Entering the gate, the flowers are bright and magnetic, luring you in for a closer look. At first glance, it appears to be a hidden botanical garden, a mere half mile from Hwy 51 and just two miles from Interstate 55. However, this is much more than a flowering oasis, it is the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's Truck Crops Branch in Crystal Springs. The 175-acre station includes laboratories, greenhouses, and high tunnels all equipped for horticulture research. Containers, raised beds, and landscaped areas define one of the prettiest stations in the MAFES network which includes flowering plants and vegetable crops.

Established in 1938, the station was an answer to local producers who were struggling with vegetable crops. According to Clay Cheroni, facilities coordinator who has been at the station for 18 years, a farmer was successful at selling vegetable crops from the tailgate of his truck. Other farmers, seeing the pioneer's success, tried to mimic the crop sales but fell short. Truck Crops was established to help producers throughout the central part of the state grow successful vegetable gardens. It is most fitting that the station was built in Crystal Springs, once nicknamed Tomatopolis of the World for the volume of tomatoes grown in the Copiah County locale.

The station branched out from vegetable crops to ornamentals, conducting yearly trials of over 200 varieties of annuals, perennials, grasses, culinary herbs, and other flowering plants. Vegetable crops are still a big part of the station with Dr. Qianwen Zhang, a new assistant professor of horticulture, slated to begin this summer.

Shaun Broderick, associate research and extension professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, has spent the last 10 years at the station, leading the crew in preparation, planting, and research on hundreds of varieties of landscape plants.

"Our trials began in 2001 with Mr. Norman Winter and continue through today," Broderick said. "Since 2015, we have archived the plant trials on the Truck Crops Trial Garden website, and each year we find those plants that have performed best in our landscape."

Broderick has also taken the trials on the road, working with colleagues in north and south Mississippi to plant flowering variety trials at the MAFES Northeast Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Verona and the MAFES South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville.

Vegetables and flowers are not the only plants found at Truck Crops. Over the years, research has been conducted on blueberries, crape myrtles, ornamental trees, shrubs, pecan trees, mayhaw (hawthorn berry popular in jellies), and muscadines, to name a few.

In addition to the plant trials, Broderick and his crew are conducting research on steam treating soil. MAFES scientists are the only ones in the state working on this type of project, where steam is placed over tilled land until the soil temperature reaches 160 degrees at 4 inches deep. The treatment kills most weeds, soil-borne pathogens, slugs, and some insect pests.

"The steam treatment is well-suited for organic growers who do not want to use herbicides or pesticides," Broderick said. "We have used steam treatments in different vegetable and flowering crop experiments and are currently conducting trials on tomato production."

The station took some hits in 2023 from extreme weather. A straight-line wind event in April took out a high tunnel, and a hailstorm in June decimated a 1940's greenhouse, a modern greenhouse, and another high tunnel. The racquetball-sized hail that plagued the station on Father's Day 2023 resulted in more than $1 million worth of damage, with five experiments impacted.

"That is one of the biggest differences between being on campus and being at a station," Broderick said. "When you are at a station, you must fix all the problems that occur. Campus facilities is not a phone call away when you're off campus. The crew finds the resources to get the job done."

Such is the nature of a crew working on an off-campus station. The tight-knit, independent group of 10 finds a way to fix the problems that arise daily. Every day is truly different, which may be why two are finding life after retirement maintaining the facilities.

David Williams retired from Truck Crops after 29 years. The Hazelhurst native and his four sons all worked at the station during summers at various times, when mowing is at its peak. Williams returned after retirement, working as a part-time agricultural assistant. Likewise, Bill Berch left a 31-year career at International Paper to forsake retirement and work at the station. Also, a part-time agricultural assistant, Berch has been with the station for six years.

Greg West and Devon Phillips also work as agricultural assistants. West has been with the station for 12 years, leaving a career as a graphic designer for the hands-on work of repairing equipment, bush hogging, and the other duties required to maintain the landscape. A native of Crystal Springs, Phillips, a 7-year veteran, enjoys manual labor and being outside.

The work in horticulture drew MacKenzie Cade and Erika Sweeten, both MSU horticulture alumni who enjoy the opportunity to work in their chosen profession. Cade is a research associate and Sweeten is a research assistant. Both have been at the station nearly a year and conduct data analysis and collections and research preparation, among other duties.

The newest member of the crew, Christy Smith, took on the administrative duties at the station, having previously worked as an insurance agent and in other administrative roles. The Wesson native arrived at the station March 1.

Cheroni rounds out the crew. A Hazelhurst native, Cheroni moved through the ranks while obtaining his degree. He supervises the crew and creates a welcoming and fun environment amid work exposed to the elements, including the scorching heat of Mississippi's seemingly endless summers.

This year the station embarked on new events and offerings for the community, including a spring plant sale, Mother's Day flowering baskets, and a poinsettia sale planned for this winter. A recent event, expected to be repeated each year, is the first day of summer field day June 20, when the trial garden reaches its peak. Individuals tour the gardens in the early morning and attend indoor seminars.

The Truck Crops Branch is truly an oasis and a peaceful retreat less than 30 miles south of Jackson. With its ponds, flowers, and vegetables, it is easy to get lost in the ambiance of the station. Stop by for a visit, but be forewarned, it may be hard to leave.