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The skinny on what your hay bales really weigh
Hay bale weight varies with moisture and density. Learn how to estimate actual weight for better feeding and management decisions.
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Overcome poor soil, lack of space with straw bale gardening
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Straw bale gardens are becoming popular with growers plagued with poor soil or limited garden space, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Straw bale gardening combines container gardening and raised-bed gardening into one green-thumb package.
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2025 is the Year of the Pea
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Gardeners looking for hap-pea-ness can look no further than the pea. The National Garden Bureau has declared 2025 the Year of the Pea. Few vegetables match the culinary delight of peas fresh from the garden, said David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist. “You might say it is a VIPea in the spring garden,” said Trinklein. When given an early start, growing peas is easy peasy.
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Winter weather resources from MU Extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. – MU Extension has resources to help you prepare for and respond to severe winter weather. Extended cold weather can freeze water in household plumbing. This can not only make your faucets run dry, it can result in burst pipes. Learn how to prevent or safely thaw frozen pipes.
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Turn milk jugs into mini-greenhouses
JACKSON, Mo. – One of your best gardening tools may be in your recycling bin, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Donna Aufdenberg. Use specially prepared milk jugs to jump-start your garden by winter sowing, a method of starting seeds in late winter for spring transplanting.
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Recovery Friendly Workplace-Missouri has new community resources
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Addiction costs Missouri $1.4 million per hour, but a recovery-friendly workplace can increase profits for businesses and foster an employee-focused culture. Enhancements to the Recovery Friendly Workplace-Missouri website provide new resources to help you learn more and do more in your community.
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Better numbers, better farm
WARSAW, Mo. – Handling farm finances wisely means knowing some key numbers that indicate the health of your operation.
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MU Extension offers beef feeding financial tool
Free Excel tool lets cattle producers track input costs, calculate break-even price and ROI, and manage feeding profitability.
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Are insects the future of food?
Insects are a sustainable, nutritious food source gaining attention. Learn about their benefits, the role they could play in the future of food, and more.
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Experts urge biosecurity in poultry flocks
Missouri urges poultry producers to enhance biosecurity to combat HPAI; public health risk remains low.
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This Valentine's Day, be a love bug
Show Missouri insects some love this Valentine's Day by supporting pollinators and reducing pesticide use.
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Candy is dandy, except for pets
Alerts pet owners: chocolate and candies with raisins, nuts, xylitol, or excess sugar can trigger vomiting, seizures, and liver harm in pets.
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Master Naturalists study rare bats in NE Missouri
INDIAN CREEK, Mo. – Members of the Mississippi Hills Missouri Master Naturalist chapter, located in the Hannibal area, are excited about a growing population of an endangered bat species that inhabits two locations in northeastern Missouri.
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Master Naturalists: Improving Missouri's environment for 20 years
HANNIBAL, Mo. – For the past 20 years, Master Naturalists have conducted educational projects and volunteer community service to improve Missouri’s environment. Master Naturalists are drawn to everything in nature from birds and bats to bees and trees.
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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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Colorful flowers, sweet treats and relationship tips for Valentine’s Day
Explore flower-gift ideas, homemade preservative tips, pollinator appreciation, strawberry love lore, pet safety, and romance advice.
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The language of flowers blossoms on Valentine's Day
COLUMBIA, Mo. – More than a century ago, the floral delivery service FTD adopted the slogan “Say it with flowers.” It turns out you can say quite a bit with flowers, notes University of Missouri Extension state horticulturist David Trinklein. Floriography, the language of flowers, refers to communicating cryptically through the meaning or symbolism of certain flowers and flower colors.
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Fall for strawberries, the fruit of love
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Strawberries are a delectable treat any time of year, but in February they are known as the fruit of love, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund. Long before the celebration of Valentine’s Day, the strawberry symbolized love and fertility due to its shape, color and wealth of seeds on the fruit surface.
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Heart-shaped leaves can add to a Valentine’s Day gift
COLUMBIA, Mo. –While roses steal the show on Valentine’s Day, many plants produce heart-shaped leaves that can be a part of a bouquet or gift. One of the best known and easiest to grow or buy is the heartleaf philodendron, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “This vining plant produces shiny green leaves with perfect heart shapes,” he said.
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Food safety tips for Super Bowl parties
Refrigerate perishable foods promptly and avoid leaving them out for more than two hours. Wash hands, use gloves, and sanitize surfaces regularly.
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Frost-seeding legumes pays big dividends
HERMITAGE, Mo. – Frost-seeding legumes now can pay big dividends later, says University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy Terry Halleran. Frost-seeding is a low-cost method of broadcasting legumes over frozen ground into an existing pasture. Legumes offer many benefits but require proper management, says Halleran.
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Prune fruit trees in midwinter
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The best time to prune fruit trees in Missouri is midwinter, according to University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Debi Kelly. “There are many reasons to prune fruit trees, and you want to do it before bud break in the spring,” said Kelly, who held a workshop on pruning Jan. 25 at MU Jefferson Farm and Garden in Columbia.
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Cyclamen: the houseplant with an amorous history
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The cyclamen is Cupid’s flowering love child. For centuries, people have associated cyclamens with matters of the heart, making it a perfect Valentine’s Day choice, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Flowering bulbs brighten spring gardens
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. – Few things thaw feelings of winter’s cold more than spring flowering bulbs, says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Katie Kammler. Spring bulbs are Nature’s way of rewarding gardeners for their work in fall, providing early color and blooms before most annuals and perennials. While spring is their time to shine, bulbs need cool weather to flower. They require a chilling period after being…
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Missouri 4-H'ers compete in public speaking at Western National Roundup
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Two Missouri 4-H members competed in January at the 2025 Western National Roundup Public Speaking Contest, an annual event held in tandem with the Western National Stock Show in Denver. This year, Marah Greiman of Marion County and Alyssa Thornhill of Adair County competed in prepared and impromptu speaking. Thornhill placed fifth overall in impromptu speaking at the contest, said Megan Kershner, state 4-H leadership…