Extending Knowledge. Changing Lives.

As its motto suggests, the Mississippi State University Extension Service dabbles in education and research, in agriculture and horticulture and business planning and family services.

You name it, and it can help you find the reliable information needed to make decisions, Anna McCain, Warren County’s extension agent, said at Tuesday’s Vicksburg Kiwanis meeting.

“It’s hard to say what we do because we do just about everything,” she said. “I have people tell me the extension office is the best kept secret in Vicksburg. Well, I don’t want it to a be a secret anymore.”

The extension service’s goal is to “provide research-based information, educational programs and technology transfer focused on the issues and needs of the people of Mississippi, enabling them to make informed decisions about their economic, social and cultural wellbeing,” according to its mission statement.

McCain stressed the importance of research to the extension office’s mission. Whether needing information on saving grass from fall armyworms, how to lease hunting property or use social media to promote a business, she said the workshops and information the office provides are based on research from knowledgeable experts, often via Mississippi State, to insure it is accurate and valuable.

“This is about research. My job, my responsibility is to take this research and new technology and make sure you are able to adapt it, so that way you can grow your businesses and improve your families,” she said, noting her position allows her to suggest research topics based on community needs and then use the research once it is completed to help the community.

“If there is something you are struggling with or need more information about, you can contact our office and we can maybe work that into a workshop that a lot of people can participate in and gain that knowledge,” she said.

The extension office also organizes a slew of volunteer efforts ranging from the Master Gardeners program and 4-H Youth Development volunteers to Money Mentors and the Warren County Homemaker Volunteers.

“They help us accomplish our mission,” she said.

She encouraged community members to continue to step up and serve.

“Remain diligent. Stay involved and rely on the extension service if we can be of any help,” she said.

To contact the Warren County Extension Office, call 601-636-5442.