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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
Discover how flowers convey emotions and messages, making Valentine's Day bouquets speak beyond words.
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Fall for strawberries, the fruit of love
Discover why strawberries are called the fruit of love and get tips for selecting, storing, and enjoying them.
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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
Frost-seeding legumes boosts pasture health, lowers input costs, improves soil fertility, and supports cattle growth even in drought-prone areas.
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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
Cyclamen, with heart-shaped leaves and starry blooms, carries a rich history of love, myth, and care as a Valentine’s favorite.
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Flowering bulbs brighten spring gardens
Spring bulbs add early color with minimal care. Plant, water, and enjoy daffodils, tulips, crocus, and more in your garden.
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Missouri 4-H'ers compete in public speaking at Western National Roundup
Two Missouri 4-H members competed in the 2025 Western National Roundup public speaking contest, with one placing 5th in impromptu.
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Time to rethink deworming the beef herd
SALEM, Mo. – The use of commercial livestock dewormers has paid off in terms of animal health and productivity, but it has also resulted in resistance among parasite populations. “As dewormers lose effectiveness, producers need to develop a broader strategy for managing internal parasites in their livestock,” said Eric Meusch, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist. Resistance to deworming products
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Benefits of beef cow leasing
Beef cow leasing offers producers a lower-cost way to expand, gain experience, and share risks while easing financial pressures.
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Give Valentine's Day flowers some TLC
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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Missouri 4-H livestock judging team in top 10 at Western National Roundup
Missouri 4-H livestock judging team places 6th at Western National Roundup, earning top individual and team honors.
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A Century of Growth: Celebrating Missouri 4-H families
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation proudly celebrates seven families as recipients of the 2024 Missouri 4-H Century Family Award. This award recognizes families who have collectively dedicated 100 years or more of membership and volunteer service to the Missouri 4-H program, showcasing their profound impact on youth development and community enrichment. 2024 Century Family Award recipients: Cass County • The Caldwell Family
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Frost seeding legumes improves pastures several ways
Frost seeding legumes boosts pasture quality, yield, and soil health by adding diversity early in the growing season.
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Are there opportunities to cut fertilizer costs in 2025?
Farmers may save on fertilizer in 2025 by reducing phosphorus, potassium, or lime on medium- to high-testing soils without lowering yields.
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Cattle recordkeeping system for success
Cattle producers can assess the past year’s productivity, improve herd recordkeeping and use clear ID methods.
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10 ways to manage high input costs in 2025
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomist Wayne Flanary says 2025 likely will be a year when corn producers need to batten down the hatches to offset low sale prices and high input costs. MU Extension ag business economist Ben Brown and others predict that corn prices will fall below the $4.30 mark by the end of 2025, a marked drop from $6.54 per bushel in 2023.
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MU studies how varieties, seed treatments reduce SCN
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean growers can’t rely on seed treatments alone to combat soybean cyst nematode (SCN), says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish.
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Prepare for a successful calving season
STOCKTON, Mo. – “When planning for a successful calving season, plan for everything that might happen with the goal of the cow giving birth with little difficulty to a healthy calf,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Furthermore, manage cows to provide adequate quality and quantity of nourishment to the calf and rebred during the next breeding season.
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Missouri 2025 Ag Outlook shows road ahead
Missouri agriculture faces mixed 2025 prospects as crop and livestock trends shift, impacting farm income and strategic planning.
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Genetics for a better cow herd
Use genetics and breeding strategies to improve cow fertility and build a stronger, more productive herd.
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Show-Me State shows strong growth
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s economy surged ahead in the third quarter of 2024. The state’s gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of 3.8%, outpacing the U.S. average of 3.1% and ranking 16th nationwide for economic growth during the quarter.
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Do fungicides pay off in soybean?
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fungicides can be an essential part of an integrated pest management plan, but they do not always provide a positive return on investment for soybean producers, according to University of Missouri strip trial research.