Extension Agents Lend Helping Hand to Southwest Mississippi

This past week, ten fellow agriculture Extension agents and I traveled to southwest Mississippi to assist local farmers and homeowners still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.Like other organizations, churches, and concerned citizens from all across the nation, we in Extension too felt a great calling to offer some type of helping hand to our Mississippi State collogues and the people in southern Mississippi and Louisiana. The call came just over a month ago from Gwyn Smith, local county Extension director, that it was now our turn as Extension agents and neighbors to fulfill our promise to help.  Like our mission of helping the citizens and farmers of Alabama during a disaster, we set forth across the state line to try to put the pieces and much of the lives of others back together.

Although it has been just over a year since the wind and water of Hurricane Katrina damaged the area, life is far from back to normal in Hancock County, Mississippi.  Much to our surprise, there is still a lot of damage to area trees, houses, farms, and commercial buildings, many that has not even been touched or repaired in a year.  Many homes, especially along the coast, are simply gone leaving nothing but an empty lot, a brick or two, and scared trees.  Almost all the pine trees in the area are just broken and dead, leaving the eerie appearance of winter conditions or death.  The too common site of white FEMA house trailers simply reminded us that the road to recovery is way too slow and help is indeed scarce.  But the most troubling was not the physical damage but the broken spirit of the people.  Many of them, especially those without a home, had lost focus of what to do next and where to turn for assistance. 

For two eye-opening days, we turned aside our stable lives back in Alabama and tried to focus on the enormous needs of others. We teamed up into smaller groups and spent much of our time picking up fallen trees and limbs, mending pasture fences, repairing storm damage to barns and houses, and rebuilding the human spirit.  Some of the farmers and homeowners we met just wanted to share their story of survival one more time. A few just needed a little help here and there and some positive encouragement that life could be put back together. All were very thankful to see a friendly face who cared enough to help a fellow person in great need and in dire circumstances.

As we left southwest Mississippi last week to return to Alabama, most of us felt sort of guilty of having to leave.  We felt like we needed to stay. We did accomplish much during our two days of work, but all of us agreed that we barely made a dent in what is really needed to get done there.  The people of southern Mississippi and Louisiana are slowly recovering from Hurricane Katrina but still need a lot of volunteer assistance.  If you have the opportunity to help in any way, especially physically or financially, please do so.  Once you have visited the storm damaged area, experienced helping others, and witnesses the difference just one person can make, it puts our perfects lives and purpose into a whole different perspective.   

Home Gardening 101

Here is a reminder for all you gardeners about the night home gardening course. Beginning October 10^th, the Tallapoosa County Extension office will be hosting a night short course on the basics of home gardening. Topics that will be covered are Soils and Plant Nutrition, Garden Bugs & Pests, Vegetable Gardening, Fruit Culture, Lawn Care, Bedding Plants, Plant Diseases & Disorders, and Care and Maintenance of Ornamental Plants.

The course will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning October 10, 2006, for 4 weeks from 6 until 8 p.m.  All classes will be held in the Extension Auditorium in the Tallapoosa County Courthouse in Dadeville. The course fee is $75.  The instructors are Shane Harris, Regional Extension Agent, and Tommy Futral, County Extension Coordinator, both of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Space is limited so if you are interested in participating, please call and sign-up this week.