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Butterfly Festival is June 21 at MU Jefferson Farm and Garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Celebrate the beauty of butterflies at the eighth annual Butterfly Festival at the University of Missouri Jefferson Farm and Garden in Columbia. The free event on Saturday, June 21, brings together nature lovers, families and butterfly enthusiasts for a day of education, exploration and hands-on activities, said Debi Kelly, state coordinator of the MU Extension Master Gardener Program.
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Free local produce for low-income seniors
Lower-income older adults in Missouri may now enroll in the 2025 Missouri Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and enjoy fresh local produce at no cost.
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Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference is Aug. 13-14 in St. Louis
The Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference is set for Aug. 13-14 in St. Louis. Speakers from across the globe will tackle a variety of pertinent topics, said event organizer Tim Safranski, a University of Missouri Extension state swine breeding specialist.
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MU Extension offers online NRUP applicator training
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will offer online noncertified restricted-use pesticide (NRUP) applicator training on May 21. MU Extension field agronomist Rusty Lee said the course comes in response to new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines on training for loaders, mixers and handlers of restricted-use pesticides working in a commercial application business under the supervision of a commercial licensed…
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Child care gaps cost Missouri $1.15 billion per year, research finds
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new report from University of Missouri Extension reveals a staggering economic toll of Missouri’s child care crisis: an estimated $1.15 billion lost each year due to access challenges.
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Iris, goddess of rainbows, splashes color over spring gardens
COLUMBIA, Mo. – According to Greek mythology, a golden-winged goddess named Iris traveled on a rainbow to bring messages from gods to mortals. Legend has it that colorful flowers sprung up at the end of the rainbow wherever she stepped.
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Beef production field day set for May 20 in Ironton
University of Missouri Extension, in partnership with Iron County Soil and Water District, will host a farm field day Tuesday, May 20, in Ironton at Mairs Cattle Farm. The farm field day is free, but RSVP is requested. Presentations will take place in the morning and again after tours, which will follow lunch.
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Jefferson Farm & Garden provides bedding plants to nonprofits statewide
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s Jefferson Farm and Garden in Columbia has raised about 5,000 spring bedding plants so far this year and supplied them to hundreds of gardens throughout the state.
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Make hay in May for best quality, yield
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For yield and quality, May is the best time to harvest cool-season grasses, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann. May is when cool-season grasses transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage. Many grasses such as tall fescue, orchard grass and Kentucky bluegrass are already flowering in parts of Missouri.
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Crystal Burch honored with Missouri 4-H volunteer leadership award
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Celebrating National Volunteer Week, the Missouri 4-H Foundation is proud to present Crystal Burch with the 2025 Naomi Crouch 4-H Volunteer Leadership Award. Crystal is recognized for more than 11 years of service and support to 4-H in Vernon County. “We are honored to recognize Crystal Burch for her outstanding efforts on behalf of Vernon County 4-H,” said Rachel Augustine, director of the Missouri 4-H Foundation.
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The peaks and valleys of travel
Traveling to the mountains for vacation this summer? Or is the beach more your style? Either way, let’s explore the peaks and valleys of travel in regard to stress and mental health.
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MU Extension, partners host Birding and Habitat Walk on June 14
WILLIAMSBURG, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation will hold a Birding and Habitat Walk 8:30-11 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at the Prairie Fork Conservation Area near Williamsburg. During the free event, participants will learn about birds and their habitats such as prairies, woodlands and forests. Experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri River Bird Observatory will…
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Protecting your home and buildings from wildfire
COLUMBIA, Mo. – May is a good time for Missouri landowners to take proactive steps in protecting homes, barns and other structures from the threat of wildfire, says Joni Harper, field specialist in natural resources for University of Missouri Extension.
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Use fenceline weaning to improve calf postweaning performance
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Postweaning calf performance is important to cow-calf operators and future calf owners,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Optimum performance is achieved by reducing weaning stress. Davis discusses fenceline weaning as a management strategy to reduce weaning stress, which ultimately reduces sickness and improves calf performance postweaning.
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Report outlines Missouri population growth
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Analysis from University of Missouri Extension has placed Missouri as the 19th-most-populous state in the U.S. as of 2024, with 6.25 million residents.
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Registration open for Show-Me Neighborhood Art Week
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – From June 1 to June 15, 2025, Missouri neighborhoods will once again become outdoor art galleries celebrating local talent, civic pride and neighborly connections. “After a wildly successful debut last year, Show-Me Neighborhood Art Week is back and bigger than ever,” said David Burton, University of Missouri Extension community development specialist.
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MU forage specialist begins new podcast
LINNEUS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state forage agronomy specialist Carson Roberts recently released the “Productive Pastures Podcast,” featuring livestock and forage producers, researchers and others interested in management-intensive grazing, livestock production and forage production. “Listeners will be exposed to many brilliant ideas for how to improve profitability and regeneration in forage-livestock systems,” says…
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May 16 SW Mo. Show-Me-Select sale offers 119 fall-calving heifers
STOCKTON, Mo. – The Missouri Show-Me-Select (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program educates cattle producers on heifer development strategies in management, reproduction, and genetics to create a reliable source of quality replacement heifers,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
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Good cattle market led to a strong bull sale in Springfield
STOCKTON, Mo. – “People are enjoying high cattle prices, and the 105th Southwest Missouri All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale was no different,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. A total of 26 bulls sold for an average price of $5,458 per bull. This average was approximately $1,200 higher per bull than the fall 2024 sale average and more than $1,600 higher per bull than the spring 2024…
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Multispecies grazing workshop set for May 22 in Stockton
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Grazing multiple species of livestock on your grazing operation can improve efficiency and profitability,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
University of Missouri Extension has information and resources for individuals, families, caregivers and others.
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10 workplace mental health tips
During Mental Health Awareness Month, two MU Extension specialists offer tips to help lighten the load for others.
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Annual historic garden walk set for May 17-18 in Ste. Genevieve
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension Master Gardeners of Ste. Genevieve will hold their annual tour of private and historic home gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 18 and 19. “This annual event showcases some of the most interesting and delightful gardens in the state,” says MU Extension horticulture specialist Kate Kammler.
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![Calibrachoa Superbells Dreamsicle. Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons.](/sites/default/files/styles/flexslider_full_no_crop/public/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/2025/20250430-callie-1.jpg?itok=uJbCTQGu)
Callie, petunia's upstart cousin, bursts with floral fireworks
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Most flowering annuals in gardens around the U.S. have stood the test of time, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For example, geraniums were planted in Europe in the 17th century and have been an American favorite for more than 200 years. Petunia, as we know it today, appeared in gardens in the 1800s.
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Show-Me-Select sale of bred fall-calving heifers set for May 17 in Vienna
VIENNA, Mo. – The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program will hold a sale of fall-calving heifers 4 p.m. Saturday, May 17, in Vienna. “Show-Me-Select is an educational program for cattle producers to improve heifer development and increase market opportunities for added values on Missouri-raised heifers,” said Chrisee Brandl, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.