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Sweeten the Fourth with juicy watermelon
Celebrate National Watermelon Month with tips on selecting ripe, juicy melons for your summer gatherings.
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Tall fescue adds to heat stress in cattle
Cattle rid their bodies of heat in three ways: radiation, convection and evaporation. “If your cattle can’t use all three methods, they’ll overheat fast,” says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey. Summer heat knocks weight off calves and pounds off milk, Bailey says. “Heat stress costs real money.”
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A vision for collaboration
David Baker, assistant dean emeritus in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, was inducted into the 2025 Missouri Agriculture Hall of Fame. Baker is the first MU faculty member or administrator to be inducted.
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American Tractor Club invites owners to show off their machines
Showcase your historic tractor through a new club established by the American Tractor Museum in collaboration with University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Farm Bureau. The MU Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) has set up a database for the American Tractor Club, a project of the Perryville, Mo., museum created to celebrate this enduring symbol of American agriculture.
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Clover Classic raises more than $85,000 for Missouri 4-H
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The 15th Annual Missouri 4-H Clover Classic Golf Tournament, June 3 at A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia, raised over $85,000 in support of youth programs across the state. “We are incredibly thankful for the continued support of our Clover Classic community,” said Wendy Hall, chair of the Missouri 4-H Clover Classic. “The funds raised this year will make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across…
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Show-Me-Select spring heifer sales top $2 million
Some record high prices marked the spring sales of Show-Me-Select bred heifers. The combined gross amount from the five regional sales was $2,321,900 for 602 bred heifers.
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Peppers: Easter eggs of the garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Bearing fruit ranging in color from red, orange and yellow to purple, white and chocolate-black, sweet peppers are the Easter eggs of the vegetable garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Mow or spot spray poison hemlock now
Poison hemlock, a plant that can kill livestock, is flowering and setting seed now in much of Missouri. While early control is recommended, it still can be managed with spot treatments or mowing, says Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist. It grows in ditches, roadways, fencerows, occasionally in pastures or hayfields that aren’t mowed regularly, and sometimes in no-till cropping systems.
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SGF Kickball earns Best Neighborhood Program award at Neighborhoods USA Conference
Michael Brittian and Ed Goeke returned to Springfield from the 50th annual conference of Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) in Jacksonville, Fla., May 20-23, with the Best Neighborhood Program award in the Social Revitalization category. This year’s conference had 525 registered attendees from 36 states and featured workshops, speakers, tours, networking and an awards program.
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Use a grazing strategy to get more grass from pastures
Compared to other parts of the agricultural community, graziers of cattle depend less on fossil fuel and more on solar energy to turn a natural resource like grass into a sellable commodity, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. Graziers can save on operating expenses and provide quality feed to meet nutritional needs by allowing cows to do selective harvesting.
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Nativars: Superheroes of the plant world
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nativars, superhero plants that possess the virtues of native plants but in a more attractive package, make good choices for landscaped areas. Use nativars as part of your gardening “green movement,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Making pizza in the garden
ALBANY, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center will soon help gardeners learn how to grow their own pizza toppings, says MU Extension field horticulturist Gwen Funk. The idea comes from thinking outside of the pizza box, and it delivers taste and fun, Funk says.
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MU RaFF releases policy brief on changes to Federal Milk Marketing Orders
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new policy brief by the University of Missouri Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) weighs in on changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs).
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Replant or roll with it? MU guide weighs costs, payoffs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When faced with a sparse or failed stand, crop producers have to ask themselves a difficult question: Should I replant?
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Severe weather resources from MU Extension
Prepare for Missouri's tornadoes, floods, and late-season winter storms with expert guidance, emergency kits, evacuation routes, and communication plans.
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Scout deep into fields for tar spot
Good scouting is the best way to identify tar spot in corn, says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Tar spot was confirmed in June of 2023 and 2024 in Missouri, which is earlier than in previous years, when the disease showed up in August or September. This earlier appearance is likely to continue because Missouri’s spring air temperatures are favorable for the disease, says Bish.
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Greater marketing prospects, premium value for Missouri-produced heifers
University of Missouri Extension’s Show-Me-Select (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program offers increased marketing prospects and premium value, according to an analysis by Thiago Martins, state extension beef reproduction specialist, and Adauto Rocha Junior, assistant extension professor of agricultural business and policy.
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SW Missouri Show-Me-Select sale sets new records
STOCKTON, Mo. – “People are enjoying high cattle prices, and the 57th Southwest Missouri Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program sale on May 16 at Joplin Regional Stockyards near Carthage was no different,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Eight consignors sold 124 heifers for a record average price of $4,010 per heifer.
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Three days to hay with a minor change
LINNEUS, Mo. – May’s precipitation has made haymaking challenging when rain is frequent and sometimes unpredictable, but University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Carson Roberts has a tip to help hay dry down quicker. Roberts turns the knob to set the swath boards on the swather to the widest setting.
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Private, public cooperators reduce Missouri feral hog numbers
SALEM, Mo. – Feral hog occupancy of Missouri watersheds has fallen 84% since 2016, when the state’s Feral Hog Elimination Partnership began. Funded by the U.S. Farm Bill and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the partnership comprises 18 federal and state entities work together to eliminate feral hogs on public and private lands.
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Fly and tick control in cattle
It’s the time of year when flies and ticks start becoming a problem for cattle, and they can be more than just a nuisance. “These external parasites not only cause irritation and stress but also reduce production efficiency and serve as vectors for certain cattle diseases,” said Craig Payne, University of Missouri director of veterinary extension.
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Expert comment: Potential cuts to federal food assistance, nutrition education
Experts discuss how proposed cuts to federal food assistance and nutrition education programs could affect communities and families.
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Child care gaps cost Missouri $1.15 billion per year, research finds
Child care shortages cost Missouri $1.15 billion annually through lost tax revenue, absenteeism, and limited workforce participation.
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Iris, goddess of rainbows, splashes color over spring gardens
Spring gardens brighten as Greek mythology’s rainbow messenger inspires irises in every hue—durable, intricate blooms for weeks of vivid display.
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Jefferson Farm & Garden provides bedding plants to nonprofits statewide
Jefferson Farm & Garden supplies thousands of free bedding plants to schools and community gardens across Missouri, supporting local food access.