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Missouri 4-H State Poultry and Rabbit Day
University of Missouri Extension hosted the 2025 State 4-H Poultry and Rabbit Day on June 14 at the MU Animal Science Research Center. Sixty-six 4-H youths from around the state participated in activities focused on poultry and rabbits. Participants competed in Poultry Judging Contests, Poultry Quiz Bowl, Rabbit Judging Contest, Photo Contests, Rabbit Knowledge Test, Rabbit Breed ID and a Dozen Egg Contest.
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MU Extension and partners develop appraisal guide for wild turkey habitat
Landowners interested in improving habitats for wild turkeys on their property have a new tool: University of Missouri Extension, in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the National Wild Turkey Federation, has developed a publication featuring habitat evaluation tools landowners can use to rate conditions on their property and then begin to address any limiting factors to enhance habitats for wild turkeys.
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Keep the sparkle, skip the ER: Fireworks safety for July 4
They light up the sky, but fireworks can also send people to the emergency room. Before you celebrate, take a few simple steps to keep your family safe.
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Self-care for the caregiver
“To be an effective caregiver, you have to be able to take care of yourself,” says Naomi Meinertz, University of Missouri Extension state specialist in aging. MU Extension offers a six-week program that helps caregivers do just that. MU Extension specialists began offering the course, "Powerful Tools for Caregivers," in the spring of 2025.
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Mizzou field days set for sites across state
Agricultural producers are invited to save the dates for these regional events in which extension specialists and researchers from the University of Missouri share their findings.
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Missouri 4-H'ers explore equine careers across 5 states, Canada
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension State 4-H Equine Careers Tour, May 19-25, offered 40 Missouri youths the opportunity to explore careers in the equine industry through hands-on learning and professional engagement across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Canada.
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Kochia found in NW Missouri soybean fields
Kochia, a highly competitive weed that can reduce yields by as much as 70%, has been found in northwestern Missouri soybean fields. Kochia is not new to Missouri, but this may be the first report of kochia showing up in cropland.
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Stabilizing prices, shifting interests: Inside 2025 Missouri farmland market estimates
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While Missouri’s farmland market remains relatively stable, new survey data points to rising interest—and prices—for timberland and recreational properties. That’s one of several key takeaways from the latest Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey, conducted annually by University of Missouri Extension.
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First reports of Japanese beetles received in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management reports the capture of its first Japanese beetles of the season, says MU Extension crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida. The beetles appeared in Stoddard, Barton, Christian and Holt counties, as reported by MU’s Pest Monitoring Network, which gathers information from across the state.
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Sweeten the Fourth with juicy watermelon
Celebrate National Watermelon Month with tips on selecting ripe, juicy melons for your summer gatherings.
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Tall fescue adds to heat stress in cattle
Cattle rid their bodies of heat in three ways: radiation, convection and evaporation. “If your cattle can’t use all three methods, they’ll overheat fast,” says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey. Summer heat knocks weight off calves and pounds off milk, Bailey says. “Heat stress costs real money.”
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A vision for collaboration
David Baker, assistant dean emeritus in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, was inducted into the 2025 Missouri Agriculture Hall of Fame. Baker is the first MU faculty member or administrator to be inducted.
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American Tractor Club invites owners to show off their machines
Showcase your historic tractor through a new club established by the American Tractor Museum in collaboration with University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Farm Bureau. The MU Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) has set up a database for the American Tractor Club, a project of the Perryville, Mo., museum created to celebrate this enduring symbol of American agriculture.
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Clover Classic raises more than $85,000 for Missouri 4-H
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The 15th Annual Missouri 4-H Clover Classic Golf Tournament, June 3 at A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia, raised over $85,000 in support of youth programs across the state. “We are incredibly thankful for the continued support of our Clover Classic community,” said Wendy Hall, chair of the Missouri 4-H Clover Classic. “The funds raised this year will make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across…
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Show-Me-Select spring heifer sales top $2 million
Some record high prices marked the spring sales of Show-Me-Select bred heifers. The combined gross amount from the five regional sales was $2,321,900 for 602 bred heifers.
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Missouri 4-H Week unites youths for leadership, learning at Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Following Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of 4-H members gathered for Missouri 4-H Week, an annual event held on the University of Missouri campus. This weeklong celebration features two major events for the 4-H program: 4-H Teen Conference and State 4-H Congress.
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Peppers: Easter eggs of the garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Bearing fruit ranging in color from red, orange and yellow to purple, white and chocolate-black, sweet peppers are the Easter eggs of the vegetable garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Mow or spot spray poison hemlock now
Poison hemlock, a plant that can kill livestock, is flowering and setting seed now in much of Missouri. While early control is recommended, it still can be managed with spot treatments or mowing, says Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist. It grows in ditches, roadways, fencerows, occasionally in pastures or hayfields that aren’t mowed regularly, and sometimes in no-till cropping systems.
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SGF Kickball earns Best Neighborhood Program award at Neighborhoods USA Conference
Michael Brittian and Ed Goeke returned to Springfield from the 50th annual conference of Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) in Jacksonville, Fla., May 20-23, with the Best Neighborhood Program award in the Social Revitalization category. This year’s conference had 525 registered attendees from 36 states and featured workshops, speakers, tours, networking and an awards program.
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Use a grazing strategy to get more grass from pastures
Compared to other parts of the agricultural community, graziers of cattle depend less on fossil fuel and more on solar energy to turn a natural resource like grass into a sellable commodity, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. Graziers can save on operating expenses and provide quality feed to meet nutritional needs by allowing cows to do selective harvesting.
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Nativars: Superheroes of the plant world
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nativars, superhero plants that possess the virtues of native plants but in a more attractive package, make good choices for landscaped areas. Use nativars as part of your gardening “green movement,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Missouri 4-H Foundation awards $101,000 in scholarships
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation has awarded 78 scholarships totaling $101,000 to 4-H youths across the state for the 2025-26 academic year.
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Making pizza in the garden
ALBANY, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center will soon help gardeners learn how to grow their own pizza toppings, says MU Extension field horticulturist Gwen Funk. The idea comes from thinking outside of the pizza box, and it delivers taste and fun, Funk says.
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MU RaFF releases policy brief on changes to Federal Milk Marketing Orders
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new policy brief by the University of Missouri Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) weighs in on changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs).
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Replant or roll with it? MU guide weighs costs, payoffs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When faced with a sparse or failed stand, crop producers have to ask themselves a difficult question: Should I replant?