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5 tips to protect your pet from household hazards
COLUMBIA, Mo. – National Pet Poison Prevention Month in March is a good time to review how household items can endanger pets, says University of Missouri Extension veterinary toxicologist Tim Evans. Evans lists a few things to check in your home: 1. Safely store all household items that could be a danger to your pet. Pay particular attention to bedside or tableside medications that could cause serious injury or death to your pet.
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Kick-start the gardening season by turning it inside out
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It is hard to think about gardening when the weather is cool. “However, now is the perfect time to start seeds of certain garden plants indoors so they will be ready for transplant when warmer weather arrives,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist David Trinklein. By kick-starting the growing season, you will have flowers and produce earlier, said Trinklein.
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MU Extension holds short-term operating plan workshops
WARSAW, Mo. – If key decision-makers on a farm are unable to make decisions for a short time (two weeks to six months), how well would their farm operations continue? Starting March 27, University of Missouri Extension will host “On My Own: Planning for the Unplanned” workshops on short-term operating plans to help landowners and farm operators make sound decisions when preparing for the unexpected.
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Spring cleaning for the mind, body and spirit
UNION, Mo. – Spring can be a great time to hit reset in multiple facets of life. Many think about cleaning up a messy space in their home or refreshing their natural spaces. Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home but also can be for your mind, body and spirit. • Create a list of short- and long-term goals and prioritize them.
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4-H'ers shine at State Horse Judging Contest
FULTON, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension State 4-H Horse Judging Contest on March 1 drew 88 4-H members from across the state to William Woods University in Fulton. The event provided youths and their coaches the opportunity to tour the university’s facilities and learn more about its equine program from faculty and staff, said Kelsey Fuller, MU Extension state 4-H agriculture educator. Top 10 competitors, ages 8-10
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Use sacrifice pastures now to spare best pastures for later
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Cattle producers welcome the rain, but it leads to muddy pastures and proper management is needed for optimum grazing the rest of the year,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Davis feels sacrifice pastures may be needed to help in promoting forage production for the rest of the grazing season.
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Add magnesium to prevent grass tetany in cattle
STOCKTON, Mo. – “As spring and lush grass growth arrives cattle producers need to plan for prevention of grass tetany,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Grass tetany arises from a cattle mineral imbalance, so Davis suggests cattle producers use management strategies discussed below to reduce the incidence in their cattle operations.
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Women in livestock webinar series starts March 25
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s Pearls of Production committee is hosting five online sessions for women livestock producers across the state over the next few months. Although the content is created for women producers, all producers are welcome to attend. The first “Pixels for Production” session is 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, and focuses on small ruminants like goats and sheep.
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Harvest all season long with succession sowing
ST. LOUIS – With a little bit of planning, gardeners can enjoy small amounts of fresh produce throughout the season by succession sowing, says University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Eliza Pessereau. Succession sowing, sometimes called relay planting, means planting seeds of a particular crop at regular intervals so that the plants mature at different times.
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Understanding grass tetany in beef cows
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you’ve ever seen a cow suddenly collapse in early spring, seemingly out of nowhere, you might have witnessed a case of grass tetany, says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutritionist Eric Bailey.
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Resources for Severe Weather Preparedness Week
COLUMBIA, Mo. – March 3-7 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Missouri, notes Conne Burnham, University of Missouri Extension emergency management coordinator with the Missouri Extension Disaster Education Network.
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Warren County 4-H'ers cook at food pantry competition in Memphis
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Four teens from Warren County represented Missouri 4-H in the Mid-South 4-H Food Pantry Competition at the 73rd annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, March 1. The competition challenged 4-H competitors to apply their knowledge to create a healthy meal using common food pantry ingredients along with a surprise mystery ingredient, said Bethany Rippy, University of Missouri Extension 4-H…
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New guide helps ag drone pilots maximize efficiency, precision in aerial seeding
NOVELTY, Mo. – A new University of Missouri Extension publication can help farmers and ag drone pilots maximize efficiency and precision in aerial seeding. Gurbir Singh, state extension specialist in soil science, agroecology and landscape management, has published a first-of-its-kind guide on calibrating utility drones for broadcast spreading pattern check.
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Persistent drought costs Missouri ag industry
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought is costing Missouri agriculture significant amounts of money. Since the 1980s, Missourians have had 16 drought disasters costing $1 billion or more, says University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zachary Leasor. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates the total cost of these disasters is between $10 billion and $20 billion.
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St. Patrick's Day: Time to rock your shamrock knowledge
CARROLLTON, Mo. – If a leprechaun leaps from the faerie den this St. Patrick’s Day to ask if you know a shamrock from a clover, what will you answer? “If you said the shamrock is a clover, you’re in luck,” says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Kathi Mecham. In short, all shamrocks are clovers, but not all clovers are shamrocks.
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Participate in the Farmland Values Opinion Survey
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s landowners, agricultural lenders, rural appraisers and others with firsthand knowledge of land transactions are invited to participate in the annual Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey conducted by University of Missouri Extension.
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Sign up now for 2025 crop pest alerts
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s Pest Monitoring Network offers free, timely pest alerts to farmers and gardeners, says MU Extension crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida. Early detection allows farmers to take quick action before infestations become severe. By scouting and monitoring their fields, farmers can make management decisions to prevent yield loss and reduce pesticide use.
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Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors names winners
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors honored its 2024 winners in a special ceremony on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, at the University of Missouri.
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Gardening can protect monarch butterflies
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – With spring around the corner, University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Kelly McGowan urges gardeners to consider how they can help monarch butterflies.
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Youths compete in 4-H State Meats Judging Contest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension 4-H State Meats Judging Contest on Saturday, Feb. 15, drew 60 competing 4-H members from across the state. contestants were able to develop and hone their judging skills and explore career and educational opportunities, said Kelsey Fuller, MU Extension state 4-H agriculture educator. Missouri 4-H holds the contest in partnership with the MU Meat Science Program.
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Weighing the value of eggs amid high prices
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The high price of eggs and egg shortages in some places have led some consumers to seek out other sources of protein.
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Timing, flexibility key to grazing tall fescue spring flush
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Proper management of the spring flush of tall fescue gives pastures and cattle a head start for the rest of the grazing season, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.
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Avoid financial heartbreak after drought
POTOSI, Mo. – Missouri is coming off consecutive years of severe droughts and depleted cool-season pastures. As drought lingers, so do old practices that worsen its impact, says Rachel Hopkins, University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist. She likens it to an oft-quoted definition of insanity – “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” – to the mindset of some long-term fescue growers.
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MU Extension publishes vaccination overview for cow-calf operations
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has a new publication about vaccination programs for cow-calf operations. The publication covers viruses and bacteria of concern, describes the difference between killed and modified live viral vaccines and provides a vaccine schedule example.
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Plant now for seeds of success
Plant seeds indoors now for a head start on a successful garden. Follow simple steps to grow healthy plants and enjoy a vibrant harvest.