Summer crops are starting to come in, and it won't be long before we have even more fresh fruit and vegetables. This gives us even more reasons to buy and eat local. May is recognized as National Poultry and Eggs, as well as Beef, Month, and this is a great time to support these industries. Visit GenuineMS.com to learn where you can find local poultry, eggs and beef products, and shop at your local farmers market for all your fresh meat and produce needs. Don't forget to check out the Mississippi Farm Marketplace to advertise your crops for sale or to find local crops to purchase.

Stay tuned for information coming soon on local food promotions.

Andy Gipson

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

MDAC to Host International Trade Seminar in Biloxi

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce will host an international trade seminar for companies interested in learning more about export resources and assistance through the Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA) on Monday, May 9, at 1:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Bolton Building in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Mississippi food and agricultural companies are invited to attend this seminar to learn about the variety of export assistance SUSTA offers including connecting companies with international buyers at trade missions and trade shows; assisting companies with their international marketing efforts by providing 50 percent cost-share assistance; and technical assistance through an export helpline and export readiness training.

Examples of products that qualify for SUSTA include fresh produce, snack foods, seafood, sauces and condiments, seasonings, horticulture, consumer-ready retail foods, beverages, pet foods, wood products and more. In addition, attendees will also learn about specific programs offered by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce to help market their products through Genuine MS® as well as other state international trade efforts.

The seminar will be held at the Bolton Building located at 1141 Bayview Avenue in Biloxi on May 9, 2022, beginning at 1:00 p.m. contact Susan Lawrence at 601-213-7546 or susan@mdac.ms.gov.

Division Spotlight: Mississippi Forestry and Timber

Mississippi is home to approximately 19.7 million acres of forestland. Sixty-five percent of the state is covered in timber, with an abundance of softwood pine as well as hardwood trees. Of that land, 77% is privately owned. In fact, Mississippi is ranked #1 in the nation for Certified Tree Farmers under the American Tree Farm System. Timber is the state’s third largest commodity with a value exceeding $1 billion annually, and timber is the leading agricultural commodity in over half of the counties in the state.

Mississippi has a strong timber infrastructure, and private landowners are the backbone of that infrastructure ensuring long-term sustainable forest resources. Other critical components include the Mississippi Forestry Commission, which educates landowners and provides a strategic plan for forestry management. Our loggers, some of the top trained in the nation, make it possible to harvest the trees and get them to the mills. Mississippi has nearly 1,000 qualified professional logging companies who operate under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standards (SFI).

The state-of-the-art mills across the state are capable of producing hundreds of millions of board feet each year. Mississippi is home to some of the world’s largest bio-mass pellet companies supplying sustainable, renewable, green energy to the world. Mississippi companies produce logs and poles, construction mats, temporary road mats, and the list goes on. We also have a number of active and involved forestry related associations and several universities that provide research and development, all which positively impact the industry.

Recently the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) hosted a successful meeting of stakeholders to discuss Mississippi Wood Fiber. Speakers and presenters included Mr. Mike McCormick, President, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation; Ginger Williamson, Deputy Bureau Director, and Timber Commerce Liaison, MDAC; Chad Smith, Owner, LandMAX Properties; Gary Stewart, Greentree/Teal-Jones; and Richard McInnis, Assistant State Forester, Mississippi Forestry Commission.

Lunch was prepared by the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum and sponsored by and paid by the Mississippi Loggers Association.

Wild Hog Control Program

The next period for online applications is officially open until Monday, May 16, 2022.

Through the Wild Hog Control Program, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce offers wild hog traps to land managers for the control of wild hogs on private agricultural and forestry lands in Mississippi. Submitted applications will be evaluated based on the number of acres available for trapping, historical agricultural losses caused by wild hogs on the property, and current trapping efforts on the property.

Read more on the program and application process here.

The 2021 Mississippi Agriculture Youth Council Holds Final Meeting

The inaugural Mississippi Agriculture Youth Council (MAYC) had their final meeting at McClain Resort in Brandon, where they received an in-depth look at the business and marketing aspects of the agritourism industry. On behalf of MDAC and Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson, each student was presented a certificate to remember their time within the youth program. Students were also presented a gold and green intertwined cord signifying agriculture (green) and the future (gold).

The Mississippi Ag Youth Council is a program under MDAC's Ag Workforce and Outreach Division, led by Director Gayle Clark.

Student members of the 2022 MAYC will soon be announced.

The Mississippi Egg Marketing Board hosted Easter at the Ag Museum on Saturday, April 16^th.

Thanks to all the MDAC staff that volunteered to help. It was a rainy day, but we had a great crowd!

Upcoming Events

Pickle Fest

The Mississippi Ag Museum

June 11, 2022

3pm-8pm

The Mississippi Pickle Fest is a refreshing taste of all things fermented. This fun-filled festival is a day of music, games, contests, vendors and so much more. Pickle Fest is an outdoor event and will take place rain or shine! For more information, email msagmuseum@mdac.ms.gov.

Summer Day Camps at the Mississippi Ag Museum

The Mississippi Ag Museum

June 27-30 and July 18-21, 2022

Join us this year for summer day camp at the Ag Museum! Learn various aspects of designing and managing farmland, and discover ways to run a successful farm. For more information, contact Rachel Bone at rachel@mdac.ms.gov.

4-H STEAM Day

June 28 at Mississippi State University.

This event is open to 4-H youth, ages 5-13 years old as of January 1, 2022. Each contest has a water theme (water conservation, water cycle, water and disease prevention, etc.). Contact your local Mississippi State University Extension Service agent for details about how to get involved in this event. Find your local Extension Office here.

Registration closes June 14, 2022.

Mississippi Raiders Arena football

Next home game is May 7, 2022.

The Raiders are the only arena football team in the state and play at the Mississippi Coliseum. This is their first season in Jackson. The Raiders hometown had been Hattiesburg. See the schedule and buy tickets here .

Celebrate National Egg Month!

May is here and it’s National Egg Month! Eggs are an excellent source of protein to help you stay full and energized throughout the day. Not only are eggs nutritious and affordable, but they are also very easy to prepare in many different ways. Eggs can be boiled, fried or scrambled and used in a variety of dishes such as quiches, frittatas and omelets.

When preparing and cooking eggs, always remember the following tips:

Do not keep eggs or egg-containing dishes at room temperature for more than two hours total for preparation and serving.
If hot eggs or egg-containing dishes are not served immediately after cooking, put the hot foods into shallow containers and refrigerate at once to cool quickly.
Wash your hands, utensils and work areas with hot, soapy water before and after cooking with eggs.
Cook eggs thoroughly, making sure the white and yolk are firm.
Avoid taste-testing egg-containing dishes before they are thoroughly cooked.
When preparing egg-containing dishes that are only lightly cooked, make sure the egg base is cooked to at least 160°F.
If a recipe instructs you to add raw eggs to a previously cooked dish, e.g. lemon meringue pie filling, make sure you heat the whole dish until it reaches at least 160°F.

Follow your Mississippi Egg Marketing Board on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information about the Incredible Edible Egg, visit www.incredibleegg.org

Celebrate National Beef Month!

May is here and it’s National Beef Month! Beef is one of the most popular types of meat. It's exceptionally rich in high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals. Beef can improve muscle growth and maintenance, as well as exercise performance. As a rich source of iron, it may also cut your risk of anemia.

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce has two major resources for finding locally raised beef -- the Genuine MS program and the MS Farm Marketplace Portal.

Celebrate National Beef Month and support your fellow Mississippians:

Search all our Genuine MS beef operations through MDAC's Genuine MS program here.
Search other locally sourced beef operations through MDAC's Mississippi Farm Marketplace here.