Lauderdale County Extension Office

09/06/2026

09/04/2026

Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program | Early Registration

The Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program is designed to help tourism professionals and community leaders strengthen their leadership skills while putting what they learn into practice in their own organizations and communities. The program combines professional development, networking, and applied projects that lead to tangible results.

Participants who take advantage of early registration will have the opportunity to attend the program’s in person session held in conjunction with the Mississippi Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Oxford on October 6. This is a great opportunity to begin the program while connecting with tourism professionals and leaders from across the state.

Early registration and program information:
https://gcd.extension.msstate.edu/educational-programs/excellence-tourism-leadership-program

Information about the Governor’s Conference on Tourism:
https://mstourism.com/governors-conference/

09/03/2026

We are so excited to host FARMtastic in Lauderdale County, September 15-17th!

This year, every teacher who attends FARMtastic will receive agriculture-related books and curriculum resources to take back and use in their classrooms! We’re excited to equip educators with hands-on resources that help bring agriculture to life for their students.
We are incredibly thankful for our generous sponsors who make this opportunity possible. Because of their support, we’re able to invest in teachers and inspire the next generation to learn, grow, and understand the importance of agriculture! 🌾💚

09/03/2026

Here's your veggie planting guide for September! Some of the vegetables you can plant in the garden this month include...

Leeks
Onions
Green onions
Mustard greens
Collards
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Brussel sprouts
Broccoli
Spinach
Lettuce
English peas
Beets
Carrots
Celery

Planting times will vary by area.

Read our Mississippi Vegetable Gardener's Guide for TONS of great info: https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/mississippi-vegetable-gardeners-guide

Contact your county's Extension agent for localized guidance: https://extension.msstate.edu/county-offices

09/02/2026

Many people consider goldenrod to be the scourge of the fall allergy season! That belief is actually not true. Goldenrod is the victim of cause-and-effect reasoning: If your fall allergies peak when goldenrods are blooming all around, then it must be plant’s fault.

However, the real culprit is the ragw**d that blooms at the same time. We don’t see these tiny, inconspicuous flowers, but they produce loads of small pollen grains that are easily distributed by the wind. Ragw**d pollen wreaks havoc with the allergies of thousands of people.

09/01/2026

GROUND BEEF! 🍔🐂Yummy topic right?!?! Ground beef is a kitchen staple in homes throughout the county and across the state. Beef cattle farming is an important part of our agriculture. The possibilities for using ground beef in recipes is endless from dishes like burgers, meatloaf, to chili. Here's two recipes from our friends at Happy Healthy that use BEEF that you might want to add to your weekly menu this week for a quick family dinner one night.

Beef Taco Soup
https://happyhealthy.extension.msstate.edu/recipes/beef-taco-soup

Beef Enchilada Casserole
https://happyhealthy.extension.msstate.edu/recipes/beef-enchilada-casserole

09/01/2026

Here's your landscape checklist for September! Some tasks include...

Order daffodil and other spring bulbs for October planting.
Sow ryegrass seed for winter lawns.
Plant hardy annuals.
Apply pre-emergent herbicide for winter w**d prevention in your lawn.
Fertilize and water fall mums.
Watch for garden pests and diseases.
Pick flowers in bloom to create dry floral arrangements.

Learn more about each of these tasks + find further resources here: https://extension.msstate.edu/blogs/extension-for-real-life/september-landscape-checklist

08/31/2026

During dove hunting season, you might encounter more than just mourning doves! Mississippi is also home to the Eurasian collared dove and the less common white-winged dove.

Here are some identifying features of each species:

Mourning Dove
A slender, familiar dove found across much of North America. They are mostly plain brown and their gray plumage is accented by black spots on the wings. They also have a long, pointed tail with white spots along the edges that are especially noticeable in flight. Their distinctive mournful coo is one of the most recognizable bird calls in North America.

Eurasian Collared Dove
A large, pale brown dove that has rapidly expanded across much of North America after being released in the Bahamas in the mid-1970s. They can be identified by the narrow black collar around the back of their neck and the large white patches on their outer tail feathers. Their broad, pointed wings and relatively large size also help distinguish them from mourning doves. They have a distinctive deep three-part call.

White-Winged Dove
A medium-to-large dove native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America that has expanded its range north and east over time. In Mississippi, white-winged doves are found primarily in southern portions of the state. They are generally grayish-brown overall, but their most recognizable feature is the bold white patch along the wings, which becomes especially noticeable when the bird is in flight. They also have bright red-orange eyes, blue skin around the eye, and a dark cheek line.

Identifying the dove you're looking at is important—not only for learning the species, but also for knowing which regulations apply while hunting.

Always check the current regulations from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks for season dates, shooting hours, bag limits, possession limits, and any other requirements before heading to the field.

Follow our MSU Extension Gamebird Program page for more content like this.

08/31/2026

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, s*x, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, s*xual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veter...