Ask a Master Gardener: Options for small trees and shrubs, recommendations on hand tools
Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Master Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.
Missouri Food Finder
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Food Finder (www.MOFoodFinder.org) is a new online tool that easily connects Missouri consumers with people growing and selling locally produced food in their region. (Note: Since initial publication of this news release the site has been renamed Show Me Food and can be found at ShowMeFood.org.)
What makes a community leader?
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – “Simon Says” is a game where someone gets to be the leader and gives instructions about what gestures or actions others must do, but only on Simon’s command. For young children, “Simon Says” is always a group favorite. “At least for that game, I enjoyed being a leader and most of my classmates did too. Some people may still feel like that game is their only chance to be a leader,” said David Burton, county…
Tips for dairy herd safety during COVID-19
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock used to repeat one word to students and workers at MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center. “Intake. Intake. Intake” has given way to “Sanitize. Sanitize. Sanitize.”
MU Soil and Plant Testing Lab still open and serving Missouri agriculture
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For now, the University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory remains open. “We understand the essential role the lab plays in supporting Missouri's agricultural industry,” said Robert Kallenbach, MU Extension senior program director for agriculture and environment. “If we can continue to operate safely, the MU Soil Testing Laboratory in Columbia will continue to accept samples.”
COVID-19 and farms
MU Extension specialists offer guidelines and tips for COVID-19 safety on the farm.
Farmers face unique safety risks during COVID-19
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers face unique safety risks as COVID-19 continues to spread.The predicted peak of the COVID-19 outbreak likely will hit as spring planting season shifts into high gear, says Rusty Lee, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.Physical distancing becomes difficult as farmers receive seed and chemical deliveries, Lee says.
Ask a Master Gardener: Difference between coated and plain seed
Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Master Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807. Q. What is the difference if a seed is called “pelleted” or “coated” or just a plain seed? L.M., Ozark Answer by Master Gardener Mark…
Neighborhood art can spread kindness and joy in a community to combat isolation and loneliness
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Robert Frost once said, “Good fences make good neighbors.” While many families are sheltering-in-place, that phrase could be “good art makes good neighbors,” according to David Burton, a county engagement specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
MU Extension specialists on coping with COVID-19's financial impact
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension faculty recently appeared on NBC affiliate KOMU-TV, Columbia, to talk about financial aspects of the COVID-19 crisis, which has hammered the stock market and shuttered countless businesses and workplaces. In these installments of KOMU's "COVID-19 Town Hall" series, they offer information on saving and investment strategies, safeguarding your finances, and where individuals, families and…
Ask a Master Gardener: Pruning, mulch, hedges and groundcovers
Q. My various, leafy and grassy groundcovers are starting to sprout out, but they have all the old, nasty-looking growth left over from last year. What’s the easiest way to tidy these up? Answer by Master Gardener Mark Bernskoetter.
Show Me Resilience
Show Me Resilience. In challenging times, Missourians come together. This simple phrase illustrates how University of Missouri Extension and communities across the state are showing up for each other. People, businesses and communities across Missouri are working together in innovative and engaging ways – bringing the resources of the University of Missouri to the people who need them.
We need a quest for community, says MU Extension specialist
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Humans are social animals. That is not new information. Even the ancients knew: it is not good for man to be alone. "If you study ancient and classical history, you see many examples of where banishment from society was the worst possible punishment," said David Burton, county engagement and community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "That is because humans are made to live in community…
Seeding oats and clovers now improves spring grazing
STOCKTON, Mo. – Now is the time to seed oats and clovers to improve spring cattle grazing resources and reduce costs, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis. “Feed is a major cow-calf operation cost,” says Davis. Oats and clovers are forages to seed now to improve spring grazing resources and help reduce supplemental feed costs.
Several lessons can be learned from one-room schools
Historic one-room schools still dot the landscape in the Ozarks. Several fine examples exist with others moving toward restoration. The old schools are an icon of America and are historically tied to agriculture in Missouri. According to David Burton, civic communication specialist with University of Missouri Extension and director of the Ozarks Country School Program, one-room schools are still revealing valuable historical,…
Neighboring has both personal and community benefits
How well do you know your neighbors? Can you name each of the neighbors that adjoin your property or apartment? Do you know a personal fact about each one? Do you speak to your neighbors? It turns out that less than two percent of Americans can say yes to all three of these questions.
“Missouri Directory of Historic and One-Room Schools” is now available for purchase
The "Missouri Directory of Historic and One-Room Schools" has been published and is now available for purchase on Amazon.com or at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County in Springfield.
Are you crazy busy? Setting priorities are key to regaining joy (and sanity)
“Hello, I am busy.” That has nearly become the standard greeting in the United States of America. But there is an answer that brings improvement, and it is not simply better “time management,” according to David Burton, county engagement specialist in community economic development with University of Missouri Extension.
Rural schools history book updated and available from Greene County Extension Center
The book, “A History of the Rural Schools in Greene County, Mo.,” was updated in 2010 by the author to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the book’s original release in 2000.
Put your best fork forward: National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education campaign launched each March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign expanded from National Nutrition Week to National Nutrition Month in 1980 to reflect growing professional support and increased public interest in nutrition. The goal of the campaign is to reiterate the basics of healthy eating and to celebrate the expertise of registered dietitian nutritionists.
Strategies for nitrogen on wheat this spring
It was a difficult fall in Missouri and much of the Midwest. Crops came out late, crops came out wet, fields were rutted, wheat got planted late or not at all, and once the wheat was up it found itself in a hostile (cold & wet) environment.
Nitrogen: Flex and go fast
It's April 4 and raining again in central Missouri. A lot of work planned for fall did not get done. Opportunities to catch up in late winter or early spring have been nil. I expect a spring where the value of good decisions will be magnified.
Dicamba injury and insurance
Dicamba can cause injury to off-target plants, leading to third-party injury claims that involve business liability insurance plans. Third-party injury is when the actions of one person affect another person.
Third-party injury and federal crop insurance
Multi-peril crop insurance is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agencies. For row crop producers, the most common multi-peril crop policies purchased are revenue protection and yield protection. Both of these insurance products use the insured farmer’s actual yields in determining the level of indemnity, if any, to be paid.