Agricultural systems and natural resources

Sustainability

Helping Missourians sustain healthy ecosystems.

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Missouri Master Pollinator Steward

Event date: May 19, 2021 - June 24, 2021

Kirksville, MO

Pollinators, such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats and insects play a crucial role in the production of most fruits and vegetables. They also support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils and support wildlife. Studies show that ...

Garden N Grow Program

Event date: June 7, 2021 - Aug. 12, 2021

Kansas City, MO

Garden N Grow provides Summer Fun in the Garden for children ages 9-13. It promotes awareness of nature and science and provides opportunities to make garden-themed crafts. The 10 week long, twice a week gardening experience helps build team-building ...

Women Owning Woodland/Women Caring for the Land Forest Management Field Day

Event date: June 9, 2021

Event time: | 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

Mt. Vernon, MO

A one day workshop for women landowners and woodland enthusiasts to join natural resources professionals to learn about forest management for wildlife. The morning will be a classroom session that will cover forest management basics, timber stand ...

QPR Gatekeeper Training for Farm Bureau

Event date: June 14, 2021

Event time: | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is a one hour online course. A certified QPR Gatekeeper instructor with MU Extension will help participants recognize the warning signs for suicide, and learn how to intervene by using the three-step QPR method. ...

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Know youth labor laws before hiring your summer staff

Published: Wednesday, May 12, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – As the school year ends, you can expect young people to start applying for summer jobs. For agricultural employers, these young workers can provide extra capacity at a time when farms and agribusinesses often have more work than ...

Fight fatigue, stress on the farm with sleep for better bottom line

Published: Friday, April 30, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Long hours during calving and planting seasons can cause fatigue and stress, leading to accidents and costly mistakes, says Mary Engram, University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.“Lack of sleep affects us ...

Low temperatures leave plants in the cold

Published: Thursday, April 22, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Winter-hardy perennial flowers likely will survive April’s historic low temperatures across Missouri, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.Their tender annual counterparts, however, may not be so ...

Spring activities bring stress

Published: Friday, March 19, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The busy time of the year is upon us – prom, graduation, spring sports and end-of-school banquets. This flurry of activities can bring stress, especially in rural communities, where these activities may coincide with spring ...

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Agriculture and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Publication date: April 1, 2021

The Fourth National Climate Assessment report, released in 2018, uses the highest estimates of greenhouse gas emissions (called RCP 8.5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to forecast substantial economic losses in the U.S. The section ...

Safe Tractor Operation

Publication date: Feb. 1, 2021

Work-related injuries caused 416 farmer and farm worker deaths in 2017, resulting in a fatality rate of 20.4 deaths per 100,000 farm workers. The National Agricultural Tractor Safety Initiative reports that tractors cause about 50% of all farm worker ...

Missouri Master Naturalist State Program Manual

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

Learn about the workings of the Missouri Master Naturalist program. Along with an overview of this statewide volunteer conservation program, this manual details certification, training and volunteer service requirements and offers operation and ...

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 ...

Nutrient Recovery System for Dairy Farms: Dissolved Air Flotation and Multi-Disk Press

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

A manure management plan consists of balancing the use and/or reuse of organic material but, more importantly, nutrients — primarily nitrogen and phosphorous — and water. Water and nutrients are intertwined because water is the primary means by ...

Delta Soils of Southeast Missouri

Publication date: Oct. 1, 2020

The Mississippi River Alluvial Valley is called the Delta region. The Delta includes parts of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. This report focuses on the Upper Delta in Southeast Missouri. It is one of the most fertile places ...

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Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Response Awareness 050121

May 1, 2021 - June 15, 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 ...

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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 ...

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 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.

Oak Decline

Learn about oak decline in this leaflet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.

Integrated Pest and Crop Management newsletter

Stay up to date on the latest news and information with the Integrated Pest and Crop Management newsletter.

Tree seedlings

Information from MDC on native trees and shrubs and planting tips

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Featured programs

Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory

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

Master Pollinator Steward

Learn about the relationship between pollinators such as honeybees and a healthy ecosystem.

Flood Resources

Current information about flooding; dangers to crops and food quality/safety; how to recover from a flood.

Missouri AgrAbility

Provides practical education and on-the-farm assistance for farmers with disabilities.

Missouri Century Farms

Awards certificates to landowners with farms that have been in the same family for 100 years or more.

Missouri Master Naturalist

A community-based natural resource education and volunteer service program sponsored jointly by the Missouri Department of Conservation and MU Extension.

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Agricultural systems and natural resources

Sustainability

Eventstab

Events

News & articlestab

News & articles

Publicationstab

Publications

Online coursestab

Online courses

Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Response Awareness 050121

Resourcestab

Resources

View All

Featured programs

Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory

Master Pollinator Steward

Flood Resources

Missouri AgrAbility

Missouri Century Farms

Missouri Master Naturalist

All programs

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