Recent issues
Vol. 6, Issue 13: Specialty Crop Farming – Oct. 27, 2025 (PDF)
Specialty crops — such as fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables, potatoes, nursery and greenhouse products, and Christmas trees — are a diverse part of Missouri’s agricultural economy. In 2022, Missouri had 44,630 acres planted in specialty crops across 3,632 farms (4.1% of all MO farms). Among its neighboring states, Missouri stands out in elderberry, grape and peach production, with the most acres in active production and bearing fruit.
Vol. 6, Issue 12: Veteran-Owned Businesses – Oct. 6, 2025 (PDF)
In 2022, the Small Business Administration (SBA) reported that veterans, roughly 4.4% of the labor force, were the majority owners of over 1.6 million firms across the United States: nearly 5.5% of all U.S. businesses. Missouri veterans represent 7% of the state’s population aged 18 and over, compared to 5.9% for the U.S. Veterans made up 10% or more of the population in nearly 22 Missouri counties. Missouri outpaces the national average in both revenue going to veteran-owned businesses and in the proportion of businesses that are veteran-owned.
Vol. 6, Issue 11: Online Microbusiness Trends – Sept. 15, 2025 (PDF)
Missouri had nearly 275,000 online microbusinesses in early 2025, or 5.7 microbusinesses for every 100 adult Missourians. Although online microbusinesses are small, with 65% run by sole entrepreneurs, nearly half aim to expand their business with physical locations and employees. Statewide, microbusiness density rose 5% over the past five years, with the fastest gains occurring in farm-dependent (up 13%) and manufacturing-dependent nonmetro counties (up 7%).