MU Extension 4-H youth 'show' businesses at state fair
SEDALIA, Mo. – Twenty-one 4-H youth got a taste of running a small business by selling original handmade items to Missouri State Fair visitors, Aug. 10-20.Through the Show Me 4-H Wares program, youth are encouraged to start and run their own businesses with skills learned through 4-H projects, says Steve Henness, University of Missouri Extension state 4-H youth specialist.
Double your gardening pleasure with a cool-season garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Recent weeks of mild temperatures remind gardeners that it is time to plant cool-season vegetables, said University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist David Trinklein.
New partnership at Mizzou to advance Broader Impacts
University of Missouri Extension and the MU Office of Research, Graduate Studies and Economic Development announced that they are partners in the Broader Impacts Network. Susan Renoe, Ph.D., director of the Broader Impacts Network, now has a joint appointment with MU Extension and the Office of Research. Renoe had previously reported to the Office of Economic Development.
Spirited tour highlights Missouri's white oak, wine and whiskey, Oct. 28
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri has it all: wine, whiskey and white oak.University of Missouri Extension will toast Missouri’s unique contributions to the wine and whiskey industry during the first White Oak, Whiskey & Wine tour Saturday, Oct. 28.MU Extension forester Hank Stelzer and MU Extension viticulturist Dean Volenberg lead the one-day tour through mid-Missouri.
Soybean disease not usually seen in state shows in NW Missouri
Note: Revised to correct spelling of “sclerotinia.”COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Wayne Flanary says about 160 acres of soybean in northwestern Missouri show symptoms of sclerotinia stem rot. The MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic confirmed the disease, which can cause large losses in fields with high yield potential.
Floral fireworks in the fall
COLUMBIA, Mo. When many garden flowers show the ravages of a long and sometimes brutal summer, dahlias are most spectacular, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
Big meat supplies press prices, but consumer demand stays up
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Growing supplies of meat and dairy products apply pressure on farm prices through 2017 into 2019. With big supplies, strong consumer demand brings good news for producers.The offsetting result can be prices near or above last year’s prices.The outlook comes from a “Baseline Update for Livestock and Dairy Markets” from University of Missouri Extension economists.
Hog farmers defy supply and demand; price outlook stays above expectation
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This year, hog farmers dodged lower prices when they expanded sow herds and grew the second-largest pork supply since 2008.Prices stayed above expectation, say University of Missouri Extension economists. Growing exports and consumers’ love for bacon helped demand for growing supply.However, the economists caution, “At this rate, supply can outstrip demand.”
Chicken-wing demand helps farm prices; turkeys don’t share consumer taste shift
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Chicken wings helped poultry farm prices take off this year. Wing prices ran at least 30 percent above year-ago levels since late May, say University of Missouri Extension economists.Thighs and legs also sold well above a year ago. Dark meat leads demand, say Scott Brown and Daniel Madison.A trend to dark hasn’t helped turkey sales, however. “Chicken and turkey prices moved in opposite directions in 2017,” Brown says.
MU FRTI staff member deploys to Hurricane Harvey
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute (MU FRTI) curriculum specialist Erin McGruder does more than just write about disaster response. McGruder, a member of FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Missouri Task Force 1 (MO-TF1), deployed to Texas as a technical information specialist in response to Hurricane Harvey’s devastating August landfall.
MU dairy, veterinarian receive accreditation from Food Armor Foundation
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Scott Poock and MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center recently became the first Missouri veterinarian and dairy to be accredited by the Food Armor Foundation.The foundation, based in Madison, Wis., honors professionals who pass a test after 15 hours of continuing education on food safety and proper medication use through the Food Armor program.
Good ration affects cow profits, MU field day to tell of nutrition
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri beef producers have it good when it comes to feed resources, says Eric Bailey, University of Missouri Extension nutritionist.On Sept. 21 at the MU Thompson Farm, Spickard, he’ll share his good news. Bailey, new to Missouri, can tell what cow owners face in New Mexico, Texas and Kansas. “I’ve seen lots of prairie hay with no nutrient value at all,” Bailey says.
MU Extension receives USDA tech grant for pastures
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has received a $444,000 grant to create a mobile application to help farmers manage forage better. The Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services is one of 33 nationwide. It provides seed money to implement new ideas and techniques for conservation on private lands, says NRCS state conservationist J.R. Flores.
Mum's forgotten cousin bursts with fall color
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The fall beauty, aster, gets its name from the ancient Greek word for star. And a bright and shining star it is, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
Regional hay school offered Oct. 14 in Linn
LINN, Mo. – Livestock producers and horse owners can learn how to make “Hay That Pays” at the University of Missouri Extension regional hay school Oct. 14 in Linn.The event runs 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Community Christian Church, 1598 U.S. Highway 50, Linn.Attendees will be able to decide if making their own hay and balage is right for their farming operations, says MU Extension livestock specialist Anita Ellis.
Nature's multipurpose utensils
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Our ancestors couldn’t go to the hardware store or shopping mall to buy utensils and other household essentials. Instead, they improvised with items found in nature.
MU Farm Bill Summit, Oct. 18, to discuss needs from new laws
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A day of talks on issues Missourians need in the next farm bill from the U.S. Congress will be Oct. 18 at the University of Missouri.MU Extension pulls together interested parties for lectures and roundtable talks. The meeting is for all farmers.The 2018 Farm Bill Summit follows a tradition of the long-running Breimyer Conference, says Scott Brown, MU economist.
Cover crops improve garden soil
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “You don’t need a green thumb to be a good gardener, but it certainly helps to have good soil,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
Pretty pear trees invasive, hard to kill
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Bradford pear and its cousins may spread more than springtime beauty as these popular ornamental trees escape and become pests.
Missouri youth to celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 1-7
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will celebrate National 4-H Week during the first week of October.
MU FRTI's Tim Hartz participates in 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Tim Hartz, instructional support associate with the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute (MU FRTI), participated in the Missouri Division of Fire Safety Stair Climb on Sunday, Sept. 10, in Jefferson City.
MU Extension offers course for public board members
UNIONVILLE, Mo. – You’ve just been elected to a public board of directors. Now what? University of Missouri Extension offers a two-night course to help newly elected board members. The course is offered at Unionville, Kahoka, Trenton, Brookfield, Edina and Palmyra, 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 9 and 16. Topics:
Plant daffodils now for early spring color
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fall is an ideal time to establish daffodils for a glorious show of color next spring.
MU Extension program helps landowners, renters understand state’s fence laws
KEYTESVILLE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will offer a program on Missouri’s fence laws 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Chariton County Courthouse, 306 S. Cherry St., Keytesville.“This is one of MU Extension’s most popular programs,” said Joe Koenen, MU Extension agriculture business specialist. Koenen will tell about a Missouri fence law that went into effect in October 2016.
Facebook to farm
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Women livestock farmers can help build their business through Facebook in a few minutes each day, says Amber Henry of Henry Meat Co. of De Soto. She also serves on the Jefferson County University of Missouri Extension Council. Henry showed women at MU Extension’s recent Pearls of Production workshop how to build a following of loyal customers. Facebook is “a vitally important marketplace,” she says. And it does not…