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Missouri 4-H'ers compete at state public speaking contest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri 4-H youths gathered Sept. 25 on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia for the annual State 4-H Public Speaking Contest. The contest is one of Missouri 4-H’s oldest and most popular traditions, said Samantha Brandeberry, MU Extension state 4-H educator.
Make a plan when marketing this year's grain crop
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Crop farmers should take this adage to heart when marketing their grain, advises University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Martyn Foreman.
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Choose the right pest control provider before the bedbugs bite
COLUMBIA, Mo. – To some, “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” isn’t just a quaint good-night wish. Bedbugs are a nightmare for people in the hospitality and housing industries, says Sam Polly, coordinator of University of Missouri Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program.
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Free farm safety podcasts available
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health offers free podcasts on farm safety and health topics, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch, who serves on the center’s regional advisory committee.
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Cut safety risks when using a chainsaw
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Not out of the woods yet” takes on new meaning during fall, when chainsaw accidents increase.
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Safe storage of farm chemicals protects people and animals
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Proper inventory management of farm chemicals saves money and protects animals, people and the environment, says University of Missouri Extension specialist Sam Polly. “With the cost of pesticides, letting a product degrade in your storage shed is not a mistake anyone can afford to make very many times!” says Polly, who teaches private pesticide applicator training for MU Extension.
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New broadband technology tested in rural Clinton County
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The village of Turney in Clinton County celebrated the launch of experimental wireless broadband service Sept. 17. The pilot project is designed to test the potential of a technology called RF Over Fiber to reduce costs, expand broadband access to underserved communities and attract public and private investment.
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Harvest creates rural roadway hazards
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Farm safety yields real results” is the theme of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety’s National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 19-25.
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'Hunger can happen to anyone': Missouri 4-H event spotlights food insecurity
SEDALIA, Mo. – Missouri 4-H’ers and friends packed 450 boxes of food for distribution to veterans and their families. The food packing effort at the 2021 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia was just one way 4-H’ers are expanding their efforts to address food insecurity in the state.
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Youths compete at Missouri 4-H Livestock Judging Contest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – More than 100 youths competed at the 2021 University of Missouri Extension State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest on Sept. 11 at the MU Trowbridge Livestock Center in Columbia. This contest brought together 122 Missouri 4-H members to apply their evaluation and communication skills.
Education directors for Animal Health and Production
Tim Safranski and Corinne Bromfield have been appointed extension education directors for Animal Health and Production, said Rob Kallenbach, CAFNR associate dean for extension.
The Export Plan: Pricing Strategy
Now that you’ve identified a country for export and have selected a path to your customers, it’s a good time to start to think about pricing. You’ll need to make the important decision on what you will charge for your product. In this issue, we’ll discuss the additional costs you can expect to incur when exporting to a foreign county and will review how those should be factored into the sales price of your product.
Neighborhood Bingo Chart Available for Use in Your Community
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Neighborhood Bingo does not involve dabbers, a rotating bingo cage, or numbered balls. But it does require a game card created by a University of Missouri Extension specialist for use as a tool for connecting neighbors and families through a fun activity.
Self-performing woman-owned construction business pushing it forward, Hartline Construction - Kansas City, MO
Coming out of the recession and opening her own company, Jennifer Hart wanted to ensure it would last, so she took every business class she could think of. The Elevate program is the latest of those classes. Programs like Elevate “help small companies push it forward,” Hart said.
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Heirloom apples are ripe for the picking
COLUMBIA, Mo. – September is prime apple picking time in the lower Midwestern states.Not only are new cultivars available in stores during September, but many heirloom apple cultivars are at their peak in farm markets and U-pick operations, says Michele Warmund, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
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Laclede County youth tops State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest
SEDALIA, Mo. – Whitney Yerina of Laclede County topped the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest, held Aug. 21 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. “Yerina had an incredible week in the show ring as well, taking home both 4-H/FFA and Open Supreme Champion Dairy Female,” said Karla Deaver, University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth development specialist and a coach of the Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging Team.
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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.