Off-farm income crucial to many ag producers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farm households increasingly rely on off-farm income. A report from University of Missouri Extension notes that, on average, 82% of farm household income comes from outside the farm. More than half of the principal operators of farms have primary jobs off the farm, said Alan Spell, MU assistant extension professor and a co-author of the report.
MU Extension guide shows how cover crops can benefit pollinators, wildlife
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension recently released guidelines for managing cover crops to benefit pollinators and wildlife.
Family business overcomes loss, Mueller Industries - St. Louis, MO
When a family-run small business loses its leader and, shortly afterward, loses its largest client, it can send the company into a tailspin. “We were frantic,” said Christine Jeep, CEO of Mueller Industries in St. Louis, Missouri. “We didn’t know what was going to happen.”
September is Suicide Prevention Month
COLUMBIA, Mo. – During drought, plants and livestock suffer.So do farmers. Life in rural America can be rough, especially when weather-related events such as drought and flood put crops and livestock at risk.University of Missouri Extension agronomist Valerie Tate knows this all too well. Tate has lost some friends and neighbors to suicide, a topic that still breaks her heart.
Students compete on broadband expansion plans for NW Missouri
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Three teams of University of Missouri System students competed to develop plans for supplying access to affordable high-speed internet to residents and businesses in northwestern Missouri. In the Public-Private Partnership Broadband Business Plan Competition, students from backgrounds such as engineering, business, law and computer science used surveys, research and information from local stakeholders to develop…
NW Missouri broadband planning offers statewide model
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Efforts to expand broadband access and digital literacy in northwestern Missouri can be a model for the rest of the state, said B.J. Tanksley, director of broadband development for the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
September farm management news and notes from MU Extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A farm’s approach to marketing often affects whether the operation has the potential to sustain itself for the long term. These farm management news and notes from University of Missouri Extension will help you choose products and product features to market, educate buyers about the purchase process and navigate product pricing.Weigh harvesting corn for grain or silage
Sample fields for SCN after soybean harvest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Right after soybean harvest is the time to test fields for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the No. 1 pathogen of soybean in the United States.
Safety no accident, says family of tractor rollover victim
TAYLOR, Mo. – It started as an ordinary Father’s Day with plans for a family get-together celebrating the beloved head of the family. Little did Lacey Miller know that it would be the last Father’s Day that her father would spend on earth. Miller’s father, Marion County farmer Ralph Griesbaum, died in a tractor rollover accident that June 2018 day while burying a dead cow in a washout. It was a routine farm task turned deadly.
Missouri farmers seeking rollover protection devices for tractors
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Since 2016, more than 70 Missouri farmers asked for help to install tractor rollover protection (ROP) devices from a national program that provides rebates, but the waiting list is long, and only one Missouri farmer has received assistance so far.
Make your mowing habits a cut above
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mowing is a leading cause of farm tractor rollover accidents, which, in turn, are a leading cause of farm fatalities. Smaller utility or garden-type tractors equipped with deck or belly mowers are also susceptible to rollovers and tip overs on hilly terrain.
Farming: The most dangerous job in the U.S.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Each year, more people die while farming than while serving as police officers, firefighters or other emergency responders. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a rate of 23 work-related deaths per 100,000 workers in the agricultural industry. That is seven times higher than the national average for workers.
MU Extension offers mental health resources for farmers, ranchers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Take care of the farm and the farm will take care of you. That’s common advice handed down from one generation to the next. But farmers often face stress that the farm can’t take care of, says Karen Funkenbusch, University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist. Farmers tend to put their families and farms before themselves, says Funkenbusch. But neither can function unless farmers take care of themselves…
Review safety practices on the farm with children
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many consider the farm an ideal place to raise children. But with all its idyllic charm come dangers, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch.
Take care when driving in Amish, Mennonite communities
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A weekend drive through Amish and Mennonite communities provides a pleasant glimpse of simpler times in rural areas. But don’t let that drive turn into a tragedy, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. These communities with horse-drawn buggies call for extra caution, she says. Rural roadways, often narrow or graveled, present dangers. Trees, corn and large equipment…
New AgriStress Helpline available to Missouri farmers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri farmers and rural families seeking mental health support can turn to the new AgriStress Helpline. Farmers and ranchers take pride in their ability to handle challenges and are often reluctant to seek help, particularly for mental health issues, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. The goal of the AgriStress Helpline is to ensure free, confidential help.
Consider lawn needs in fall
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For home lawns, Missouri weather is like Goldilocks’ porridge. For some types of grass it’s too hot and for others it’s too cold. In Missouri, the hard part is finding a grass for which the weather is “just right.”There is no one-size-fits-all grass for Missouri lawns, say University of Missouri Extension horticulturists Robert Balek and Justin Keay. Missouri’s weather extremes are too hot for cool-season grasses and…
Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame inducts new members for 2022
SEDALIA, Mo. – “Making the best better” for generations of Missouri 4-H club members, 40 volunteers joined the 2022 Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame on Aug. 20 at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. The Missouri 4-H Foundation recognizes individuals who have created a legacy of service to 4-H by honoring them with membership in the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame, said Rachel Augustine, director of the Missouri 4-H Foundation
Tar spot of corn confirmed in NE Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic confirmed tar spot in three corn samples collected in the northeastern Missouri counties of Lewis and Holt on Aug. 30, according to Peng Tian, the clinic’s lab director.
Sunflower: The story of this summer goddess begins with search for love
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The sunflower’s story begins with a tale of unrequited love.According to Greek mythology, the water nymph Clytie fell in love with the god of the sun, Apollo, who dazzled the earth as he drove his golden chariot across the sky each day. When he rejected Clytie’s affection, it nearly drove her mad. She spent days without food or water as she searched the heavens and waited for Apollo to appear.
Fall flowers usher out summer in a blaze of color
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fall is time for the changing of the guard in flower beds and containers. As some summer flowers shout their last hurrah, others gradually fade into the background.
Lasagna gardening: Layers and layers of goodness
JACKSON, Mo. – As traditional gardening season takes a bow, lasagna gardening makes a grand entrance. Lasagna gardening is no-till, no-dig gardening that uses materials typically thrown away such as kitchen and yard waste, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Donna Aufdenberg.Aufdenberg says lasagna gardening is environmentally friendly and frees the gardener from tilling, weeding and digging. Gardens also retain…
Glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth found in Missouri Bootheel
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension researchers have confirmed the first case of glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth in Missouri’s Bootheel region.Palmer amaranth has been MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley’s No. 1 weed to watch in the rest of the state for years.Palmer amaranth spreads and adapts quickly to herbicides. When it goes to seed, the weed is a superstar, producing as many as 1 million seeds per…
BTC Bank supports Missouri 4-H financial ed program
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Young people across Missouri will experience interactive, hands-on financial education thanks to a five-year pledge of support from BTC Bank to the Missouri 4-H Foundation.The pledge will support the statewide launch of On My Own, a household finance simulator for youths ages 13-18.
Regional drought calls for winter feed strategies
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Drought in southwestern Missouri calls for long- and short-term feed plans for beef and dairy herds.University of Missouri Extension state dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton urges producers not to panic as local feed supplies dwindle. There are options to carry herds through winter until spring pastures green.