DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Earl Lyons
Earl Lyons
Farm Equipment Operator
Delta Research and Extension Center
Years in position/at MSU: 13
As the farm equipment operator at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center (DREC) in Stoneville, Earl Lyons doesn’t just work the fields -- he tends to a legacy of agricultural research. Lyons tends to nearly every commercial crop under the Mississippi sun including corn, cotton, rice, soybeans, even catfish ponds. From disking and tilling to plowing and prepping, Lyons is the hands-on partner for Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) scientists and Extension professionals, ensuring their work can help farmers across the state.
"This job can seem kind of average, but I know what I do helps others on their farms," Lyons said.
To him, it’s a small part of something much bigger. Since 1904, DREC has been a hub for innovative research, and Lyons’ consistent efforts in the fields support advancements that ripple out to farms across the Delta and beyond.
"Every day is something different, and that’s what I love about my job. I’ve been here a long time now, and no two days have been the same. I learn something new pretty much every day,” Lyons said.
Lyons began his career as a truck driver, crisscrossing the country. But when the position at DREC opened up, he saw a chance to settle down closer to home and focus on what mattered most: family. The family-oriented values of MSU made him feel right at home, and he appreciates the stability his job brings him now.
Outside the fields, Lyons’ life is rich with family and faith. He and his wife enjoy spending time with their son and eight grandchildren. While he no longer has to travel for work, he still hits the road with “The Chosen Sons,” a gospel choir he’s been a part of for 23 years.
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