to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with clients through programs, field days, workshops, consultations, etc. Our on-campus faculty provide training and support, too!
🔸Our goal is to deliver research-proven information to all Mississippians, through face-to-face events and by using digital and print methods. If you have a question, we probably know the answer! If we don’t, we know whom to ask!
🔸Our website is a great resource, too! Visit here: extension.msstate.edu

Q: How do you contact Extension?
🔸You can email, call, or visit in-person with your local Extension agent! Find yours here: http://extension.msstate.edu/county-offices
🔸Each county office is also on Facebook!

➡️We would love to hear how you use Extension! Post in the comments, if you are willing!!

11/14/2022

🇺🇸HONORING OUR VETERANS: Regina Boykins served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years! Today, she’s an MSU Extension agent in Humphreys County. We’re excited to share with you her journey of service!

In 1986, she joined the Navy right after graduating high school. The opportunities it offered, like travel, meeting diverse groups of people, and gaining life skills made it a simple decision.

Her first duty station was in the naval hospital at Portsmouth, Virginia. At 18, she was assigned to the hospice ward. That assignment made her realize the value and beauty of life. She saw the impact her service had on people’s lives in real time, and felt a sense of gratitude and fulfillment in helping others.

Her enlistment also helped her discover her life’s purpose: Service. Regina uses her talents and abilities to be a part of the solution to problems that she sees in the world. She knows her contributions may not singlehandedly save the planet or her community, but those efforts– big or small– make a difference.

As an Extension agent in a rural community, Regina draws on her military experience to best serve her clients. She shows up every day with a mindset of determination and commitment. She is able to work with a diverse set of people, and most importantly, never give up on solving problems, even if she must find new ways to reach a solution.

When facing a challenge, she is reminded of all the things she accomplished as a Navy sailor, including working in the medical field, driving an ambulance, and climbing Mt. Fuji.

She sees her Extension work as a way to uphold the momentum of progress in her community, helping others become stronger and wiser.

We are proud to highlight Regina’s service during Veterans Day Week, and we’re grateful to have her on our Extension team!

11/14/2022

11/10/2022

🇺🇸HONORING OUR VETERANS: Mark Minor served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years! Today, he’s a network administrator with the MSU Extension Center for Technology Outreach. We’re excited to share with you his journey of service!

Mark comes from a family dedicated to service– service to their country and community. His father was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and later became a police officer. His uncles and siblings were also members of the military. He dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a helicopter pilot, but ended up joining the Navy instead.

After enlisting at age 17, Mark trained to be a firefighter. The job entailed not only firefighting, but ship maintenance and repair. He was also a chemical, biological, and radiological warfare specialist. He fulfilled other roles, too, including training his fellow sailors. His time in the service gave him the opportunity to see the world and view global issues from a different perspective.

Extension combines Mark’s two loves: service and technology. His love of technology was born in childhood. When other children were getting Atari video game systems, he got a Texas Instrument computer. He and his siblings always got the newest, cutting-edge technology. It’s something his dad believed in and knew would have a big impact on the future.

After retiring from active duty, he was looking for something that fulfilled him, so he went back to school and got a degree in computer networking. He retooled himself and now serves his community and state in a different but important way.

In the military, it’s all about the mission. For Mark, it’s the same in his work with Extension. He’s always focused on the mission– helping Extension employees get the technological access they need to serve the people of their communities.

We are proud to highlight Mark’s service during Veterans Day Week and are grateful to have him on our Extension team!

11/08/2022

🇺🇸HONORING OUR VETERANS: Latonya Ramsey served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years! Today, she’s an MSU Extension agent in Jefferson Davis County. We’re excited to share with you her journey of service!

Latonya joined the military to help pay for her education and gained once-in-a-lifetime experiences that she could not have gotten anywhere else. Her military service, including active-duty deployment to Kuwait during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, gave her a greater sense of what teamwork, belonging, and family really mean. It was an adventure that she is grateful to have had as part of her life.

Latonya’s service taught her that there are some big, tough things out there in the world, but that she can overcome any problem and do anything she sets her mind to. She teaches her 4-Hers the slogan she learned in her battalion: “You defeat it. You don’t let it defeat you.” She tells them no matter how many times you have to try, you defeat it. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to not reach your goal the first time, but keep trying.

Her enlistment time made her a better person for her family and community, gave her a broader sense of what service means, and instilled a desire to continue to serve. The military gave Latonya the skills to reach goals while working with all different types of people, a skill she continues to use to this day. As an Extension agent, she strives to be there for anybody in the community, be a part of their lives, and really get to know them as a person--not just as a client.

We are proud to highlight Latonya’s service during Veterans Day Week and are grateful to have her on our Extension team!

10/31/2022

To round up our monthly series on apples, here are the most produced apple varieties in the US;

Red Delicious: The most widely recognized apple variety. They are sweet, crispy, juicy and best eaten fresh or in salads.

Empire: An all-purpose apple that is crisp and juicy with a sweet-tart flavor. Available between September and July.

Fuji: Known for its sweet flavor and firmness. Available year-round.

Gala: They are crisp, juicy, and very sweet. Ideal for snacking. Available year-round.

Golden Delicious known for its mild, sweet flavor with a buttery, honey taste. Great for baking and available year-round.

Granny Smith: known for its very tart flavor. Great all-purpose apple and is available year-round.

Cripps Pink/Pink Lady: Available November to August

Honey Crisp: They are juicy, crisp and sweet with a honeyed, mild flavor.

McIntosh: Juicy, tangy, tart best used for snacking and applesauce available from September through May