Mississippi Farm Bureau honors Dr. Reuben Moore with award

If you were to characterize a career spanning nearly four decades in just a few words or phrases, Dr. Reuben Moore’s career at Mississippi State University could be described with the words hard work, leadership and service to others. He attributes being able to live out these words to his childhood, where he learned the meaning of these traits and more on his family’s dairy farm.

“From the time I was old enough to walk to the barn, I had chores to do,” Reuben said. “We had chores before school, after school, and of course, on Saturday and Sunday. Before we could go to church on Sundays or anywhere, really, we had to take care of the chores around the dairy.”

Even though his dairy farm roots were deep, Reuben choose to pursue a higher education at Mississippi State University with the intent of growing all areas of agriculture.

“Growing up, I watched my dad get involved in various farm organizations,” he said. “His example and my passion to make life on the farm better propelled me in all that I did in my career and all I continue to do in my current leadership positions.”

From Dairy Extension Specialist to Vice President of Mississippi State University’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine to Neshoba County Farm Bureau President, over his career Reuben became a voice for agriculture, focusing on agriculture research and education, all with the goal of improving life on the farm.

“If you don’t tell people about your research and how it applies to them, there is no way they can implement those best management practices on their farms,” Reuben said. “There is no way a producer can learn the latest techniques if we don’t figure out a way to present them. That has been a big focus throughout my career.”

He believes it is important Mississippi Extension Service and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation continue promoting educational programs for Mississippi producers and working together on other issues.

“Farm Bureau can do some things that Extension and the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine cannot,” he said. “We need to keep promoting the agriculture community, improving the quality of life on Mississippi farms, and promoting the agenda for agriculture education and research.”

Even though his family dairy farm is in his past, Reuben and his family still have many fond memories of their time on it. He and wife, Fay, even remember the 1982 tornado blowing right through their land and sheering off the tops of the silos, and how the chores still got finished the next day.

Today, while technically retired, Reuben still has work to finish.

“He’s still up at 5 a.m. every morning, ready to roll,” Fay said. “He always has something going on.”