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Boost profits by frost seeding legumes now
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Add legumes to fescue and other cool-season pastures at the right time to add pounds and profits to cattle. The right time is when pastures are frozen and snow-covered, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. Snow makes the seeds easier to see. Seeding on frozen ground also lessens the chance of rutting or compacting soils.
Marking a 100-year legacy for 7 Missouri 4-H families
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation has recognized seven families with the 2022 Missouri 4-H Century Family Award. Each family represents a combined 100 years or more of membership and volunteer service within 4-H. Franklin County The Millerick Family Polk County The Le Jeune-Rains-Curran Family Vernon County
MFA Foundation gift supports vital rural mental health resources
As a group, Missouri farmers and ranchers increasingly struggle with mental health challenges and access to needed resources. The state’s rural suicide rate is growing faster than in urban counties, increasing 78% in 14 years between 2003 and 2017.
Beef producers: 'Get your house in order' in 2023
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Beef producers should approach 2023 with cautious optimism – matched with resolutions of good management and investment in infrastructure, says University of Missouri Extension agriculture business specialist Wesley Tucker.
Applications open for Missouri 4-H Foundation scholarships
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation is accepting applications for current or former Missouri 4-H members pursuing postsecondary study. Applications must be completed on or before March 1, 2023. Missouri 4-H youths are encouraged to showcase their personal growth and development as well as career goals on their scholarship applications. For details, visit muext.us/4Hscholarships.
MU Strip Trial Program sees results in foliar fungicide applications
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management coordinator Mandy Bish often hears farmers say, “A treated acre is an acre I’m not losing sleep over.”That is a good mindset for residual herbicide applications, she says, but it may or may not pay off when it comes to foliar fungicides, depending upon circumstances.
Emergency Response Is a Good Reason for Developing Relationships With Neighbors
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- When a disaster strikes, who are you going to call? Several residents in rural Highlandville recently answered that question with action when they reached out to their neighbors and came to help when a neighbor's home caught on fire. It all began with an effort by Echo Alexzander to meet her new rural neighbors, which turned out to be essential for an emergency response just a few weeks later.
Springfield's Tool Library a Model for Other Towns or Neighborhoods
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The sharing economy has found its way to Springfield in the form of a tool library. Generally, people think of Uber, Lyft and Airbnb when they hear the term "sharing economy." But thanks to easy-to-use software, dedicated volunteers, and direction from Community Partnership of the Ozarks, Springfield can lay claim to a tool-sharing library.
Lasagna Love Needs More Volunteers in Springfield Area
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Nothing connects neighbors like food, and apparently, nothing says love like lasagna. Karen Harris of Springfield is the area volunteer coordinator for a neighboring movement known as Lasagna Love. Although her home is busy with the activities of her husband (retired Navy veteran) and three teenage daughters, Harris says it is not too busy to find time to use food to help others.
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Winter is time to plan to beat the Summer Slump
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Winter is the time for livestock producers to prepare pastures for drought, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann. Drought is now the rule rather than the exception in Missouri, Naumann says. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, somewhere in the state experienced drought every year but one since 2000.
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New center under construction for MU Extension in Monroe County
PARIS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension officials recently came to Monroe County to recognize county commissioners and others for their part in funding a new county extension center.
Farm management news and notes from MU Extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Winter is when work moves from the fields and pastures to the home office and kitchen table. University of Missouri Extension offers resources as farmers work on tax preparation, production decisions, setting financial goals and updating farm business plans. Taxation of crop insurance
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Fescue foot reported in Missouri cattle
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists recently received several reports of Missouri cattle dying due to fescue foot, says MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.These significant losses show why beef producers should check herds for warning signs of fescue foot in early January, when it most often occurs, Roberts says.
Tips on selling your timber
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – There are important steps to take when considering selling timber, says University of Missouri Extension forester Hank Stelzer. In addition to providing additional revenue, harvesting timber can improve the health and vigor of woods and wildlife. Most landowners don’t know the value of their woodlands, Stelzer says. Too often, landowners make uneducated decisions on selling their trees and underestimate their value.
New regulations make weed management more complex in 2023
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Producers should prepare for more complexity in herbicide requirements and registrations in 2023 and beyond, says University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley.The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed changes to atrazine labels that would have great impact, says Bradley. Atrazine is an effective and inexpensive herbicide used to kill broadleaf and grassy weeds in the majority of Missouri corn and…
Start the year on the right foot with your cattle record-keeping system
STOCKTON, Mo. – As the year ends, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis urges cattle producers to evaluate their record-keeping system to determine if it was successful.“Record-keeping starts with proper cattle identification,” Davis said. Two nationally known identification systems are the four-digit system and the letter and three-digit system.
2023: Year of the sparkling amaryllis
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nothing brightens a windowsill in winter like amaryllis, the National Garden Bureau’s Bulb Plant of the Year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.The name “amaryllis” comes from a Greek word that means “to sparkle.” And sparkle it does, said Trinklein.
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Ring in the new year with black-eyed peas
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is a tradition said to bring wealth and good fortune in the new year, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
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Missouri can lead the way to a food secure future for all
By Marshall Stewart, chief engagement officer, University of Missouri System, and MU vice chancellor for extension and engagement. In a state where agriculture is the No. 1 industry, Missouri can be a powerful leader in making sure every Missourian is food secure. At its core, food security means no child goes to bed hungry and no adult must choose between buying needed medicine and putting food on the family table.
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Spices fill the holidays with aroma and memories
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While the holidays are filled with familiar sights and sounds, it’s the aromas of the season that often conjure up our most vivid memories of the past. This should come as no surprise since our sense of smell is keener than our senses of sight and sound.Many of the aromas surrounding the holidays are from spices used in holiday cuisine, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Frankincense and myrrh: Ancient scents of the season
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Two of the three gifts of the Wise Men – frankincense and myrrh – remain in high demand more than 5,000 years after gaining popularity in religious rituals, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund. Ancient Egyptians used myrrh to embalm corpses and Romans burned it as a type of incense at funeral pyres. Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman societies burned frankincense or myrrh incense during…
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Mistletoe: Menacing plant with an intriguing past
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Of all the plants used in holiday decor, few match mistletoe’s interesting history. And few equal its potential for harm.An evergreen plant with white berries, mistletoe is quite toxic, said David Trinklein, horticulture state specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
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Leadership change in extension and engagement
University of Missouri President Mun Choi has announced that Marshall Stewart, chief engagement officer for the UM System and vice chancellor for extension and engagement for MU, is leaving the university to pursue another opportunity as Kansas State University's senior vice president for executive affairs, university engagement and partnerships, and chief of staff, effective Jan. 20, 2023.
Reduce losses, costs when feeding hay
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Livestock producers have options for reducing hay waste and feeding costs while improving animal behavior and performance, says University of Missouri Extension specialist Charlie Ellis. Farmers can choose from several methods to reduce waste based on their preferences, labor availability and climate, says Ellis. Here are four basics from Ellis:
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100-year-old sells farm after 'work, work, work'
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Centenarian Wilda Cox knows hard work. She’s built barns, lugged 110-pound cans of milk, picked and husked corn by hand and bucked hay bales.But Cox endured no harder day than Oct. 31, 2022, when she sold the farm that had been in her family for more than a century.