Image
Avoiding injury during post-disaster cleanup
SEDALIA, Mo.– Megan Webb, nutrition and health education specialist for University of Missouri Extension, advises homeowners and disaster-recovery volunteers to be safe during the cleanup process in this video news story.
A safe room of one's own
JOPLIN, Mo. – Harold Noirfalise used to curse the big steel box in the garage of his Joplin home. It was there when he and his wife, Brenda, bought the house a couple years ago. The box shared space with a pickup, a car and a workshop where he built radio-controlled model airplanes, making for a crowded garage.
Renters rights following a disaster
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Renters forced to leave homes damaged by floods or other natural disasters do not have to continue paying rent, notes a University of Missouri Extension family financial planning specialist. “Under Missouri law, if the house or apartment you rent becomes uninhabitable through no fault of your own, you are released from the remainder of your lease,” said Brenda Procter.
To Iraq and Back
FAYETTE, Mo. – It’s not exactly beating swords into ploughshares, but a University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist spent 18 months in Iraq helping promote peace through farming.
Make a splash but don't get sick
OSCEOLA, Mo. –The chance of a swimmer in the U.S. being attacked by a shark is close to zero. But dangerous creatures do lurk in our waters, including lakes, ponds and even concrete swimming pools.Microbes such as cryptosporidium, shigella, giardia and E. coli frequently live in public swimming areas. All three cause diarrhea if ingested.
Freezing summer's bounty
LAMAR, Mo. – During the gray, cold days of winter, your garden’s bounty can be as close as your freezer. Freezing fresh fruits and vegetables now lets you enjoy them long after the growing season.
Tips for watering your lawn during a drought
GALENA, Mo. –Hot, dry weather has put lawns to the test this summer. As a result, many homeowners are attempting to keep their lawns active and alive by irrigating.It’s normal for cool-season grasses such as fescue and bluegrass to go dormant in mid-summer, said Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension.
Image
Time flies, so don't waste it
CARTHAGE, Mo. – Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. However, the way you use those hours can mean the difference between getting important things done and just doing tasks.Saving time is often a balancing act between efficiency and effectiveness. Important projects should take priority over checking smaller items off your list said Janet LaFon, consumer and family economic specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
Taking the cellphone to school
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Should parents let kids take their cellphones to school? A University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth development specialist looks at the pros and cons.First, parents should check with school officials about policies on cellphone usage, said Alan J. Mundey. “Most school administrations tend to regard cellphones as disruptive and distracting, so they may prohibit their use on school grounds.”The pros
Fall gardening feeds body and spirit
COLUMBIA, Mo. — August and early September offer a reprieve from the scorching heat of summer and an opportunity to put vegetables on the dinner table well into fall. Fall planting, sometime called succession planting, takes advantage of garden plots after summer crops are harvested and removed. Falling temperatures on the horizon means a fall crop often ends up higher in quality than produce grown in the spring and summer.
Dry weather can lead to a lethal lunch
Most people don’t think of grass as poison, but dry weather and drought can turn a pasture dangerous.Nitrates and prussic acid built to lethal levels in the stems and leaves of some plants as the hot days of July and August slowed forage growth to a halt. To protect your herd, University of Missouri Extension experts recommend a simple test to ensure cows aren’t chewing their way to disaster.
Success in school is a family affair
OZARK, Mo. — Teachers have children in the classroom for about seven hours a day, but what happens during the other 17 hours can make or break your child’s success in school.Attitude can make all the difference, says a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.
Aerospace Camp teaches rocket science
ROLLA, Mo.— “It’s not rocket science.” The phrase is often used to assure people that something is simple and easy to understand. At the same time, it pushes the idea that actual rocket science is really hard—and certainly not for kids.
Fun ideas for after-school snacks
COLUMBIA, Mo. —Learning is hungry work. Schoolchildren typically eat lunch around 11:30 and then have classes all afternoon. Add an after-school activity or two and by the time they get home they’re running on empty. It’s small wonder that many kids head straight to the kitchen to devour whatever they can get their hands on.How can you make sure that they’re choosing snacks that are good for them? Just think “inside the box.”
Eat more fruits and vegetables by adding them to your favorite recipes
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Parents might complain about getting kids to eat their vegetables, but even adults often find getting their recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables a challenge.Lynda Johnson, a registered dietitian and University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health education specialist, offers some simple suggestions to get more fruits and veggies into your diet:-Add fresh berries, dried cranberries or raisins to…
Are you a skip-breakfast sinner?
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If hitting the snooze button three times is more appealing than having a bowl of cereal, you might be a skip-breakfast sinner.While 93 percent of Americans know that breakfast is important, only 44 percent regularly eat something before walking out the door in the morning, according to a 2009 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation.
'Food From the Farm' connects kids to local farms
KANSAS CITY, Mo.– In this video news story, learn about MU Extension’s “Food From the Farm” program.
Image
4-H program strengthens family ties between children and incarcerated parents
CHILLICOTHE, Mo. – Prison isn't normally thought of as a place to nurture family growth, but one weekend each month dozens of sons, daughters, mothers and grandmothers travel across the state for that very reason.A University of Missouri Extension 4-H program, 4-H LIFE, works to help both inmates and their children learn skills that will help them succeed in life, both inside and outside of prison walls.
Scams and fraud add insult to injury after a disaster
CARTHAGE, Mo. – People can become victims twice in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Dishonest businesses, questionable charities and others looking to make a quick buck try to take advantage of both disaster survivors and those wishing to help.
Image
Using trellises for home vineyards
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Good fences make for good neighbors, especially if the fence provides fresh, homegrown fruit every year.“If there is one crop that gardeners have difficulty finding room for in the landscape, it is grapes,” says Marlin Bates, a University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
Adult children and aging parents
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Members of the baby boomer generation are starting to retire, but that doesn’t mean they are entering a carefree phase of life. Their kids may be all grown up, but boomers who still have a living parent are facing new responsibilities, notes a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.
The ABZzzzs: Set child’s routine for healthy sleep
HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. - Sleep is as important to a child’s growth and development as nutritious food and exercise.A set routine for bedtime and wake-up time will help children set their circadian rhythm, or their sleep/wake cycle. Kathy Bondy, University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth specialist, said routine helps children prepare for sleep.
Spend wisely using the Rule of Three
CARTHAGE, Mo. – Smart consumers know money isn’t earned accidentally, so they don’t spend it carelessly. One useful tool for shrewd shoppers is the Rule of Three.“Basically, you check out at least three sources for prices and features before you make a decision,” said Janet LaFon, family financial education specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
Breathe new life into perennials with a little garden surgery
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Some perennials can suffer from too much of a good thing.As it grows year after year, the perennial’s growth clump, or crown, gets so big the plant begins to compete with itself for light, water and nutrients. Eventually this self-competition will mean fewer and less-showy flowers.Not all is lost, said David Trinklein, horticulture specialist for University of Missouri Extension. A little garden surgery can breathe new…