Field Day is not just a fun day for kids. Not in Mississippi.
In fact, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering two Field Day agricultural learning adventures for Mississippians of all ages.
2023 Muscadine Field Day
Mississippians living near the Gulf Coast are invited to the 2023 Muscadine Field Day. Held at the MSU McNeil Research Unit, located at 7 Ben Gill Road in Carriere, participants will celebrate and learn about one of our state’s most iconic and unique agricultural products.
Anyone interested in learning about muscadine production, including propagation, pruning, pests, cold injury, and other pertinent topics is welcome to the Field Day event, which is hosted yearly by MSU and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
With no cost for attendance, registration for Muscadine Field Day will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the morning of August 24, with the actual program beginning at 9:00 and concluding at 11:00. Not only will attendees hear agricultural experts discuss the cultivation and care of muscadines, but they will also have an opportunity to tour the Research Unit’s large vineyard – and best of all, taste the muscadines.
Dr. Eric Stafne, MSU Professor and Extension Fruit Crops Specialist, encourages people to attend the 2023 Muscadine Field Day.
“Muscadines are a beloved southern fruit,” said Stafne. “There are many different varieties with a wide range of flavors. Attendees will be able to search out and discover some of their favorites.”
For more information, including disability accommodation, please contact Dr. Stafne at eric.stafne@msstate.eud or click here for additional details on 2023 Muscadine Field Day.
2023 Sweetpotato Field Day
For North Mississippians, the MSU Extension Service offers the 2023 Sweetpotato Field Day. Also taking place on August 24, this free event will be held at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station, located at 8320 Highway 15 South in Pontotoc.
With Mississippi being one of the nation’s top two sweet potato producers, this annual event is open to the public. But the day’s itinerary will focus on crop research topics pertinent to the area’s commercial sweet potato producers, crop consultants, and agricultural industry representatives.
Subsequently, children might not appreciate the day’s topics of weed management, sweet potato variety development, soil fertility, greenhouse production, cover crop use, and sweet potato physiology.
Event registration will begin on-site at 8:00 a.m., and at 8:30, Field Day attendees will be given a guided tour of the station’s numerous sweet potato projects.
A barbeque lunch will be provided to participants, and Certified Crop Advisor Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are also available.
Dr. Lorin Harvey, MSU Assistant Professor, and Extension Sweetpotato Specialist, believes the annual Field Day events are a great opportunity to foster two-way communication between research faculty and crop producers.
“Producers get to ask questions to faculty,” explained Harvey, “and faculty get to better understand the challenges that producers face in their operations. These interactions help us decide where to target resources in the development of future research and Extension projects to address those challenges.”
Please click here for more details on the 2023 Sweetpotato Field Day, or contact Dr. Harvey at lorin.harvey@msstate.edu.
