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., OzarkAnswer 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…
Not letting a pandemic slow us down
All over the nation, people are working online. Missouri’s county extension councils are no exception. Quickly adapting to changing needs, these citizen advisers are now holding their monthly meetings by phone and online videoconference to help make sure University of Missouri Extension can continue its local work.
Lessons learned during 2007 ice storm can help deal with stress of sheltering in place
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- If experience is a great teacher, then the 2007 ice storm that hit southwest Missouri taught us some valuable lessons. The storm left many families stranded indoors for a week or more without electricity and other modern conveniences.
Ask a Master Gardener: Buttonbushes, privacy trees and tomatoes
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Mas¬ter Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.
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."
Teaching our children to be good neighbors
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Neighboring and community leadership are topics that can positively change our communities in a way that is meaningful and lasting according to David Burton, county engagement and community development specialist, University of Missouri Extension.
Lessons in leadership from Mr. Rogers
Many of Americans grew up watching “Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,” which first aired in February 1968 and ran for almost 900 episodes, until 2001. Reruns continue to be aired. That adds up to over 50 years of exposure to the gentle wisdom of Fred Rogers.
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.“Proper establishment and grazing management of oats and clovers is key for…
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.
Learn to be a positive leader in your community
Your focus often determines the type of leader that you are. According to David Burton, county engagement specialist with University of Missouri Extension, our communities need more positive leaders.It often begins with the issue of your focus.
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.
“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.
Quality county roads aid agriculture; broadband could do the same
There is a lot of talk about the importance of affordable and high-quality broadband Internet access in rural America. While on the Greene County Commission Ag tour Sept. 25, 2019, one farm family shared about how the lack of broadband negatively impacts their farm.One could say that broadband is the new “road” for agriculture and has the potential to change life on the farm nearly as much as electricity did in the early part of the…
MU Extension helps businesses retain employees
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – KSN-TV recently featured workforce development specialist Amy Patillo discussing a University of Missouri program that helps businesses retain employees. The Leveraging Workplace Stability workshop helps business recruit and retain employees in a tight labor market.
MU Extension helps farmers grow profits
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – KSN-TV, an NBC affiliate in Wichita, Kan., recently highlighted Missouri’s StrikeForce Farmer Development Program, a joint effort of University of Missouri Extension, USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Since 2016, the program has provided education and training to farmers in 46 Missouri counties.
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.