Missouri has become a peanut powerhouse
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – Missouri farmers may have grown the peanuts that you enjoy in holiday candies like peanut brittle or peanut clusters. In 2020, the USDA named Missouri a primary peanut-producing state, a designation for states averaging more than 10,000 tons of peanut production annually over three years, says Justin Calhoun, University of Missouri Extension soil and cropping systems specialist.
MU Extension offers vegetable production series
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will offer a seven-part webinar series in January and February on how to manage vegetable crops for maximum yield. The series runs 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 6-Feb. 25, 2025.
Registration open for Great Plains Growers Conference
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Registration is now open for the 2025 Great Plains Grower Conference, Jan. 9-11 on the campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. The three-day conference draws vegetable, fruit, flower and specialty crop growers from across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Nebraska, says Denice Ferguson, an agricultural business and policy specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
Early grape harvest in Missouri in 2024: low yield but high quality
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s grape harvest this year is, for the most part, early throughout the state. The reason for the early harvest is the low crop yield, which is mainly due to frost last spring, according to Dean Volenberg, interim director of the University of Missouri Grape and Wine Institute and viticulture program leader. “The good news is the grape quality is very high this year; it should be a very good vintage,” Volenberg…
FDA finalizes the preharvest water rule: What does it mean for produce growers?
Earlier this year, the FDA issued a final rule related to the preharvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce stipulated in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule.
Missouri growers are sweet on honey of a berry
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – The 2024 “Miss Congeniality” of Missouri backyard fruits might be honeyberry. Honeyberry’s ability to thrive in conditions that often challenge blueberries makes it a promising choice for gardeners seeking a productive and low-maintenance fruit, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall. This crowned jewel of a bush grows in a variety of soils and resists disease and pests.
The woods: Missouri's other place to shop for food
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Look no further than your local woods for fresh, flavorful fruits and nuts, says University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Kelly McGowan. In the woods, you’ll find a colorful and tasty assortment of edible delights, including wild strawberry, gooseberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, plums, mulberry, elderberry, grapes, persimmons, pawpaws and nuts, McGowan says.
'Don't bag it' approach can make lawn mowing easier
COLUMBIA, Mo. - You can save yourself some yardwork this year and do your lawn a favor by not bagging those grass clippings you mow, said a University of Missouri Extension turf scientist. "Grass clippings do not have to be removed to have a healthy, vigorous lawn," said Brad Fresenburg. "With a few simple steps, you can have a beautiful lawn without collecting your grass clippings."
Growing sweet peppers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The colorful sweet pepper is the Christmas ornament of the vegetable garden, bearing fruit that ranges from red, orange, yellow and white to purple and chocolate black. Growing A member of the nightshade family, the sweet pepper is a relative of potato and tomato. Like its cousins, it is easy to establish if started using plants rather than seeds. It can’t tolerate cool weather, so wait until the danger of frost has…