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Missouri Good Neighbor Week returns Sept. 28-Oct. 4
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri again celebrates the power of everyday neighborliness when Missouri Good Neighbor Week returns Sept. 28-Oct. 4, inviting Missouri residents to recognize the simple acts that make Missouri a better place to live.
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Service sire selection and breeding management for successful heifer development
Service sire selection and breeding management are essential to a successful heifer development program and to the productivity and profitability of a cattle operation.
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Heifer selection and health management strategies for successful development
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Heifer development is critical as cattle producers rebuild their herds,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Successful development starts with choosing the right heifers and using effective health management strategies, whether for your own herd or for buyers of your heifers.
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Record-breaking numbers at Ozark Empire Fair Hay Contest
The 2026 Ozark Empire Fair Hay Contest had record-breaking numbers this year. There were 68 entries from 32 participants in 11 counties. The contest, which began in 1985, is open to any Missouri producer.
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Free ‘Local to Larger’ workshops help food businesses plan growth
This fall, MU Extension’s Local to Larger: Scaling Workshop for Food and Farm Businesses series will help food and farm businesses evaluate opportunities to expand and build a growth strategy that fits their unique business.
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Consider feeding in Missouri Steer Feedout to add value to your calves
The Missouri Steer Feedout gives cow-calf producers a chance to evaluate feedlot and carcass performance, retain ownership and use real-world data to make management decisions that can add value to their herd.
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Hot weather and cattle in ponds and streams increase foot rot risk
With hot weather in full swing and cattle standing in ponds and streams, producers should watch for foot rot, which can limit cattle mobility, reduce performance, increase treatment costs and hurt profitability.
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Highway 13 Butterfly Trail connects Missouri communities
RICHMOND, Mo. – Missouri Highway 13 could soon become a living corridor of color, movement and ecological renewal with the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail, says Kathi Mecham, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in horticulture.
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Show Me Neighborhood Art Month sees record participation
University of Missouri Extension has announced the winners of the 2026 Show Me Neighborhood Art Month, celebrating a record-breaking year that brought together artists, neighborhoods, businesses and communities across Missouri.
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Keep the sparkle, skip the ER: Fireworks safety for July 4
They light up the sky, but fireworks can also send people to the emergency room. Before you celebrate, take a few simple steps to keep your family safe.
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Livestock tour highlights farms, research facilities in Oklahoma, Texas
STOCKTON, Mo. – “The MU Extension Livestock Bus Tour will visit livestock operations in Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas beginning Sept. 22,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
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Cattle fly and tick control more important than ever
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Fly and tick control is important to reduce the spread of diseases that negatively impact cattle operation’s productivity,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Health problems in cattle such as pinkeye, Theileria orientalis (Ikeda) and anaplasmosis are spread through flies and ticks. Davis discusses management strategies to reduce these problems in your cattle operation.
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Strong bidding breaks records at Show-Me-Select SW Mo. sale
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Strong bidding at the recent Show-Me-Select sale in southwestern Missouri set new records for both high and average prices,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Twelve consignors sold 165 heifers for a record average of $4,947 per heifer. That is more than $900 higher than the spring 2025 average on 124 heifers and more than $700 above the fall 2025 average on 246 heifers.
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Managing cattle and pastures for a successful summer grazing season
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Cool-season pastures are becoming overmature and need to be reset,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Keeping pastures in their optimum quality range supports cattle performance and contributes to a successful operation. In this article, Davis discusses cattle and forage management strategies for a productive summer grazing season.
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Happy Beef Month from your MU Extension dairy specialist
Happy Beef Month. Yes, that message is coming from your University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist. Across Missouri, where cattle operations of all kinds form the backbone of rural communities, the lines between beef and dairy are not separate conversations. They are part of the same cattle industry and, increasingly, the same supply chain.
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Preweaning calf management that leads to postweaning success
STOCKTON, Mo. – “For cattle producers who retain their calves after weaning, calf performance is crucial for a successful operation,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
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Strong, steady March bull sale in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist, described the 107th Southwest Missouri All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale in Springfield as “a strong, steady sale.”
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Severe-weather resources from MU Extension
Access free resources, guides, and videos to stay safe and prepared during severe weather and flooding emergencies.
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Highway 13 Butterfly Trail: Bethany to Branson
The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail is an integrated ecological restoration and community revitalization initiative designed to enhance pollinator habitat, support rural economic development and strengthen connections between communities and their surrounding natural systems.
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Bull management for breeding success
What's a bull worth? What is that future calf crop worth? Davis advises cattle producers to implement effective management practices for bulls as they transition out of the breeding pasture and prepare for future breeding seasons to safeguard their investment.
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Connecting a city through neighboring
In Excelsior Springs, a simple idea — neighbors getting to know one another — is reshaping a city. With support from University of Missouri Extension’s Engaged Neighbor Program, residents launched block parties, volunteer efforts and business collaborations that are building trust, boosting civic pride and strengthening community ties.
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MU Extension specialist available for commentary on documentary series ‘Neighbors’
With HBO’s new six-part documentary series “Neighbors” debuting Feb. 13, a nationally recognized University of Missouri Extension specialist and neighboring enthusiast is available to provide interviews and commentary for reporters and broadcasters as part of a larger discussion about what it means to be a good neighbor in the United States.
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A bull breeding soundness exam pays
Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist, suggests a bull breeding soundness exam (BSE) prior to each breeding season to make sure a bull is physically and reproductively sound to breed females. He suggests that with cattle prices as they are, not doing a BSE is an expensive mistake.
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Numbers low but prices high at SW Missouri All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale
“The numbers were low, but the prices were high at the Southwest Missouri All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale on Oct. 27 in Springfield,” says Patrick Davis, MU Extension livestock field specialist. Twenty-one bulls sold for an average of $7,128 per bull.
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Full crowd for strong Show-Me-Select replacement heifer sale
STOCKTON, Mo. – “A full house saw a strong Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program sale on Nov. 21 at Joplin Regional Stockyards,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. The sale saw 246 heifers sold from 13 consignors for an average price of $4,177 per heifer.