Alliance plans fescue schools to teach replacing toxic grass
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ways to replace toxic tall fescue pastures keep improving as renovations move across the Fescue Belt from Missouri to Georgia.Five grazing schools in five states in March will clarify a complex system, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
Choose your tax preparer wisely
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Exercise caution if you pay someone to do your taxes, says University of Missouri Extension personal finance specialist Andrew Zumwalt.Most tax return preparers are professional and honest, but not all, he says.
Advice for choosing a tax preparer
If you pay someone to do your taxes, be careful. Most tax return preparers are professional and honest, but some are not.
Beware of tax scams
Don’t fall victim to tax scamsThese schemes take several shapes, ranging from promises of large tax refunds to illegal ways of “untaxing” yourself. The IRS suggests that you remember three important guidelines:
Paying to borrow your own money is a bad deal
The ball at Times Square had barely touched bottom before the ads for tax-refund loans began broadcasting across the country. But getting tax refund money just a few days earlier can cost you.
Downtown Hannibal business cooks up success with MU Extension
HANNIBAL, Mo. – In her 20s, Linda Studer had a dream of opening a business in historic Hannibal.
EPA extends deadline for poultry and livestock facilities
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist Teng Lim advises poultry and livestock producers to be aware of an approaching deadline that could affect their operations.
Workshop helps new farmers, ranchers, military vets understand ABCs of USDA, other agencies
ELDON, Mo. – Openings remain for a free Jan. 24 workshop to help beginning farmers and ranchers, including military veterans, learn about resources offered by state and federal agencies.University of Missouri Extension sponsors the workshop.
Compost bedded pack barns offer cow comfort and higher production
MACOMB, Mo. – Happy, healthy cows give more milk.Southwestern Missouri dairy farmers find that cows housed in compost bedded pack barns are healthy, happy and produce more milk, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Ted Probert.
Prepare for disease outbreaks in livestock operations with written plan
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A written plan to respond to disease outbreaks for your livestock operation is like insurance. You hope you never need it. You may never need it. But if there is an outbreak, the economic survival of your livestock operation might depend on having that plan.Planning and prevention are the best insurance against an outbreak, says University of Missouri Extension economist Ray Massey.
Tax refund advice: Save some, spend some
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Income tax refunds are ready to roll out. You might want to hold on to some of that cash.Refunds are wages you earn throughout the year and should be thought of as hard-earned money rather than found money, says Andrew Zumwalt, personal finance specialist with University of Missouri Extension.For the wise, a refund windfall is a chance to stash some of the cash in an emergency fund. Use some to pay down high-interest…
Pig disease on upswing in U.S.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Pork producers need to know what to do if a vesicular disease strikes their operation.The Seneca Valley virus (SVV) disease is on the upswing in the United States, says Corinne Bromfield, University of Missouri Extension veterinarian.The Swine Health Information Center reported that diagnostics labs had seen more than 60 cases of SVV from January to June 2016. They reported only 20 cases in the previous 30 years.
Farm bill action possible in early 2018 if Congress keeps much of present law
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There’s an open window for passing a farm bill in early 2018, says Scott Brown, University of Missouri policy analyst. But potential passage gets tough by late spring.Getting action depends on Congress quickly agreeing to pass a farm bill much like what exists.Mostly, farmers are pleased with current legislation, Brown told the MU Crop Management Conference. But every commodity group has ideas for tweaks to their parts…
Grow Your Farm program offered in downtown KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension invites anyone interested in learning to farm to attend an eight-session program, Grow Your Farm, offered by MU Extension in Jackson County. The program also offers two farm tours. Sessions begin Feb. 28 and end April 18. All sessions run 6-9 p.m. at the MU Extension center at 105 E. Fifth St. in the Kansas City River Market.
Good Agricultural Practices training offered in St. Peters, Olathe
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about produce safety and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification at workshops in early 2018. GAP certification training will be held Jan. 18 and Feb. 16 in Olathe, Kan., and Jan. 26 in St. Peters, Mo.
Produce safety workshop set for Jan. 17 in Webb City
WEBB CITY, Mo. – Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about produce safety at a half-day workshop Jan. 17, 2018, in Webb City, Mo.The workshop will help all produce growers, include those selling at farmers markets and to restaurants, grocery stores and wholesalers, improve the safety of their produce and will provide an introduction to produce safety regulations and market requirements.
Improved drone technology gives farmers edge in scouting fields
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drones are higher in quality and lower in price than they were just a few years ago when farmers began using them, says University of Missouri Extension natural resources engineer Kent Shannon.
Tips for safe snow shoveling
MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Before you grab that snow shovel to clear your sidewalk or driveway, stop to go over some safety tips, said a University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist. “Snow shoveling is not the exercise to use to start getting in shape,” said Bob Schultheis. “Exercise experts say shoveling heavy snow requires as much energy as running nine miles per hour.”
Great Plains Growers Conference offers 'Hoppy New Year'
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The 2018 Great Plains Growers Conference, Jan. 11-13 in St. Joseph, will offer the first hops workshop in Missouri and Kansas. Hops are a hot new Midwest specialty crop.University of Missouri horticulture specialist James Quinn moderates the “Hops Potential” workshop Thursday, Jan. 11. Experienced growers and researchers from Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska will share their expertise on hops, the ingredient that…
Soil testing kits available at local MU Extension centers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Submitting soil samples to your local University of Missouri Extension center is easy, says Manjula Nathan, director of the MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory.Now is the best time of the year to submit samples to the accredited lab. Soil tests help farmers, gardeners and lawn owners find what fertilizers they may or may not need, says Nathan.
Christmas cactus: A gift that keeps on giving
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The summer they were married, Dan and Earlene Britton received a cutting from a Christmas cactus belonging to Earlene’s grandmother Naomi Ingrum. Thirty-six years later, the Brittons and the cactus continue to do well in spite of coast-to-coast moves and climate changes.
Frozen pipes create big problems during cold weather
MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Water has a unique property: It expands as it freezes. This puts tremendous pressure on whatever is containing it, including metal or plastic pipes. No matter the strength of the container, expanding water can cause pipes to break.
Cold snap brings fescue foot to cows on toxic fescue grass
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A winter cold snap arrives. Cow’s blood flow slows. Cows start limping. It’s time to check herds for fescue foot.The first report of the disabling disease has come to Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension fescue specialist.The case is from southwestern Missouri, Roberts says. A herd owner counts 20 limping cows in a herd of 100. That can happen anywhere in Missouri.
MU crop conference offers soybean, corn growers info to deal with drought
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean growers can learn how University of Missouri Extension research can help them with next year’s crops.Many of the 29 sessions offered at this year’s MU Crop Management Conference center around soybean research, including one from MU Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold.Wiebold tells the short- and long-term effects of drought on Missouri’s main grain crops. The event is Dec. 14-15 at the Holiday Inn…
Woodland management: Basic forestry tools
Just like home repairs, certain woodland jobs can be accomplished quickly and efficiently if the right tool is used. While every woodland owner does not necessarily need all the tools discussed, many could benefit by adding some of these tools to their toolbox. Knowing something about them will improve communication with foresters and loggers. Ready? Let’s begin.