The following publications cover topics related to Agricultural Business and Policy Extension. For a complete list of MU Extension publications, visit the main Publications page.
Selling Strategies for Local Food Producers
Revised
Learn how farms can market local food directly to consumers by building relationships with buyers, discovering customer needs, providing quality service.
Agriculture and the Occupational Safety and Health Act
Revised
Missouri farms and ranches must have a safety and health program that complies with OSHA rules, regulations and standards if they have employees. Read this FAQ for details.
Introduction to Hedging Agricultural Commodities With Options
Revised
Hedging in the commodity options exchange markets can reduce farmers' price and production risk. Learn how to better evaluate hedging opportunities in this guide.
Missouri 400-Cow Dairy and 690-Cow Dairy Business Plans
New
Use these Missouri dairy plans to improve cow comfort and cooling and remove milk production barriers in 400 or 690 herd sizes.
Missouri Robotic Dairy Business Plans
New
View these plans to learn how to use labor-saving robotic milking systems and confinement housing to improve cow comfort and remove barriers for producing more milk.
Verbal Farm Rental Agreements Under Missouri Law
Revised
Learn about the problems and risks associated with informal verbal farm leases, and see the minimum requirements to include in a basic written lease.
Purchasing and Leasing Farm Equipment
Reviewed
Deciding between buying or leasing farm equipment? Learn about purchase plans, rental agreements, lease agreements, tax and financial considerations and more.
Missouri 3,500-Cow Dairy Business Plan
New
With this plan, think through how to start a dairy using confinement housing: freestalls with sand bedding and tunnel ventilation to improve cow comfort and cooling.
Field Borders for Agronomic, Economic and Wildlife Benefits
Revised
Learn how to make and maintain field borders to reduce soil erosion from wind and water, protect soil and water quality and provide wildlife and pollinator habitat.
Industrial Hemp for Grain and Fiber Planning Budget
Revised
Use this industrial hemp planning budget to make economic, agronomic and machinery decisions before planting hemp to harvest for grain and fiber in Missouri.
Starting a 600-Cow Intensive Rotational Grazing Dairy
Revised
Examine financial feasibility of starting a 600-cow intensive rotational grazing Missouri dairy using capital investment assumptions, budget and income and cash flow statements.
Industrial Hemp for Grain Planning Budget
Revised
Use this industrial hemp planning budget to make educated economic, agronomic and machinery decisions before planting hemp to harvest for grain in Missouri.
Industrial Hemp for CBD Planning Budget
Revised
Missouri farmers growing industrial hemp for cannabidiol (CBD), use the planning budget and info in this guide to make educated economic, agronomic and machinery decisions before planting.
Characteristics of Missouri’s Food, Agriculture and Forestry Workforce
New
Learn about employment, wage and training trends in Missouri's food, agriculture and forestry workforce. Plus, see what it will take to fill jobs in these industries.
Commodity Futures and Options Terminology
Revised
Check out this glossary of commodity futures and options keywords and their definitions to broaden your understanding of agricultural commodities markets.
Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities
New
Learn about funding offered by federal programs in support of agricultural and forestry innovations, specifically, program resources in community development; sustainable land management; and value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry.
Starting a 300-Cow Intensive Rotational Grazing Dairy
Revised
Examine costs and returns for starting a 300-cow intensive rotational grazing Missouri dairy using capital investment assumptions and financial statements.
Break-even Pricing, Revenue and Units
Revised
Learn how to find a value-added agricultural product’s break-even price and use it to set the product's price and estimate its break-even revenue and unit sales.
Dairy Grazing: Economics of Pasture-Based Dairies
Reviewed
Keeping records and tracking cost and production benchmarks can help you gauge a grazing dairy's financial performance. Read about pasture dairy performance indicators in this MU Extension guide.
Starting a 150-Cow Intensive Rotational Grazing Dairy
Revised
Examine costs and returns for starting a 150-cow intensive rotational grazing Missouri dairy using capital investment assumptions and financial statements.
Communicating With Landowners
Revised
Get tips on how a farm tenant or renter can best communicate with farm landowners, and learn the information farm operators should share with landowners.
Designing a Farm Resume for Print and Online
Revised
Introduce yourself and your qualifications as a farm renter. Follow these tips to create a paper resume or LinkedIn profile for sharing with landowners.
Contracts in Agriculture
Reviewed
View the five requirements that make a contract legally enforceable, and learn how farms and agribusinesses use contracts to conduct business effectively.
Missouri Grazing Manual
Reviewed $20
Learn how soil, forages and animals interact in grazing systems, and get ideas for improving pasture quality and extending the grazing season for beef or dairy.
Introduction to Hedging Agricultural Commodities With Futures
Revised
Hedging farm commodities in the futures market can reduce producers' price and production risk. Learn about hedging, hedging costs and when to hedge.