Couple returns from Asia to raise children and food in the country
ROLLA, Mo. – Eric and Pathoumma Meusch had a hard time finding good-quality, locally grown foods when they moved from Asia to Eric’s hometown of Rolla.They grew their own food and soon received requests from friends and neighbors to buy food. They opened Meusch Farms in 2010. They shared their experiences at a recent “Grow Your Farm” workshop sponsored by University of Missouri Extension.
4-H families challenge themselves to MOVE Across Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Hundreds of Missouri 4-H members, parents, volunteers and friends have challenged themselves to get fit and move more for the past six months as part of the 4-H Move Across Missouri (MOVE) healthy living challenge. The effort, which is sponsored by Missouri Care, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans Inc., is designed to encourage 4-H clubs, families and friends to “move” by adding more exercise into their daily…
Fifth-generation rancher becomes MU Extension beef nutrition specialist
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fifth-generation rancher Eric Bailey joins University of Missouri Extension as state beef nutrition specialist.He came to Mizzou for “its desire to innovate and be leaders in the next generation of beef producers.” He will work with specialists on beef cattle nutrition. He plans to meet beef farmers and leaders across the state.
Garden critters: 'Frenemies' in grow places
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cute critters by day. Thieves by night.
Change helps Monett farm survive
MONETT, Mo. – Fourth-generation farmer Mike Meier knows change will help his family’s Century Farm survive.The rotational grazing and breeding system he uses for his dairy herd works. Now he wants to apply those principles to beef cattle. “At 56, I wanted to go in a different direction,” he says.He wants to see how much profit per acre he can make by switching from dairy to beef cattle. He is building his cattle herd as he prepares to…
Ag workers at high risk of heat illnesses
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Agriculture workers are 20 times more likely than other workers to die from heat.Heat deaths are 100 percent preventable with water, rest and shade, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch.
Train employees, others before livestock disease outbreaks occur
COLUMBIA, Mo. – One small breach of protocol can lead to a disease outbreak and financial loss for livestock producers.An MU Extension team teaches livestock producers throughout Missouri to follow protocols that protect animal and human health, food and the environment.The team received USDA Extension Education funding to offer a series of biosecurity workshops in Missouri recently.
Soybean growers fund research, then share results at Show-Me Soy School
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers spending their own dollars for soybean research at the University of Missouri will hear results July 14.Researchers share results with all farmers, not just those in the Missouri Soybean Association. Suppliers, agribusiness reps, educators and agency officials are welcome.
Blindness helps man find opportunities for others in ag
MORRISON, Mo. – Jim Brinkmann’s blindness does not keep him from helping others with vision problems reach their potential.Brinkmann helps people with visual impairments succeed in agriculture, says Karen Funkenbusch, Missouri AgrAbility Project state director and University of Missouri Extension specialist. Brinkmann serves with Funkenbusch on the AgrAbility team. He is mid-Missouri district supervisor for Rehabilitation Services for…
MU Master Gardeners build mini-greenhouses
VERSAILLES, Mo. – Ozark Prairie Master Gardeners know that good things come in small packages.That is why mini-greenhouses are growing throughout the Lake of the Ozarks region.The mini-greenhouses are the brainchild of Dan Britton, president of the Ozark Prairie Master Gardeners chapter in Morgan County.
Plant turnips in late July
COLUMBIA, Mo. – An old Missouri saying advises, “On the 25th of July, sow your turnips, wet or dry,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
46 to be inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame
SEDALIA, Mo. – Forty-six Missourians will be inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center on the State Fair Community College campus in Sedalia.The Missouri 4-H Foundation annually recognizes the work of 4-H friends and volunteers through its recognition and awards program, said Rachel Augustine, interim director of the Missouri 4-H Foundation.
4-H community uses fair premiums to help ill 10-year-old
MARSHALL, Mo. – Fairgoers at the annual Saline County 4-H and FFA Youth Fair got more than they bid for this year. 4-H and FFA members and the crowd raised almost $10,000 for Haley Browning, a terminally ill 10-year-old from Marshall. Doctors found cancer after she had a seizure last year. She was airlifted to Kansas City, where doctors found a mass on a kidney.
MU researcher finds pigweed in birdseed and pollinator mixes
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri researchers, under the direction of MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley, are finding that pigweed seed is popping up in birdseed in alarming numbers.“It’s pretty shocking,” graduate student Eric Oseland told those attending the annual Integrated Pest Management field day recently.
MU Extension guide offers help on hiring, keeping employees
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension recently released its 2017 Farm Labor Guide.Finding and keeping dependable workers is one of the largest challenges today for farm owners and managers, says MU Extension agricultural economist Joe Horner. “As farms grow in size, learning to recruit, manage and retain high-quality employees becomes even more critical.”
Iris: Divide and conquer now for a beautiful kingdom in spring
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Most of the year, irises grow easily without a care in the world. Rarely do they need attention to thrive.
Art exhibition addresses sexual violence, Aug. 28-Sept. 21
“It Happened” features local and national artists who create work on the issue of sexual violence. These works, some including very personal stories, address the reality of rape and sexual assault on university campuses, at K-12 schools, and in communities regionally, nationally and around the world. This exhibition has been scheduled at the beginning of the school year because it is the period with the highest incidence of sexual…
Japan slaps high tariff on U.S. beef
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Japan says “Whoa, go slow” on imports of frozen beef from the United States. To safeguard their own beef farmers, Japan raised tariffs on U.S. beef from 38.5 to 50 percent.“This increases the price of U.S. beef for Japanese consumers,” says Scott Brown, University of Missouri beef economist. “Less foreign consumption increases beef supply here. In turn, that lowers prices all the way back to farms in Missouri.”
4-H national film festival attracts young filmmakers
JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. – Young people from nine states gathered in Independence, Mo., July 23-26 for the seventh annual FilmFest 4-H film festival. Of the 27 films accepted for screening, many were produced by the youth in attendance. In addition to film screenings, teens attended workshops geared toward them by film industry professionals.
MU Extension provides a tenfold return on funding
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A recently completed assessment of University of Missouri Extension found that with an annual investment of $86 million (2016), MU Extension generated dividends totaling nearly $950 million. The findings are part of a report developed by TEConomy Partners LLC. The report and other documents from a statewide needs assessment for MU Extension are available at https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/mu-extension-way.
MU Extension 4-H youth 'show' businesses at state fair
SEDALIA, Mo. – Twenty-one 4-H youth got a taste of running a small business by selling original handmade items to Missouri State Fair visitors, Aug. 10-20.Through the Show Me 4-H Wares program, youth are encouraged to start and run their own businesses with skills learned through 4-H projects, says Steve Henness, University of Missouri Extension state 4-H youth specialist.
Double your gardening pleasure with a cool-season garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Recent weeks of mild temperatures remind gardeners that it is time to plant cool-season vegetables, said University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist David Trinklein.
New partnership at Mizzou to advance Broader Impacts
University of Missouri Extension and the MU Office of Research, Graduate Studies and Economic Development announced that they are partners in the Broader Impacts Network. Susan Renoe, Ph.D., director of the Broader Impacts Network, now has a joint appointment with MU Extension and the Office of Research. Renoe had previously reported to the Office of Economic Development.
Spirited tour highlights Missouri's white oak, wine and whiskey, Oct. 28
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri has it all: wine, whiskey and white oak.University of Missouri Extension will toast Missouri’s unique contributions to the wine and whiskey industry during the first White Oak, Whiskey & Wine tour Saturday, Oct. 28.MU Extension forester Hank Stelzer and MU Extension viticulturist Dean Volenberg lead the one-day tour through mid-Missouri.
Soybean disease not usually seen in state shows in NW Missouri
Note: Revised to correct spelling of “sclerotinia.”COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Wayne Flanary says about 160 acres of soybean in northwestern Missouri show symptoms of sclerotinia stem rot. The MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic confirmed the disease, which can cause large losses in fields with high yield potential.