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Youths test horse knowledge at State 4-H Hippology Contest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Hippology Contest, March 19 in Columbia, gathered 54 youths along with their coaches.A majority of participants reported that their knowledge in areas such as equine confirmation, behavior, equipment, diseases, anatomy, terminology and characteristics improved as a result of participating in the event, said Maria Calvert, University of Missouri Extension 4-H state agriculture and natural resources…
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Longhorned tick found in 3 areas of Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri researchers are tracking the invasive longhorned tick, which causes weight loss, lost pregnancies and even death in cattle.Researchers from the MU College of Veterinary Medicine found the tick on a Linn County pasture in August 2022. The finding marks the northernmost appearance of the tick in Missouri. It also appeared in June 2021 near Springfield.
Horticulturist plants seeds of hope in community
JACKSON, Mo. – Retired engineer Lois Caron’s lifelong thirst for knowledge led her to the University of Missouri Extension office where she often bent the ear of MU Extension horticulturist Donna Aufdenberg.“She was a lifelong learner,” says Aufdenberg. “We had something that she wanted. We had knowledge, and she wanted that knowledge.”
Recovery Friendly Workplace designation: “A good business decision”
Becoming a recovery friendly workplace was a no-brainer, says Theresa Calvert, vice president of Ace Pipe Cleaning Inc., a Kansas City, Missouri, company with 200 employees. “It’s not only the right thing to do for our employees; it’s a good business decision, too,” Calvert said. Ace is among the first six companies to receive this designation since the University of Missouri Extension Recovery designation process has been available…
Goal of Turquoise Tables Is To Create Gathering Spot for Neighbors
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Getting to know your neighbors may be as easy as getting a picnic table, painting it turquoise, and creating a neighborhood gathering spot in your front yard. Sounds a bit crazy, but according to David Burton, a University of Missouri Extension community development specialist, the turquoise table movement that began in 2018 is still going strong nationwide.
Mini-grants support projects, collaboration on Missouri food system challenges
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Three new University of Missouri Extension projects will help address Missouri food system challenges while encouraging collaboration across teams.
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Show-Me MO Success podcast: Tower Rock Stone Co. and Recovery Friendly Workplaces
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Substance use disorders affect workforces throughout Missouri. Addiction costs Missouri an estimated $34.5 million every day, or $12.6 billion a year.
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MU Extension seeding rate trial looks at furrow-irrigated rice
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – Preliminary results from the first year of the University of Missouri Extension’s rice seeding rate trial are in.“Our seeding rate trials are conducted at two research farms – the Missouri Rice Research Farm on a silt loam soil and the MU Lee Farm on a Sharkey clay soil,” said Justin Chlapecka, MU Extension rice specialist at the Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center in Portageville.
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MU rice cultivar trial shows stark differences in first year
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has completed its first year of rice cultivar trials on both flood-irrigated and furrow-irrigated production systems at the MU Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center in Portageville.
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Save money on fertilizer with soil tests
CLEVER, Mo. – A soil test can help forage producers avoid the costly guessing game of how much fertilizer to buy and apply, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. He recommends testing every three or four years.“If you’re not soil testing, you’re already behind,” he said March 7 at the Christian County Livestock and Forage Conference in Clever, Missouri. Know what you need when you order fertilizer to avoid…
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Annie's Project helps Ralls County woman navigate farm ownership
CENTER, Mo. – When Jan Golian’s husband died of a heart attack in the middle of harvest season in 2004, friends and family helped her get the crop in and the cattle sold.Her husband had always been the caretaker of the farm while she worked as a school librarian and teacher. She knew farm life and how to be a farm wife, but she didn’t know how to make informed decisions about the farm operation.
MU agronomist gives post-drought pasture renovation tips
CLEVER, Mo. – While fall is the best time to consider pasture renovation, spring is the second-best time, so there is still time to help pastures get back in shape for the next season, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg.First, evaluate stand issues. Look at density of desired forages and undesired forages such as weeds. Before you start spraying weeds, look at poor management practices such as incorrect…
Proper hay storage, feeding methods reduce waste
CLEVER, Mo. –Due to poor storage and feeding methods, only about half of Missouri hay reaches the cow’s mouth, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andy McCorkill.This leads to waste and reduced profits, especially as producers reset their herds post-drought. “Make sure your high-value hay gets in the mouth of an animal,” says McCorkill.
Extension specialist gives 4 O's for 'crazy' cows
CLEVER, Mo. – Load ’em up and ship ’em out. That’s the advice University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andy McCorkill gives on “crazy cows.” He spoke to livestock and forage producers March 7 at the Christian County Livestock & Forage Conference at Clever, Missouri.
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Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors recognizes 2022 winners
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors recently honored its 2022 winners in a special ceremony, according to Gloria Johnson, executive secretary for the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors.
'Sacrifice pastures' spare best cattle grazing pastures
STOCKTON, Mo. – So-called “sacrifice pastures” might be needed to help promote forage production the rest of this cattle grazing season, according to Patrick Davis, a University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist based in Stockton.“Cattle producers welcome the rain, but it leads to muddy pastures, and with limited forage resources following the drought, proper management is needed for optimum grazing the rest of the year,” says…
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Annie's Project empowered Marion County farmer Amy Lehenbauer
PALMYRA, Mo. – Annie’s Project, a program offered by University of Missouri Extension for two decades, gave Amy Lehenbauer the confidence she needed to become active in the family farm.Lehenbauer is one of more than 19,000 women across the nation who completed the program during the past 20 years, says MU Extension agriculture business specialist Karisha Devlin.
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Show-Me MO Success podcast: Good Neighbor Day in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Quality of life is affected by the quality of the neighborhoods in which people live. In the latest episode of “Show-Me MO Success,” the University of Missouri’s Business and Community Extension podcast, listeners learn how the Neighborhood Leadership Academy helps community volunteers develop projects to improve their neighborhoods.
Avoid applying nitrogen to tall fescue pastures in spring
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Livestock producers can learn how to reduce toxins that damage performance and profits during the March 23 Alliance for Grassland Renewal workshop in Mount Vernon, Missouri.University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts says ergot alkaloids in Kentucky 31 tall fescue begin to increase about mid-April in Missouri. Tall fescue is the state’s main cool-season grass.
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Cheap hay isn't cheap
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Squatty, squishy bales are making their way out of the ditch and into the cow pasture as post-drought supplies dwindle and winter lingers.Bad bales are costly in many ways, says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension agribusiness livestock specialist. Peel spoke at the 39th annual Southwest Missouri Forage Conference sponsored by University of Missouri Extension and others.
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Get back to the basics on post-drought pastures
CLEVER, Mo. – Recurring drought calls for forage producers to get back to the basics of farming, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Terry Halleran.“Practice standard farming practices to rebuild pastures following drought,” he says. Halleran spoke March 7 at the Christian County Livestock and Forage Conference in Clever, Missouri. Southwestern Missouri livestock producers have been especially hard hit from drought in…
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A livestock legacy lives on
An Eldon Cole Memorial Fund has been established to recognize the late Eldon Cole’s long career as an Extension livestock specialist, according to James Preston, chief development officer with the Office of MU Extension and Engagement. The University of Missouri Board of Curators recently approved naming a new livestock facility at the Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center (SW-REEC) in Mount Vernon in honor of Cole.
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All Things Missouri: A free online tool for accessing, analyzing and visualizing state, local data
COLUMBIA, Mo. – All Things Missouri (www.AllThingsMissouri.org) is a free online resource that can help media outlets enhance their reporting and storytelling by providing context and insights, identifying trends, and enabling comparisons among geographical areas.
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Extension Master Gardener program turns 50
COLUMBIA, Mo. – 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Extension Master Gardener program at Washington State University. What began with 300 volunteers in Washington state has grown to more than 84,000 volunteers across the country, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist and state Master Gardener coordinator David Trinklein.To commemorate the event, March 20-26 of this year has been designated National Extension…
Neighborhood Leadership Academy awards 20 mini-grants
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Neighborhood Leadership Academy has awarded 20 mini-grants totaling $46,805 to groups across Missouri. The grants, ranging from $380 to $2,500, support neighborhood initiatives including community gardens in schools and parks, neighborhood gatherings to build community and programs to improve the mental and physical health of neighborhood residents.