COVID-19 fears plague cattle market
With cattle markets falling, livestock specialist Zac Erwin with MU Extension in Adair County discusses some feed options to hold cattle longer in this video on the Missouri Livestock Symposium Facebook page.
Lawrence County 4-H story time
Karla Deaver, county engagement specialist in 4-H youth development for MU Extension in Lawrence County, is doing daily story times on her YouTube channel and the county extension center’s Facebook page, reading books such as “The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr.
COVID-19 and farms
MU Extension specialists offer guidelines and tips for COVID-19 safety on the farm.
Farmers face unique safety risks during COVID-19
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers face unique safety risks as COVID-19 continues to spread.The predicted peak of the COVID-19 outbreak likely will hit as spring planting season shifts into high gear, says Rusty Lee, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.Physical distancing becomes difficult as farmers receive seed and chemical deliveries, Lee says.
MU clinic offering teleservices for COVID-19 stress
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Psychological Services Clinic is offering teleservices to help adults and children cope with anxiety and stress related to COVID-19. The clinic offers up to five brief sessions through videoconferencing or telephone, said Debora Bell, longtime director of the clinic.
Ask a Master Gardener: Difference between coated and plain seed
Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Master Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.Q. What is the difference if a seed is called “pelleted” or “coated” or just a plain seed? L.M., OzarkAnswer by Master Gardener Mark…
Neighborhood art can spread kindness and joy in a community to combat isolation and loneliness
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Robert Frost once said, “Good fences make good neighbors.” While many families are sheltering-in-place, that phrase could be “good art makes good neighbors,” according to David Burton, a county engagement specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
Test fields for SCN and test your SCN IQ
NEVADA, Mo. – Now is the perfect time to test for the No. 1 soybean disease in the U.S. and Canada - soybean cyst nematode (SCN), says University of Missouri Extension field agronomist Pat Miller. It is also a good time to test your IQ on this yield-reducing disease.Soybean cyst nematodes attack soybean roots.SCN began spreading in Missouri in the 1970s and gained a strong foothold in most of the state’s soybean-growing counties by the…
MU Extension specialists on coping with COVID-19's financial impact
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension faculty recently appeared on NBC affiliate KOMU-TV, Columbia, to talk about financial aspects of the COVID-19 crisis, which has hammered the stock market and shuttered countless businesses and workplaces. In these installments of KOMU's "COVID-19 Town Hall" series, they offer information on saving and investment strategies, safeguarding your finances, and where individuals, families and…
Check that mailbox
Packets from MU Extension in Perry County keep homebound kids busy and learning. PERRYVILLE, Mo. – When Bethany Bachmann saw Perry County parents fretting online about how to keep their homebound kids busy and learning, she knew just what to do.
Not letting a pandemic slow us down
All over the nation, people are working online. Missouri’s county extension councils are no exception. Quickly adapting to changing needs, these citizen advisers are now holding their monthly meetings by phone and online videoconference to help make sure University of Missouri Extension can continue its local work.
Freezing offers milk lovers an option for stocking up
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Freezing offers milk drinkers a way to keep nutritious milk on hand at all times, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel. She works with producers in the heart of southwestern Missouri dairy land.
Lessons learned during 2007 ice storm can help deal with stress of sheltering in place
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- If experience is a great teacher, then the 2007 ice storm that hit southwest Missouri taught us some valuable lessons. The storm left many families stranded indoors for a week or more without electricity and other modern conveniences.
Ask a Master Gardener: Buttonbushes, privacy trees and tomatoes
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Mas¬ter Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.
Try some edgy veggies for a groovy garden this year
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Create some interest in your garden patch by adding unique vegetables this spring”, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.“One of the joys of gardening is trying something new each year,” Trinklein said. Less common vegetables can challenge your gardening skills and tease your taste buds. They also can disappoint, so center your garden on tried-and-true favorites, he says.
Connecting and protecting Knox County
EDINA, Mo. – Jennifer Eldridge Houser never imagined that her Ph.D. in public health education would be put to such urgent use for Knox County’s 5,000 residents. After years of teaching epidemiology at Truman State University, Eldridge knew just how to respond when a global pandemic put communities across Missouri on high alert.
Go wild at nature's free salad bar
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Spring greens from the woods can add variety to your diet.Wildcrafting—the gathering of plants from their natural habitats—is a throwback to the days of our distant ancestors, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Our ancestors’ winter diets lacked the variety of fresh produce we enjoy today. Therefore, when spring arrived, they combed the woods for wild edibles to add flavor and…
10 tips for communicating with employees during a crisis
These suggestions are provided to assist you, but in sharing them, we recognize that each business and situation is unique. We encourage you to consider each principle and apply as you believe best fits your business situation and your relationship with your employees. 1. Communicate even more during a crisis
ShowMeResilience in Madison County: 'No need for anyone to go hungry'
University of Missouri Extension in Madison County powered into high gear as soon as news went out last week that the Fredericktown schools were closing. “‘How are we going to fill in the gaps? Because we know there will be big gaps in services in our county and communities.’ That was our first thought,” said Shanna Sorg, a nutrition and health education specialist serving Iron, Madison and Reynolds counties in southeastern Missouri.
Ask a Master Gardener: Pruning, mulch, hedges and groundcovers
Q. My various, leafy and grassy groundcovers are starting to sprout out, but they have all the old, nasty-looking growth left over from last year. What’s the easiest way to tidy these up?Answer by Master Gardener Mark Bernskoetter.
Show Me Resilience
Show Me Resilience. In challenging times, Missourians come together. This simple phrase illustrates how University of Missouri Extension and communities across the state are showing up for each other. People, businesses and communities across Missouri are working together in innovative and engaging ways – bringing the resources of the University of Missouri to the people who need them.
Pansy: A flower for all seasons
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If there’s a plant that deserves the title of “flower for all seasons,” it is the pansy, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. At any given time in North America, you will find pansies blooming prolifically somewhere. This cool-loving garden flower flourishes in winter in far southern states and in summer in northern regions. Midwesterners enjoy pansy’s unique palette of colors and…
Duane Dailey: 1935-2020
Several years before his death on March 10, 2020, Duane Dailey drafted his own obituary. We present it here with only minor updates.Fred “Duane” Dailey, 84, will meet his final deadline as a longtime agricultural journalist. He was a University of Missouri Extension educator who had taught through the news media.
Betty Hertzog Memorial 4-H Endowment sends Missouri youths to State 4-H Congress
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Future generations will have the opportunity to attend State 4-H Congress thanks to the generosity of Robert E. “Bud” Hertzog and his late wife, Betty Hertzog, who passed away Oct. 14, 2019.
Donors help launch Barton County 4-H endowment fund
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation, in partnership with the Barton County 4-H Council, has established the Barton County 4-H Endowment Fund thanks to generous contributions by the Hugh and Fran Nutt family and Don Lucietta. The fund will be used to provide sustainable support for the Barton County 4-H program in perpetuity.