Winter a good time to test for radon
MARSHFIELD, Mo.– While you wait for the spring thaw, consider testing your home for harmful radon gas, says Bob Schultheis, a University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist.
Compost bedded pack barns offer cow comfort and higher production
MACOMB, Mo. – Happy, healthy cows give more milk.Southwestern Missouri dairy farmers find that cows housed in compost bedded pack barns are healthy, happy and produce more milk, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Ted Probert.
Protect against colds and flu with vitamin E
BETHANY, Mo. – Cold and flu season is in full swing. One defense against them is to get plenty of vitamin E.Researchers at Tufts University’s USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging found that vitamin E improves the body’s response to the flu vaccine and reduces the risk of upper respiratory infections, says Janet Hackert, regional nutrition and health education specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
Edgewood Dairy and Creamery's success starts with MU grazing school
PURDY, Mo. – Twenty years ago, Charles Fletcher of Edgewood Dairy and Creamery attended a University of Missouri Extension grazing school. It would change the future of the family dairy operation.Fletcher’s father started the dairy farm in 1966. His father milked cows by hand 365 days a year, morning and night. In 1993, the Fletcher family formed a partnership that included poultry and dairy. Rising input costs and time forced them to…
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.