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Ag Outlook Conference features new FAPRI leadership, key national policy voices
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI-MU) will host the 2026 Abner W. Womack Missouri Agricultural Outlook Conference on Wednesday, April 8. The free event will be held at the Poehlmann Education Center at the MU Bradford Research Farm in Columbia.
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Lafayette County Extension District acquires 30 acres for new facilities
HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension District in Lafayette County has acquired approximately 30 acres on the south side of Higginsville for the development of a new countywide educational facility.
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MDC, MU Extension thank Missouri Master Naturalists for 2025 accomplishments
The Missouri Department of Conservation and University of Missouri Extension thank Missouri’s 937 Master Naturalists for volunteering more than 82,000 hours to conserving Missouri’s natural resources in 2025.
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MU Extension in Caldwell County honors local leaders, Century Farms
The Caldwell County MU Extension Council celebrated the previous year’s successes at its annual meeting. Highlights of the event included the Leader’s Honor Roll awards, Century Farm recognition and Extension Council oaths of office.
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Missouri EATs invites communities to strengthen food systems through grant-funded opportunity
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Communities across Missouri can now apply for the next round of Missouri EATs, a grant-funded initiative from University of Missouri Extension that helps communities strengthen their local food systems. One community will be selected to work with MU Extension and the Missouri Rural Food Access Partnership team on a comprehensive planning process.
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Prevent herbicide injury in residential neighborhoods
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Kathi Mecham, a field specialist in horticulture with University of Missouri Extension, says herbicide injury isn’t limited to agricultural areas. Garden and landscape plants can also be harmed, and reports from Carroll County last season illustrate the problem.
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Camden County youths experience civic leadership at Capitol
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Camden County youths recently took part in a Civic Leadership Day at the Missouri State Capitol. The students were participants in University of Missouri Extension’s REACH for Camden County Youth Development Program, said Ashley Allen-Brown, MU Extension field specialist and originator of the program.
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New tax break on overtime pay comes with limits
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new federal tax provision allows some workers to deduct part of their overtime pay from their taxable income, but the change is narrower and more complicated than it may sound. The provision, in effect for tax years 2025 through 2028, does not eliminate taxes on all overtime pay, according to Andrew Zumwalt, director of the University of Missouri’s Personal Financial Planning program.
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Cropland to pasture: Linneus workshop offers the how and why
LINNEUS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service specialists will join with the Alliance for Grassland Renewal to present a March 3 workshop on how to convert cropland to pasture.
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Give Valentine's Day flowers TLC for extended enjoyment
Learn how to extend the life of Valentine's Day flowers with a simple homemade preservative and expert tips to keep them fresh longer.
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Jefferson County Ag Conference is Feb. 21 in Hillsboro
HILLSBORO, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension in Jefferson County and the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold the 102nd Jefferson County Ag Conference (formerly the Soils and Crops Conference) 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Hillsboro High School, 123 Leon Hall Parkway, Hillsboro.
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Christian Co. Livestock and Forage Conference is March 3
OZARK, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists will offer updates to help producers grow better forages for healthier herds and better profits at the annual Christian County Livestock and Forage Conference, 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 3. The free event will be held in the Agriculture Building of Ozarks Technical Community College’s Richmond Valley campus, 3369 W. Jackson St., Ozark, said MU Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg.
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Grazing during spring green-up
Seeing the bright green new growth pop up in our pastures signals the end of winter and the transition into spring. As that short green carpet starts to come up, cattle start chasing that short growth and may turn their noses up to hay they were previously eating well. However, allowing cattle to nip off this short regrowth can slow down the pasture growth moving into the spring.
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Veteran R.E.A.D.S. event to highlight Kansas City Medal of Honor recipient
MU Extension’s Veteran R.E.A.D.S. program will host a Feb. 23 talk on Willy Frederick James Jr., Kansas City’s only native Medal of Honor recipient. James was one of seven African American soldiers whose Medals of Honor were approved decades after their wartime service due to discriminatory barriers in the awards process. His widow, Valcenie James, received the medal from President Bill Clinton in 1997.
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Add value, manage market volatility by selling beef directly to consumers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Despite cattle prices being near all-time highs, marketing beef direct-to-consumer still adds value to beef operations. Two updated University of Missouri Extension guides help producers understand the numbers and methods behind marketing your beef to consumers.
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Fight the summer slump with annual lespedeza
During hot, dry summer months, tall fescue growth slows, forage quality declines, toxicity levels rise and overall forage availability can become limited. Annual lespedeza is a forage option that offers a simple, low-input way to help fill this summer slump while improving overall pasture performance and soil health.
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Quick, right response essential after pesticide exposure
BOONVILLE, Mo. – Pesticide handling remains one of the most hazardous tasks on the farm, says Todd Lorenz, University of Missouri Extension agronomist.
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10 tips to keep the romance in relationships
Keep the spark alive with these 10 expert-backed tips to nurture romance, deepen connection, and strengthen your relationship every day.
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Tax changes affecting tips come with limits, paperwork hurdles
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Recent changes to the federal tax code have drawn attention for creating a new tax break for workers who earn tips. While often described as “no tax on tips,” the provision is more limited and more complicated than that phrase suggests, says Andrew Zumwalt, director of the University of Missouri’s Personal Financial Planning program.
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Preparing Missouri's next generation of farmers
Column by University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialists Wesley Tucker, Denice Ferguson and Mary Sobba, and Robert Jones, director of Integrated Marketing Communications for MU Extension.
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100th annual Audrain County Soils & Crop Conference set for March 2
MEXICO, Mo. – The 100th annual Audrain Soils & Crops Conference is 6:20-8:40 p.m. Monday, March 2, at the top floor of the Hart Career Center, 905 Wade St., Mexico.
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MU Ag Lender School offers hands-on training
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Agricultural lenders looking to enhance their expertise can register for the University of Missouri Agricultural Lenders School, June 1-4 in Columbia. This program, tailored for early-career lenders and those new to agricultural loan responsibilities, aims to equip participants with the knowledge and confidence to effectively serve farm clients, said MU Extension agricultural economist Ryan Milhollin.
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Plants begin to stir underground in February
Take heart, plant lovers. Winter rest is almost over, spring renewal begins.
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Monett Agriculture Conference set for Feb. 24
MONETT, Mo. – The Monett Agriculture Conference once again features dairy during the morning session and beef production in the evening. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Monett Armory in Monett will be filled with vendors supporting the education event for agriculturalist of the region, said University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
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Keeping Missouri calves home
Each year, thousands of Missouri calves leave the state shortly after weaning. Leaving with them is the opportunity to add value, strengthen local economies and grow producer profits. University of Missouri Extension is working to change that through its expanded Feedlot School program.