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Conditions are right now for cracking, splitting tomatoes
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Gardeners might notice that their tomatoes are cracking or splitting now.“This is a common problem when there are widely varying soil moisture conditions, especially during the hot, dry days of late summer,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Missouri 4-H'ers donate more than a half-ton of protein to fight food insecurity
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This summer, Missouri 4-H youths raised more than 1,100 pounds of protein for Missourians in need by donating pigs at the 2021 Missouri State Fair. The pork contributed through Missouri Farmers Care’s Hogs for Hunger program will go on to provide 5,028 meals for food-insecure Missourians.
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Budding flower business benefits from drip irrigation
HUNTSVILLE, Mo. – When Amanda Quinn quadrupled the growing space at her Randolph County flower farm, she didn’t want to quadruple the time spent watering flowers.Quinn, owner of “bloom: Cut Flower Farm,” contacted University of Missouri Extension specialist Dan Downing for advice about drip irrigation systems. She had attended an MU Extension demonstration of a drip irrigation system last year at a flower farm in La Plata.
Export Planning Streamlined
The Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) recently brought a new international export business planning platform to small businesses across the state.
Coexist with wildlife while preventing damage
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Few things are more enjoyable than watching deer in your backyard or listening to squirrels chatter at dusk or dawn from your patio.That is, until you find that they have inflicted costly damage to your home, patio furniture, flower bed or garden. In some cases, such as bird droppings, wildlife can even be hazardous to your health.
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Drainage water recycling systems improve corn yields
NOVELTY, Mo. – A recent report through the Transforming Drainage project shows that drainage water recycling systems can improve corn yields and the environment, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Kelly Nelson.
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Cool-loving Chinese cabbage grows well in Missouri autumns
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The warm, sunny days and cool nights of fall in Missouri provide ideal growing conditions for cool-season vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.“The Chinese cabbage group, which includes napa and bok choy, grows best under short days with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees,” Trinklein said.
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Show-Me-Select lowers enrollment fees
COLUMBIA, Mo. – U.S. Marine Corps recruiters used to say they were “looking for a few good men.” University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole says he is “looking for a few good heifers” to help beef producers through the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program.
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Soils, cropping systems specialist joins MU Delta Research Center
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – Justin S. Calhoun starts Sept. 1 as a University of Missouri Extension state specialist in soils and cropping systems. He will be based at the Fisher Delta Research Center (FDRC) in southeastern Missouri near Portageville. Calhoun will also be an assistant professor in the MU Division of Plant Science and Technology.
Suicide prevention in the workplace
In the United States alone, suicide accounts for nearly 40,000 lost lives per year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. That's an average of one suicide every 13 minutes. The truth is that anyone can be at risk. Sometimes you NEED help. Sometimes you ARE the help.
Extension faculty speak at Missouri Realtors Diversity Summit
Tina Edholm, left, and Tish Johnson speaking at Missouri Realtors’ first annual Diversity Summit earlier this month at the Lake of the Ozarks.
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Potash pays off
NEVADA, Mo. – Potash prices have risen about 75% in the past year, according to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data. This has prompted many producers to cut back on applications. But that could be a mistake. Potash is essential to healthy fields and pastures, says University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Pat Miller.It is important to apply potash to replenish depleted nutrients. “Potash-deficient fields are not going…
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Perennial of the Year steeped in American patriotism
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in 1773 as a political protest, they faced a dilemma. What could they use to make tea, since the continued drinking of British tea would be deemed unpatriotic?
Missouri meat, poultry processors receive $16.7 million in grants with help from MU Extension partnership
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nearly empty meat aisles are a burden producers, processors and consumers don’t want to face again. To prevent that, the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) awarded $16.7 million to keep 150 meat and poultry processors throughout Missouri going strong.
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Youths, professionals connect virtually at FilmFest 4-H
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the second year in a row, FilmFest 4-H moved from the silver screen to computer screens. The national 4-H film festival, held virtually Aug. 7-8, brings together youths from across the country to present their work and attend workshops with film industry professionals.
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Caterpillars horn in on tomato plants
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Several types of caterpillars damage tomato plants in Missouri, but the tomato hornworm and the tobacco hornworm usually get the most attention because of the prominent horn on the last segment of their bodies.
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MU Extension horticulturist searches for rare Ozark butterfly
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan is on the hunt for the elusive Ozark woodland swallowtail, a pollinator unique to the Ozark region of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.
New MU guide looks at silage breakeven price
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension recently released an updated cost analyzer to help farmers estimate the breakeven price to justify harvesting corn as silage rather than grain.“Frequently, corn harvested for silage was planted for harvest as a grain crop,” says Joe Horner, an MU Extension agricultural business and policy specialist. Reasons for this change can include feed needs as well as drought and other events that…
The Export Plan: Market Entry Strategy
In the previous article, we looked at tools that were available online from US Census sources and through Missouri SBDC counselors to identify potential markets at the country level. This resulted in a prioritized list of countries to consider for export based on factors such as U.S.
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MU Master Gardener blooms with floral subscription service
CLARENCE, Mo. – Pam Stenger keeps memories of her grandmother’s flower garden alive by offering floral bouquets through a Community Supported Agriculture subscription service.
Q&A with Jill Scheidt
What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri?
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New extension rice specialist at MU Delta Center
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Justin Chlapecka began Aug. 1 as University of Missouri Extension state rice specialist at the Fisher Delta Research Center. He also serves as an assistant professor in the MU Division of Plant Science and Technology.
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Donna Martz Memorial 4-H Endowment Fund sends Missouri youths to National 4-H Conference
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Mom led by example and was always right by our side offering support and help with whatever we needed,” says Connie Wieberg of her mother, Donna Martz, who passed away in 2018. “She was a big reason we all succeeded in 4-H.”
Scout pastures and hayfields now for fall armyworms
LAMAR, Mo. – Now is the time to scout for fall armyworms in pastures and hayfields, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice.Agronomists in southeastern Missouri and northern Arkansas report sightings of fall armyworm in grass and legume crops, says Jill Scheidt, MU Extension agronomy specialist.
Taking business to heart: High-tech, small-town business ready to grow, Dynatek Labs - Galena, MO
In a small town in the heart of America is a high-tech company that tests medical devices that end up in the actual hearts of people around the world.