WYNN...pg 8
RIDER...pg 9
Vol 17, No. 12 •May 2018
News You Can Use
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From the cotton field to the runway, Women can rock on at workshop on becoming entrepreneur agriculture plays role in fashion flax for linen, plus leather from By Lucy Weber cows and cashmere from lambs, Chances are one of the cotton pieces are all the products of those in your wardrobe got its start in our involved in agriculture. That state. means all the many types of "Yes, definitely there's a big possicareers in the clothing and bility that some of that cotton came fashion industry are dependent from Mississippi," said Dr. Caroline on farmers and producers Kobia, an assistant professor in fashacross the globe, she said. ion design and merchandising "Cotton is the most used at Mississippi State natural fiber worldwide," University. said Kobia. "We have an A native of Kenya advantage here. We can who moved to the take students to the farm. United States to get It all starts with the growher advanced ers." degrees, Kobia has Kobia said the departtaught at ment has received a Mississippi State grant from for five years. She Cotton Inc., that says it's fitting school officials that the students are calling majoring in fash"From the cotion design and merton fields to chandising are part of the fashion fields." School of Agriculture and The goal of the Life Sciences. programs funded "Agriculture plays a by the grant is to role in fashion," said Dr. Caroline Kobia increase awareness Kobia, who teaches a of the importance course in Textiles. "I teach of the plant industry for people in the fashion my students that fashion and agriculture are world and to help compete with synthetic intertwined. Without agriculture, you don't have textiles, you don't have fibers. You don't materials. Kobia said most people are unaware that have design, fashion or the clothes." The fibers of cotton, wool, silk, hemp and the process from growing the cotton to it being turned into clothing is not Return Address: P.O. Box 1292 Corinth, MS 38835 a quick one. "The lead time is about two years from the field to processing into clothing." "I tell students when they POSTAL PATRON watch fashion shows to realize it's more than the photograsee KOBIA pg 4
to educate and help others bring their busiBy Lucy Weber nesses to life. What I'm doing is connectWomen interested in starting their ing these women," said Fair, who added own businesses can find help at an she knew from a young age she wanted upcoming workshop in the Golden to be her own boss as a businesswoman. Triangle. "It's an honor and a privilege to For the second year, the All help others. It makes me feel good Women Rock Entrepreneur that I had a part in their successes," Networking Expo is set in said Fair, a wife and mother of West Point. The May 12 two, who is also a licensed minevent, running from ister. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Rev. Sharon Cannon Mary Holmes of The Church House of College, is the Refuge Family Worship work of Felicia Center in West Point will be Fair, who the keynote speaker at the knows what it's symposium. Cannon will like to be a share her insight from runwoman finding her ning her own business for 30 way as an entrepreyears plus her testimony. neur. "This expo is designed Felicia Fair see FAIR pg 4
Raised on the farm, Mitchell assists farmers through her job By Lucy Weber There's nothing better at the end of a business day than getting on the farm for Sandy Mitchell. Mitchell, born and raised in Alcorn County, works as the district clerk for the Alcorn County Field Office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "I love working on the farm. It's a stress reliever," said Mitchell, who along with husband Billy run 35 head of cattle. "I'll go to the pasture just to go see some cows." Mitchell grew up working with her beloved daddy on his cattle farm where they raised cows and the corn to feed them. When she married Billy, he had never had cows, but "he's a cow farmer now," she said. "I grew up on raising cattle, and it's a big part of my life. "I love the farm and the farm life," she said. Mitchell also loves her job, where she's worked for 28 years, because she gets to help those involved in agriculture in Alcorn County, see MITCHELL pg 4
Sandy Mitchell