Agriculture and environment

Collage of Agriculture & Environment Field Specialists

Bold Goal, Bold Future

Agriculture impacts all Missourians. Find out how we’re strengthening the industry.

Growing agriculture

The singular goal of Agriculture and Environment Extension is to double the value of Missouri agriculture by 2030 while sustaining the state’s natural resources.

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Whether you own or manage an operation, find upcoming events to help you succeed in agriculture business and environmental stewardship.

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Interested in growing your agriculture business? We are too. Explore this content to discover the ways MU Extension can help you take part in our goal of doubling agriculture by 2030 while sustaining natural resources — #2xAg2030.

During this unprecedented time, MU Extension creates resources to keep you safe, while strengthening Missouri's agricultural economy. Refer to the resources on this page to navigate on-farm safety, food safety and disaster recovery.

On-farm safety

Food safety

Disaster recovery

Additional COVID-19 Resources

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Events

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MU Strip Trials Scouting School and Cover Crop Field Day

Event date: July 27, 2021

Event time: | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Auxvasse, MO

New location!Directions: Six miles from Auxvasse. From Auxvasse travel E on Rt. B to County Rd. 1015. Turn N and go ¼ mile, Turn E and go 1 mi. Event in field on the north side of the road.Speakers Charlie Ellis and John Lory will overview the ...

Fall Pasture & Beef Workshop

Event date: July 27, 2021

Event time: | 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Waynesville, MO

Participants will learn various topics surrounding fall management of beef cattle. Topics include management of fall calving cow herds, stockpiled forage strategies, and pasture economics. Please register online or call the Pulaski County ...

Soybean Field Day - Buchanan County

Event date: July 28, 2021

Event time: | 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

St. Joseph, MO

Field Day offering hands-on in field experiences scouting for soybean diseases with the ability to ask questions and improve id skills for fungicide application season. Participants will also hear a weed management update and use this information to ...

Marion County Junior Fair

Event date: July 29, 2021 - Aug. 7, 2021

Palmyra, MO

Annual county youth fair for 4-H and FFA members to exhibit and demonstrate their skills and knowledge.Registration instructions:Marion County Jr. Fair participation is limited to Marion County 4-H and FFA members. For more information on how to sign ...

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News & articles

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Grow now, graze later to reduce winter feed costs

Published: Monday, July 26, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Grow now and graze later to get the most out of tall fescue pastures.Winter stockpiling cool-season grasses carries cow-calf operations through the winter, the costliest time to feed cattle, says University of Missouri Extension ...

Cattle losing adaptations to environmental stressors, MU researchers find

Published: Friday, July 23, 2021

As a fourth-generation cattle farmer, Jared Decker knows that cattle suffer from health and productivity issues when they are taken from one environment--which the herd has spent generations adapting to--to a place with a different climate, a ...

Q&A with Sam Polly

Published: Friday, July 23, 2021

What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri?I work as the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) coordinator. This entails working with various extension specialists to build the pesticide safety program, along with ...

Weed electrocution research sparks interest as herbicide resistance impedes current methods

Published: Thursday, July 22, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Move over, herbicides. There’s a new sheriff in town. And he’s toting some powerful guns loaded with electricity to kill weeds. This shocking new method of weed control was demonstrated at the 2021 Pest Management Field Day at ...

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Publications

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Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) Insurance in Missouri

Publication date: June 1, 2021

Understanding Casualty Loss of Timber

Publication date: June 1, 2021

One of the most common questions regarding tax treatment of timber has to do with casualty losses -- the damage, destruction or loss of a property resulting from an identifiable event that is sudden, unexpected or unusual. From a timber investment ...

Harnessing Social Media to Build Your Business

Publication date: June 1, 2021

Social media platforms enable people to share information and network with others online. From a marketing perspective, implementing a social media strategy can create value for your business in multiple ways including:Promoting products,Gathering ...

Succession Planning for Woodland Owners

Publication date: June 1, 2021

The U.S. is blessed with a diverse portfolio of natural resources. Not least among them is our vast timberland. About 42 percent of the nation’s forestlands are in private ownership. Mostly, these are family owned forests. The objectives of these ...

The Cut Flower Garden

Publication date: May 1, 2021

This guide is one in a new series of youth gardening activities. See the related publications list for other guides in this series.Donna AufdenbergField Specialist in HorticultureLearn how to plant and harvest easy-to-grow flowers and how to arrange ...

Designing a Butterfly Garden

Publication date: May 1, 2021

This guide is one in a new series of youth gardening activities. See the related publications list for other guides in this series.Donna AufdenbergField Specialist in HorticultureLearn how to make a butterfly garden, get some fun facts and tips about ...

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Online coursestab

Online courses

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Master Gardener Core Training Course and Manual Bundle

Aug. 23, 2021 - Dec. 31, 2021

online $230.00

<p><strong>Your $200 registration fee includes a FREE Core Manual. During checkout, a $37.95 discount will be applied: $30 for the manual and $7.95 for shipping.</strong></p> <p ...

Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Response Awareness 070121

July 1, 2021 - Aug. 16, 2021

$25.00

Welcome to Hazardous Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Response Awareness. This awareness-level course is the first level of first responder certification. A first responder must be properly trained and mentally prepared when called ...

The Beginning Gardener-Getting Started with Vegetables 2021

Feb. 27, 2021 - April 17, 2021

online $40.00

Thank you for enrolling in the The Beginning Gardener Series. This course is designed to give you just enough information to plant your first vegetable garden, without overwhelming you with too much detail. This is a self-paced course designed for ...

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Resourcestab

Resources

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Cover Crop Budget Tool (XLS)

This tool allows users to estimate the financial costs and benefits of cover crops. A default economic analysis can be changed to reflect the practices and products that an individual farmer would use when planting cover crops.

Native Pollinators fact sheet (PDF)

Find information on establishing and maintaining habitat for animal pollinators in this fact sheet, part of a series created by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation and MU Extension–School of ...

Missouri Regional Grazing School schedule

Go here to find a 2021 grazing school in your region.

Managing the Japanese Beetle: A homeowner's Handbook (PDF)

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) is a highly destructive plant pest of foreign origin. It was first found in the United States in a nursery in southern New Jersey in 1916. In its native Japan, where the beetle’s natural enemies keep ...

Missouri Urban Trees

This 60-page PDF from the Missouri Department of Conservation lists recommended trees for Missouri landscapes. It also describes how to select, buy, transport, plant and care for trees.

Quail Covey Headquarters fact sheet (PDF)

Find information on establishing clumps of dense shrubs or woody cover with a canopy to create headquarters for quail in this fact sheet, part of a series created by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Missouri Department of ...

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Featured programs

Northwest Missouri Horticulture

Northwest Missouri has a diverse landscape, well-suited to many types of horticulture.

Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory

Analyzes soil, plant, water, manure, compost and greenhouse media.

Garden ’n Grow

Summer volunteer gardening program for children ages 9 to 13.

Agricultural Business and Policy Extension

Serves rural Missouri by helping farms, agribusinesses and communities understand their opportunities and challenges to make informed decisions

Annie's Project

Based on the life of Annette (Kohlhagen) Fleck, Annie’s Project empowers farm women to be better business partners through networks, managing and organizing critical information.

Aquaculture Extension

Resources to help you plan and manage for recreational fishing or commercial aquaculture.

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Agriculture and environment

Ag Engineering Edge

Bold Goal, Bold Future

Growing agriculture

Continue learning

On-farm safety

Food safety

Disaster recovery

Eventstab

Events

News & articlestab

News & articles

Publicationstab

Publications

Online coursestab

Online courses

Master Gardener Core Training Course and Manual Bundle

Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Response Awareness 070121

The Beginning Gardener-Getting Started with Vegetables 2021

Resourcestab

Resources

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Featured programs

Northwest Missouri Horticulture

Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory

Garden ’n Grow

Agricultural Business and Policy Extension

Annie's Project

Aquaculture Extension

All programs

Meet the experts