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Farm management news and notes from MU Extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Winter is when work moves from the fields and pastures to the home office and kitchen table. University of Missouri Extension offers resources as farmers work on tax preparation, production decisions, setting financial goals and updating farm business plans. Taxation of crop insurance
Fescue foot reported in Missouri cattle
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists recently received several reports of Missouri cattle dying due to fescue foot, says MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.These significant losses show why beef producers should check herds for warning signs of fescue foot in early January, when it most often occurs, Roberts says.
Tips on selling your timber
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – There are important steps to take when considering selling timber, says University of Missouri Extension forester Hank Stelzer. In addition to providing additional revenue, harvesting timber can improve the health and vigor of woods and wildlife. Most landowners don’t know the value of their woodlands, Stelzer says. Too often, landowners make uneducated decisions on selling their trees and underestimate their value.
New regulations make weed management more complex in 2023
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Producers should prepare for more complexity in herbicide requirements and registrations in 2023 and beyond, says University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley.The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed changes to atrazine labels that would have great impact, says Bradley. Atrazine is an effective and inexpensive herbicide used to kill broadleaf and grassy weeds in the majority of Missouri corn and…
Start the year on the right foot with your cattle record-keeping system
STOCKTON, Mo. – As the year ends, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis urges cattle producers to evaluate their record-keeping system to determine if it was successful.“Record-keeping starts with proper cattle identification,” Davis said. Two nationally known identification systems are the four-digit system and the letter and three-digit system.
2023: Year of the sparkling amaryllis
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nothing brightens a windowsill in winter like amaryllis, the National Garden Bureau’s Bulb Plant of the Year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.The name “amaryllis” comes from a Greek word that means “to sparkle.” And sparkle it does, said Trinklein.
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Ring in the new year with black-eyed peas
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is a tradition said to bring wealth and good fortune in the new year, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
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Missouri can lead the way to a food secure future for all
By Marshall Stewart, chief engagement officer, University of Missouri System, and MU vice chancellor for extension and engagement. In a state where agriculture is the No. 1 industry, Missouri can be a powerful leader in making sure every Missourian is food secure. At its core, food security means no child goes to bed hungry and no adult must choose between buying needed medicine and putting food on the family table.
Prepare cattle for frigid temperatures
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Extremely cold weather is forecast this week, putting cattle at risk. Temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit are predicted, with the wind chill factor much lower in many parts of Missouri this week. As temperatures drop, producers need to ensure their cattle are kept safe in the harsh weather, said University of Missouri Extension state beef nutritionist Eric Bailey.
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Spices fill the holidays with aroma and memories
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While the holidays are filled with familiar sights and sounds, it’s the aromas of the season that often conjure up our most vivid memories of the past. This should come as no surprise since our sense of smell is keener than our senses of sight and sound.Many of the aromas surrounding the holidays are from spices used in holiday cuisine, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Frankincense and myrrh: Ancient scents of the season
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Two of the three gifts of the Wise Men – frankincense and myrrh – remain in high demand more than 5,000 years after gaining popularity in religious rituals, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.Ancient Egyptians used myrrh to embalm corpses and Romans burned it as a type of incense at funeral pyres. Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman societies burned frankincense or myrrh incense during…
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Mistletoe: Menacing plant with an intriguing past
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Of all the plants used in holiday decor, few match mistletoe’s interesting history. And few equal its potential for harm.An evergreen plant with white berries, mistletoe is quite toxic, said David Trinklein, horticulture state specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
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Leadership change in extension and engagement
University of Missouri President Mun Choi has announced that Marshall Stewart, chief engagement officer for the UM System and vice chancellor for extension and engagement for MU, is leaving the university to pursue another opportunity as Kansas State University's senior vice president for executive affairs, university engagement and partnerships, and chief of staff, effective Jan. 20, 2023.
Reduce losses, costs when feeding hay
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Livestock producers have options for reducing hay waste and feeding costs while improving animal behavior and performance, says University of Missouri Extension specialist Charlie Ellis.Farmers can choose from several methods to reduce waste based on their preferences, labor availability and climate, says Ellis.Here are four basics from Ellis:
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100-year-old sells farm after 'work, work, work'
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Centenarian Wilda Cox knows hard work. She’s built barns, lugged 110-pound cans of milk, picked and husked corn by hand and bucked hay bales.But Cox endured no harder day than Oct. 31, 2022, when she sold the farm that had been in her family for more than a century.
Gift a Book on Neighboring This Year
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Holiday shopping is in full swing, and books remain a great gift option, according to David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "Whether you are shopping for a gift for family members, co-workers, or neighbors, let me suggest some books as gifts," said Burton. All of these books share a common theme: neighboring.
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MU Extension offers tips to reduce hay loss
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Good-quality hay bales are like precious gems. They’re valuable and worthy of your safest storage, says Charles Ellis, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agricultural engineering.Proper storage is one way producers can reduce hay waste. Ellis offers a few steps to consider when deciding what hay to store:
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Hannibal startup shines during sunflower oil shortage
HANNIBAL, Mo. – A northeastern Missouri farm is making sunflower oil amid a global shortage linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Family-owned and operated, Show Me HH Farms, of Hannibal, offers cold-pressed sunflower seed oil, a primary cooking oil in many parts of the world. Sunflower oil’s light yellow color, mild flavor and ability to withstand high cooking temperatures make it a favorite of cooks.
MU Extension releases how-to videos for hiring on the farm
COLUMBIA, Mo. – New how-to videos and related resources from University of Missouri Extension specialists can help farm operators looking to attract and keep workers.
Build Neighbor Connections With Favorite Things Party
Parties are great ways to get to know your neighbors, especially if you do a "favorite things party."
Getting livestock through the winter
SEDALIA, Mo. – Pasture and hay supplies are short in many areas of central and southern Missouri. University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Gene Schmitz has a number of options for livestock producers to consider for feeding their livestock this winter.Test hay
MU celebrates history and future of integrated pest management
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As University of Missouri Extension researchers celebrate the 50th anniversary of integrated pest management, they reflect on the past, present and future of IPM.
Wind, drought contribute to fires at harvest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Roadway accidents and combine fires make harvest the most dangerous time of the year for those who work in America’s most dangerous occupation – farming, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch.
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Giving thanks for the beautiful, bitter cranberry
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Made famous by the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving, cranberries have long been a favorite at holiday dinners despite their sharp, bitter taste.Americans gobble up about 400 million pounds of the bitter berry annually, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. About 20% of its consumption comes during the Thanksgiving season.
Celebrate Thanksgiving with a 'turkey foot' hike
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you gobble until you wobble at Thanksgiving dinner, take your flock of family and friends for a trek across a tallgrass prairie for a memorable Thanksgiving holiday outing, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.