How to have conversations about conservation on leased land
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Various agencies and organizations are promoting practices for soil conservation and ecosystem improvement. These efforts, intended to maintain or improve productivity of the land, often come with financial incentives. Long-term or short-term, these practices also can affect leases and relationships between landowners and tenants.
Workshop for women farm operators teaches leasing, management
Women running their farm operations or considering sole operatorship can benefit from a University of Missouri Extension “On My Own” workshop. Starting in May, these workshops will give participants a primer on agricultural leasing, farmland values and custom work management.
Elevate your expertise at MU Agricultural Lenders School
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Agricultural lenders are invited to register for the University of Missouri Agricultural Lenders School, June 3-6 in Columbia Tailored to early-career lenders and those new to agricultural loan responsibilities, the school offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to enhance participants’ agricultural finance acumen, said MU Extension agricultural economist Ryan Milhollin.
2024 dairy returns might improve
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Prices paid in 2024 for dairy products should be similar to 2023, while net returns may be better, according to University of Missouri Extension economist Scott Brown. Brown told attendees at the 2024 Missouri Dairy Expo that average weather and feed costs will be key factors for this year’s outlook.
10 tips to bulletproof your beef operation
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Beef producers can use a window of profitability to make their farm business more bulletproof. University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Joe Horner says successful beef producers can make small changes in three areas to make their farm less vulnerable to risks: plants, animals and business. Being good in just one of those three areas is not enough.
Feedstuff Finder: One-stop shop for Missouri buyers and sellers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers have a new tool to find or list hay and co-product feedstuffs for sale: Feedstuff Finder, developed by University of Missouri Extension for individuals looking to buy or sell products.
MU Extension ag enterprise budgets updated for producers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension crop and livestock enterprise budgets for Missouri producers have been updated at http://muext.us/MissouriAgBudgets.
Classes on Missouri farm leases offered in September
MEXICO, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agriculture business specialists will offer a program on Missouri farm leases in September. Participants may attend Sept. 12 or Sept. 13 in person at sites throughout the state or through Zoom.
MU Extension offers self-paced vegetable production series
BOWLING GREEN, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will offer a self-paced “Conventional Vegetable Production Series” this fall.
Missouri Agricultural Lender Seminar series to offer insights
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Lenders serving farmers and rural communities are invited to attend University of Missouri Extension’s 43rd Missouri Agricultural Lender Seminar series this fall in eight locations across the state.Agricultural business and policy specialists and researchers will present market and policy outlooks, farm financial conditions and land values, said Ben Brown, MU Extension agricultural economist and series organizer.
A No. 2 pencil is a beef producer's best tool
COLUMBIA, Mo. – One of the most important tools for livestock producers is a sharp No. 2 pencil.The pencil and some basic arithmetic can help take the emotion out of desperate measures to find feed. When you do the math, buying grain or other alternative feeds may be the best bang for the buck, says University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist Wesley Tucker.
MU Graves-Chapple field day is Aug. 22
FAIRFAX, Mo. – The Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center Field Day, Tuesday, Aug. 22, will include a ribbon-cutting for the new facility at the center in northwestern Missouri.
Keep your farm running smoothly with a midyear 'tuneup'
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers are encouraged to conduct a midyear “farm tuneup” as they approach the middle of 2023. Just as farm equipment needs the occasional tuneup, farm management practices can use proactive examination and adjustment to keep an operation on track for the rest of the year.University of Missouri Extension recommends five steps for a midyear farm tuneup:Revisit agricultural budgets
MU Extension biosecurity trailer demonstrates Danish entry system
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A biosecurity trailer developed by University of Missouri Extension shows how poultry, swine and all livestock producers can implement a Danish entry system, a cost-effective way to reduce the transmission of pathogens when showering in and out is impractical or unavailable.
MU Extension updates custom rates for Missouri farm services
COLUMBIA, Mo. –University of Missouri Extension has published a summary of custom rates for farm services in Missouri based on a statewide online survey and solicitations by extension specialists.MU Extension asked farmers, agribusiness firms and land improvement contractors to provide rates they charged or paid in 2022 for custom services, minus the cost of materials applied.
May tomato school offers tours, updates
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s annual Missouri Tomato School returns May 16-18 to give growers tried and true methods to improve their crops.“Tomatoes are Missouri’s biggest-selling specialty crop, but they can be challenging to grow successfully,” says MU Extension horticulturist Justin Keay. “We want to help Missouri growers take their tomato crop to the next level.”
Womack Ag Outlook Conference offers domestic, global perspectives
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI-MU) will host the annual Abner W. Womack Missouri Agriculture Outlook Conference April 12 at MU Bradford Research Farm near Columbia.Each spring, FAPRI-MU uses this public forum to unveil its baseline outlooks for agricultural production, prices and consumption for the next nine years.
Free workshops to aid family succession planning
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Free farm succession planning workshops from University of Missouri Extension can help Missourians guide their family farming businesses to the next generation.To help families start the succession planning process and initiate communication, MU Extension will hold Preparing for Farm Succession Planning workshops across the state in March. Six workshops will be in-person events and one will be held online via Zoom.
MU Extension planning budgets can aid farmers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As farms continue to see increased input costs and fluctuating returns in 2023, proper planning and decision-making will be critical for the year ahead. Updated enterprise planning budgets from University of Missouri Extension can help producers manage costs and project revenue for their operations.
Beef producers: 'Get your house in order' in 2023
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Beef producers should approach 2023 with cautious optimism – matched with resolutions of good management and investment in infrastructure, says University of Missouri Extension agriculture business specialist Wesley Tucker.
Hannibal startup shines during sunflower oil shortage
HANNIBAL, Mo. – A northeastern Missouri farm is making sunflower oil amid a global shortage linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Family-owned and operated, Show Me HH Farms, of Hannibal, offers cold-pressed sunflower seed oil, a primary cooking oil in many parts of the world. Sunflower oil’s light yellow color, mild flavor and ability to withstand high cooking temperatures make it a favorite of cooks.
MU Extension releases how-to videos for hiring on the farm
COLUMBIA, Mo. – New how-to videos and related resources from University of Missouri Extension specialists can help farm operators looking to attract and keep workers.
November farm management news and notes from MU Extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With harvest wrapping up, it is the time for producers to review their farm’s current net income and look to next year’s projections. This is also a time to explore new ways to increase on-farm revenue and evaluate new or existing lease agreements. Learn more about these topics from this month’s news and notes from University of Missouri Extension. Net farm income outlook
Volatility in farm input costs here to stay, says MU researcher
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Increased volatility in prices of farm inputs such as fertilizer is likely here to stay well into 2023, says Ben Brown, University of Missouri senior research associate for the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.
Tight labor market challenges farm employers to rethink compensation
PARIS, Mo. – Today’s tight labor market makes it harder for farm employers to compete for workers, says Ryan Milhollin, University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist.