Agricultural business and policy

Planning budgets

Information useful to farmers planning production, financing and marketing of crops or livestock using cost estimates based on Missouri production practices.

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black and white photos of several old farms

Century farms

Landowners with farms that have been in the family for 100 years or more can obtain special recognition.

Learn about century farms

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Events

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2021 Computers on the Farm Virtual Conference

Event date: Feb. 8, 2021 - Feb. 9, 2021

Please join us for the 2021 Computers on the Farm Virtual Conference to be held on the evenings of February 8-9 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. via ZOOMIf you are a farmer who wants to make more effective use of your computer on your farm, this ...

Winter Ozarks Ag Series - Virtual Program

Event date: Feb. 8, 2021 - Feb. 22, 2021

The South Central MU Extension agriculture faculty is offering a winter ag series. The program will be virtual but may be viewed at a local extension office if internet is unavailable. The short course will offer two time slots; 6-7pm and 7-8pm with ...

Missouri's Complex Fence Laws - Saint Joseph

Event date: Feb. 23, 2021

Event time: | 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

St. Joseph, MO

Missouri continues to have a very complicated fence law, in large part due to the fact that 2 separate laws cover the state depending on the county that your land is in. If you own land you really need to know the law and how it impacts you whether ...

Missouri's Complex Fence Laws - Kirksville

Event date: Feb. 23, 2021

Event time: | 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Kirksville, MO

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News & articles

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2021 Great Plains Growers Conference to be held online Feb. 12-13

Published: Monday, Jan. 25, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mid-Missouri farmer Liz Graznak is one of the keynote speakers for the 2021 Great Plains Growers Conference, which will be held online Feb. 12-13. Graznak, who owns and operates Happy Hollow Farm of Jamestown, sells produce through ...

2021 MU Computers on the Farm conference meets Feb. 8-9 via Zoom

Published: Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – With its virtual format, this year’s Computers on the Farm conference, Feb. 8-9, will vividly underscore the increasingly vital role of computers in agriculture.“The topics are designed to simulate a hands-on experience for both ...

MU Extension hosts March webinar series on selling local food

Published: Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo.– Producers selling local foods can learn about best practices, state regulations and available resources at a four-part online series in March presented by University of Missouri Extension.“This series will help farmers and other ...

New pesticide guide for hemp available

Published: Friday, Jan. 8, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension recently released a list of pesticides approved for industrial hemp production in Missouri.In Missouri, hemp producers are allowed to use pesticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency ...

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Publications

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Farmland Values for Missouri Counties

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) collects information on the market value of agricultural land and buildings through two different procedures: the Census of Agriculture conducted every four ...

Missouri Farm Land Values Opinion Survey

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

A web-based survey was conducted in September 2020 to determine what people think has been happening to farmland values in Missouri. The survey was sent to persons we expected to have insight on land values. Ag lenders, rural appraisers and farmers ...

Agriculture and the Occupational Safety and Health Act

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

The William Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established that employers employing one or more persons have a legal responsibility to ensure their employees have a safe and healthful work environment. The agricultural industry is one ...

Introduction to Hedging Agricultural Commodities With Options

Publication date: Dec. 1, 2020

Producers of agricultural commodities regularly face price and production risks. Furthermore, increased global free trade and changes in domestic agricultural policy have increased these risks. As the variability of price increases the variability of ...

Pricing Corn Silage

Publication date: Dec. 1, 2020

Figure 1. Agricultural producers should consider the current price of corn and inputs for pricing corn silage. Silage is the harvest of whole corn plants at 60 to 70 percent whole plant moisture. Optimal harvest occurs when kernels are at 1/2 milk ...

Missouri 3,500-Cow Dairy Business Plan

Publication date: Nov. 1, 2020

This 3,500-cow dairy farm business plan demonstrates one path forward for the next generation of Missouri’s dairy farmers. This path involves producing milk in Missouri with a 3,500-cow single site dairy, a capital and labor efficient scale. This ...

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Resources

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Soil testing information (PDF)

Information on submitting soil samples to the MU Soil Testing Laboratory for testing.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development COVID-19 response

Find a summary here of federal rural resources and actions taken by USDA Rural Development to help those in rural areas affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forage budget generator (XLSX)

A tool to help farmers estimate the costs and returns for major forage crops grown in Missouri.

Economic Impact of the Missouri Grazing Schools (PDF)

Impact study, conducted by MU Extension's Commercial Agriculture Program, estimates that management-intensive grazing has raised the economic output of Missouri’s beef industry by more than $125 million annually, supporting more than 2,000 jobs.

Is your farm ready for COVID-19? (PDF)

This flyer outlines how to prepare for business continuity and minimize the effects of quarantine if someone becomes ill. English and Spanish versions. ¿Está lista tu granja para el COVID-19? (En inglés y español.)

Winter Feed Cost Dashboard Nov. 2019

The dashboard is a planning tool for cow-calf producers. It shows the cost of standard hay and supplement diets to carry beef cows through the winter of 2019-20.

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Featured programs

Beef Extension

Comprehensive resources for the Missouri beef industry