July 25 is Turnip Day in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There is an old Missouri saying, “On the 25th of July, sow your turnips, wet or dry.” This local proverb vaulted into the national spotlight during the presidency of Missouri native Harry S. Truman, said University of Missouri Extension state specialist David Trinklein.
Mid-Missouri Master Gardener training begins Aug. 15
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener training begins Aug. 15 for mid-Missouri residents. The training is a collaboration between MU Extension in Cole County and Central Missouri Master Gardeners, says MU Extension horticulturist Dhruba Dhakal. Training includes 30 hours of online sessions and six field visits to flower and vegetable gardens, orchards, greenhouses and more in Cole and Boone Counties.
Battling Japanese beetles in your garden and flowers
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Patience and a bucket of soapy water are your best friends when fending off Japanese beetles in the garden, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall. Reall recommends tapping beetles off plants by hand and putting them in a bucket of soapy water to kill them. You can also shake them off the plant into the bucket.
Grant aimed at employee satisfaction, retention for foreign labor in swine industry
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new grant to University of Missouri Extension from the National Pork Board will help pork producers who rely on foreign labor through the TN visa program. The program, which is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, allows citizens of Canada or Mexico to work in prearranged part-time or full-time jobs in the United States.
Is rained-on hay still good?
NEVADA, Mo. – Rain is always a wild card when deciding the right time to mow hay. “Pop-up showers and storms are a risk this time of the year,” says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Hunter Lovewell. This unpredictability makes it important to keep an eye on weather forecasts and understand how rainfall affects forage that is drying down but not yet baled, he says.
July 23 farm tour to showcase warm-season grasses
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will hold a free farm tour on July 23 to highlight two successful Lawrence County farm operations that use native warm-season grasses in their forage programs.
Gardens will thank you very 'mulch' during summer heat
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mulches benefit gardens throughout the year, but they are particularly helpful during the heat of summer, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities: Bridging Missouri’s Rural Economic Divide
Missouri's rural communities are a mix of thriving and struggling areas, each with its unique challenges and successes. Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC), facilitated by the University of Missouri Extension, plays a crucial role in bridging these varied experiences, fostering a collaborative environment where best practices, success stories, and innovative ideas are shared.
Dealing with cattle herd anaplasmosis
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Summertime brings factors that lead to anaplasmosis in cattle operations,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Anaplasmosis can affect cattle operation performance due to calf abortions, decreased weight gain, bull infertility and animal death.
Japanese beetle numbers increasing in corn, soybean
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri corn and soybean growers are reporting growing numbers of Japanese beetles in crops in recent weeks, says University of Missouri Extension state entomologist Ivair Valmorbida. Valmorbida uses numbers from MU Extension’s Pest Monitoring Network, which gathers information from across the state
Post-drought pasture improvement takes more than rain
LINNEUS, Mo.– Heavy rainfall throughout much of Missouri on July 2 may have lessened worries about drought damage in pastures, but one good rain won’t undo the damage to mismanaged pastures during two straight years of drought, according to two University of Missouri Extension specialists based at the MU Forage Systems Research Center in Linneus.
Vaccines again? I already got these shots!
Vaccines are safe and effective tools for preventing the spread of diseases that are shared person to person. The American Association of Immunologists reminds us that each August we celebrate National Immunization Awareness Month to let everyone know which vaccines to get and how often. Some shots are given one time in our lives. Others require boosters or extra doses to make sure we stay protected against that disease.
Tar spot growing in Missouri corn crops
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A yield-robbing corn disease, tar spot, is gaining ground in Missouri. Tar spot has been confirmed in 19 counties in 2024, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Corn growers in nearly half of the state’s counties have reported tar spot since Missouri’s first confirmed case in 2018.
Missouri 4-H Week brings youths to Mizzou for leadership, learning
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Following Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of 4-H members gathered on the University of Missouri campus for Missouri 4-H Week. This weeklong celebration features two major events for the 4-H program: 4-H Teen Conference and State 4-H Congress.
Missouri 4-H'ers elect peers to State 4-H Council
Missouri 4-H'ers elect peers to State 4-H Council
Mo. landowners, lenders, appraisers invited to take Farmland Value Opinion Survey
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s landowners, agricultural lenders, rural appraisers and others with firsthand knowledge of land transactions are invited to respond to the annual Missouri Farmland Value Opinion Survey.
Mizzou field days set for sites across state
Producers and the public are invited to save the dates for the following regional events in which extension specialists and researchers from the University of Missouri share their agricultural findings.
Protect yourself from heat stress in the garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Gardeners love to garden, but don’t overdo it on hot summer days. During extreme heat, the best time to do garden tasks is early in the morning, said Donna Aufdenberg, University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist. The second-best time is in the late evening.
Native warm-season grass pasture walk in Polk County set for July 22
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Native warm-season grasses can be an important forage as cattle operations move to the summer months,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
Beat the heat with horseradish
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There is scientific evidence suggesting that eating something spicy on a hot summer day will make you feel cooler, says University of Missouri horticulturist David Trinklein.
Diabetes prevention is focus of community health partnership in SW Missouri
MONETT, Mo. – Cindy McCracken says she’s on a mission to live a healthier life. A partnership in southwestern Missouri is helping her do just that.
MU Extension to host 3 feedlot educational events this summer
University of Missouri Extension is hosting two feedlot schools and a cattle feeder tour this summer to teach producers how to feed out their cattle instead of shipping them out of state. “We will cover health, nutrition, economics; tour multiple local feedlots; give producers opportunities to interact with representatives from local packing plants; and engage with MU Extension faculty,” said Eric Bailey, MU Extension state beef…
Protecting sheep and goats from heat stress
OSCEOLA, Mo. – Sheep and goats are susceptible to heat stress in the summer, and a revised University of Missouri Extension publication updates management practices for producers to protect their animals.
Youths learn about food safety through 4-H Protect the Plate Challenge
COLUMBIA, Mo. – More than 1,800 youths across Missouri learned more about precision agriculture by participating in the 2024 4-H Ag Innovators Experience Protect the Plate Challenge.
Beat the heat
Whether you’re showing livestock at a county fair, picnicking at the park or working outdoors, University of Missouri Extension has research-based resources to help you stay safe when summer temperatures sizzle. Keeping your cool News releases