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Veterinarian Imogene Latimer beefs up bovine technology for 30 years
SHELBYVILLE, Mo. – Country veterinarian Imogene Hemeyer Latimer wasn’t born in a barn.However, it is where you will find her during spring calving and weaning season.Latimer serves cattle producers in northeastern Missouri. She joined the General Veterinary Clinic in Monroe City in 1987 after graduating from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.
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Palmer amaranth invades about 5 more Missouri counties each year
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are easily confused.They are like ugly distant cousins at a family reunion. They look alike until you see them side by side. Their differences become apparent upon closer examination.Palmer amaranth is the bigger bully of the two. It takes over fields, choking out crops and profits.
Tax refund advice: Save some, spend some
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Income tax refunds are ready to roll out. You might want to hold on to some of that cash. Refunds are wages you earn throughout the year and should be thought of as hard-earned money rather than found money, says Andrew Zumwalt, personal finance specialist with University of Missouri Extension. For the wise, a refund windfall is a chance to stash some of the cash in an emergency fund. Use some to pay down high-…
Go wild! Go green!
Discover the benefits of wildcrafting in Missouri, including plant identification tips and preparation methods for edible spring greens
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Returning veteran finds sweet success
After serving two tours in Iraq, Marine veteran Jeremy Beaver returned to his rural Missouri roots and found peace in making maple syrup with his family.
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Plant rhubarb, the pie plant, in March
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fans of the public radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” know that rhubarb cures life’s ailments. When life cannot get any worse, “one little thing can revive a guy, and that is a piece of rhubarb pie,” according to the show’s creator, Garrison Keillor.
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Growing seeds of hope for the hungry
MEXICO, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension Master Gardeners and Grow Well Missouri partner to plant seeds of hope in food pantry clients at Mexico’s Help Center.Food pantry recipients plant community garden plots with seeds bought in bulk and packaged by Master Gardeners and community volunteers. Master Gardeners also provide tools, supplies and advice.
High-quality, profitable beef made possible by genetic tests
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Making quality beef for more farm profits becomes predictable by using genetic testing.Meetings across Missouri will review current breeding technology and explain new genomic tools.University of Missouri Extension specialists plan meetings in Maryville, Kingsville, Macon, Springfield and Jackson.The five meetings are called “Beef Cattle ReproGene” sessions. That’s short for “Taking the next steps in beef cattle…
Farm safety specialist urges safe practices during Grain Bin Safety Week
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This is one of the most dangerous times of the year for farmers, says University of Missouri Extension safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. Grain Bin Safety Week is Feb. 19-25. Farmers usually check and empty grain bins during late winter and early spring. This routine job is the source of many on-farm accidents and deaths, Funkenbusch says.
Pig disease on upswing in U.S.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Pork producers need to know what to do if a vesicular disease strikes their operation.The Seneca Valley virus (SVV) disease is on the upswing in the United States, says Corinne Bromfield, University of Missouri Extension veterinarian.The Swine Health Information Center reported that diagnostics labs had seen more than 60 cases of SVV from January to June 2016. They reported only 20 cases in the previous 30 years.
Give your Valentine's Day flowers some TLC
Extend the life of Valentine's Day flowers with expert tips and a homemade preservative recipe using soda, mouthwash, and dish soap.
Lime doesn’t harm K-31 fescue but nitrogen adds to toxicosis
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.A three-year study at the University of Missouri shows liming helps grass but doesn’t increase ergovaline. That toxin harms grazing cattle many ways, mostly in lost production. In recent frigid cold, farmers reported cases of fescue foot caused by the toxin. Cattle losing their hooves must be put down.
Watch the weather to avoid atrazine runoff
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Atrazine, one of farmers’ least expensive and most effective chemicals for weed control, is under the magnifying glass. Atrazine is up for re-registration review by the Environmental Protection Agency, says Bob Broz, water quality specialist for University of Missouri Extension. Broz recently spoke to certified crop advisers at a meeting in St. Joseph.
Study shows cover crops help soils after flooding
ROCK PORT, Mo. – A four-year study by University of Missouri Extension seeks to find how cover crops can best benefit soils after flooding and prevented planting.MU Extension agronomist Wayne Flanary shared initial results at a recent crop advisers meeting in St. Joseph. The study looks at the impact of cover crops in the recovery of flooded soils.
Tightening profit margins means farmers must control costs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Higher production costs and lower commodity prices mean farmers must control costs more carefully than ever, says University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Ray Massey.Land, seed and fertilizer are the largest production costs for row crop operations. “If you can lower these costs by 10 percent, it is like lowering other production costs by 100 percent,” Massey told certified crop advisers recently in St.…
Freezing cows die from fescue foot; no known cure but prevention works
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Reports of “fescue foot” causing loss of cows are coming in, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.In severe cold weather, cows eating toxic fescue, a widely used pasture grass, suffer frozen feet with lost hooves. In one case a Missouri a producer lost five cows out of a herd of 30. Other cases, less severe, are being reported.
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Blake Naughton named MU Extension’s new associate vice chancellor
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Blake Naughton, executive director of University of Missouri’s Hook Center for Educational Renewal, will be MU Extension’s new associate vice chancellor for extension and engagement, effective Feb. 1.
More to mushrooms than morels
BETHANY, Mo. – Although many in Missouri think about mushrooms when the morels are at their peak in April, people who grow mushrooms at home or commercially need to be thinking about them much of the year, says a University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health education specialist.
Glycemic index: How useful is it for managing health?
BETHANY, Mo. – People looking to lose weight or eat healthier have sought to reduce calories, carbs and fats in their diets. In recent years, health-conscious consumers have been seeking out foods with a low glycemic index. But how effective is this for managing health?
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Missouri Holstein cow produces nearly 24 gallons of milk per day
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Missouri Holstein Dezi is a moo-ver and a milker.The Lawrence County cow outperforms most of her regional counterparts, producing just short of three times as much milk per day, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.Dezi, owned by farmer Karl Wilke, churns out 201 pounds of milk per day. That’s the equivalent of about 24 gallons—15 gallons more than the average Holstein.
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Now is good time to respond to wheat stages
JACKSON, Mo. – January and February are good months to make wheat management decisions, according to a University of Missouri Extension agronomist in southeastern Missouri. Wheat maturity does not follow a calendar. Instead, wheat development depends on weather and planting date, says Anthony Ohmes.
Terrariums: Nature in a bottle
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Terrariums are back in style for plant lovers, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
Online resources for winter weather
Editors: University of Missouri Extension has compiled a list of websites, extension publications, news releases and other online resources for coping before, during and after winter storms. MU Extension news releases
Consider lawns and shrubs when de-icing walks and driveways
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Salt does more than melt the ice on your sidewalks and driveways.It can harm your lawn and shrubs, says University of Missouri Extension turf management specialist Brad Fresenburg.Too much salt can leave dead strips along sidewalks and driveways. It can kill shrubs and flowers.
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Poinsettias can bloom again next year with TLC
COLUMBIA, Mo. – That forlorn-looking, leftover plant from a bright holiday season can burst with merry blooms again if given tender, loving care.