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The woods: Missouri's other place to shop for food
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Look no further than your local woods for fresh, flavorful fruits and nuts, says University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Kelly McGowan. In the woods, you’ll find a colorful and tasty assortment of edible delights, including wild strawberry, gooseberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, plums, mulberry, elderberry, grapes, persimmons, pawpaws and nuts, McGowan says.
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Show-Me MO Success podcast: Choose Greater Health supports brain injury survivors
FULTON, Mo. – After Paige Speers suffered a brain injury when blood clots cut oxygen to her brain, her recovery experience made her want to help others. Learning to live a healthier lifestyle and to find doctors who support those decisions led Speers to create Choose Greater Health, a community for brain injury survivors and caregivers and a directory of medical professionals.
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September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month
September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month, a time to draw attention to risk of falls among older adults.
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Farm management series 'On My Own' offered this fall
A program to help women landowners and operators understand agricultural leases and the value of land and agricultural activities will be offered this fall in a series of evening events. University of Missouri Extension will hold “On My Own” classes on various weeknights at locations throughout the state from Oct. 15, 2024, through Feb. 25, 2025. There are also two opportunities for taking the class online.
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Early preparation equals a successful breeding season
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Breeding season will be here before we know it. Is your herd prepped for success? Here are steps you can take to maximize your breeding season. Schedule pre-breeding exams
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4-H College and Career Pathways Conference helps youths find their voices
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s 4-H Center for Youth Development welcomed 50 middle- and high-school-aged 4-H’ers at its 22nd annual 4-H College and Career Pathways Conference on the MU campus this July.
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MU Extension offers listing of farm apps
TROY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s website lists numerous apps to help in decision-making on the farm, says MU Extension agricultural engineering specialist Charles Ellis. “These apps can help you make objective decisions to better manage your crops and livestock,” Ellis says. “By entering information from your farm, you can get answers specific to your operation.”
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Registration open for Strong Couples program
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. – Community members may enroll in Strong Couples, a free program offered by University of Missouri Extension that offers practical strategies for improving conflict resolution and enhancing relationship satisfaction.
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Mizzou professor makes a global impact through MU Extension partnership
COLUMBIA, Mo. – To an outside eye, the classroom packed with faculty members and community leaders would have looked like a run-of-the-mill training or seminar. But for Wilson Majee, an associate professor of health sciences and public health with the University of Missouri College of Health Sciences, that lively discussion represented a full-circle experience.
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Hang the moon with twilight gardens
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Twilight gardens delight the senses of sight and smell by adding another dimension to the gardening experience, says Gwen Funk, University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist. Also known as moon gardens, twilight gardens use white flowers and plants to capture reflected moonlight. “The use of the color white showcases how we can, with planning, extend our garden enjoyment into the evening,” Funk says.
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Report: Missouri forests play role in long-term carbon storage
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new report from the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources outlines the critical role of forests in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in plant material.
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Iris math: Divide and multiply to add beauty
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Few flowering perennials provide more enjoyment for less effort than iris. With colorful blooms that rival those of orchids in intricacy, irises grow easily in the garden. Seemingly, without a care in the world, they rarely require the gardener’s attention to thrive.
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MU, MDC offer free testing for oak diseases
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), will offer free testing for all common oak tree diseases in 2024.
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Swine specialist says biosecurity biggest protection from H5N1 in pigs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Earlier this year, highly pathogenic avian influenza infected dairy cattle in some states, though not in Missouri. Could the disease affect pigs? Cory Bromfield, University of Missouri Extension swine veterinarian, said that it could happen. Low-pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in circulating swine strains five times from 1999 to 2015. Bromfield spoke about influenza in pigs at the recent Missouri Swine…
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Late planting, wet harvest require special storage attention
TROY, Mo. – Corn planting in 2024 was a tale of two seasons, early and late, requiring special attention to drying and storage, says University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist Charles Ellis. Planting got off to a good start this year. Then Missouri averaged more than 6 inches of rain in April, about 2 inches above normal. Parts of western Missouri received more than 10 inches of rainfall.
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Elections, apocalypse, bourbon and more in Osher fall lineup
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drones, bourbon and apocalypse are among the many topics on offer this fall from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Missouri. A program of MU Extension, Osher@Mizzou provides affordable noncredit courses and other educational, cultural and social gatherings for adults age 50 and up, says Jennifer Erickson, educational director for Osher@Mizzou.
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Happy-Go-Lucky 4-H Club memories and memorabilia
A package recently arrived at the Missouri 4-H Foundation’s office in Columbia. Inside was a 1930s-era 4-H cap and a perfectly preserved sewing project — a gingham checked coat hanger cover with precise pink stitching spelling out the initials R.C. The items, along with a memoir, “Blossoming in the Show Me State,” chronicle the early years of Ruth Collins McQuerry, who grew up on a farm in northwestern Missouri.
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First case of corn stunt confirmed in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists have confirmed the first case of corn stunt in Missouri. The disease, which is transmitted by an insect, was found in southwest Missouri.
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MU Extension highlights education, innovation at award-winning Soybean Festival
NORBORNE, Mo. – “Soy Much More for ’24!” rang true for this year’s Norborne Soybean Festival, Aug. 1-3 in Carroll County. For over 40 years, this festival has built civic pride, forged greater community bonds and celebrated the area’s number one industry – agriculture, said University of Missouri Extension engagement specialist Chelsea Corkins.
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Stockpile tall fescue to save on labor, cost and time
MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. – Start stockpiling tall fescue in mid-August for healthier, more profitable cattle, says University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy Rusty Lee. Stockpiling fescue extends the grazing season and reduces the need to feed hay. “Winter feed costs are the cattle producer’s biggest single expense,” says Lee. The best way to reduce that expense is to let cattle graze longer and feed hay for a shorter…
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How hair shedding scores can help select cattle for heat stress
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Selecting for cattle with heat tolerance can improve a producer’s profitability. An updated University of Missouri Extension publication, “Hair Shedding Scores: A Tool To Select Heat Tolerant Cattle,” explains how to score for hair shedding and seek lower scores for better heat tolerance. The publication is available for free download at https://extension.missouri.edu/g2014.
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Proper outside large round bale storage reduces hay losses
STOCKTON, Mo. – “As hay season continues, I see a lot of large round hay bales being stored outside,” says University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist Patrick Davis. If hay is not stored properly outside, farmers can see significant dry matter and quality losses. Factors that contribute to these losses include:
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What to do when wildlife treats your garden like a buffet
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Pest control is an important part of establishing an attractive garden. Insects, diseases and weeds are formidable foes, but the damage they inflict often pales compared to the destruction perpetrated by some of our four-legged “friends,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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How-to guide for buying a horse
Have you always wanted a horse but don’t know where to start? An updated University of Missouri Extension publication offers guidance. “Buying a Horse” is available for free download at https://extension.missouri.edu/g2835. “Purchasing a horse should be well planned and carefully thought out,” said Shawn Deering, MU Extension livestock specialist. For most people, a horse is a significant investment and should not be rushed.
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MU study looks at poultry litter's impact on soybean yields
ROCK PORT, Mo. – A six-year study at the University of Missouri’s Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center in northwestern Missouri looked at the impact of poultry litter on soybean crops. “Poultry litter is increasingly being applied to row crops in northwest Missouri,” said MU Extension agronomy specialist Wayne Flanary, who conducted the research. “Manures such as litter are valuable because they add organic matter and…