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Time to pull samples for Ozark Empire Fair Hay Contest
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Now that hay season has begun, it’s a good time to make plans to pull samples from your best hay for the Ozark Empire Fair Hay Contest, says University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Tim Schnakenberg. Entry deadline is July 17. To enter, contact your county University of Missouri Extension Center. Specialists are available to help pull the core samples from the 10-bale entry.
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Upgrades expand capacity at MU Graves-Chapple Center
FAIRFAX, Mo. – At the Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center near Rock Port, a refurbished combine is shaving hours off harvest time, detailed soil maps are helping researchers apply fertilizer more precisely, and even a new mower is freeing up staff time for more research and outreach.
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Forage soybean emerges as a promising summer forage for Missouri
TUSCUMBIA, Mo. – Livestock producers across Missouri continue to face rising feed costs, unpredictable weather and seasonal forage shortages during the summer. A recent study led by University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Rudra Baral found that forage soybean shows promise for bridging the summer forage gap.
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Free online tools help farmers manage costs, forage challenges
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Frequent drought and rising input costs have livestock producers continuing to feel the pressure of finding feed for their herds. University of Missouri Extension specialists encourage farmers and ranchers to use free online tools to improve feed sourcing and budgeting decisions.
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Does ‘tabletop silage’ have potential?
Rusty and William Lee are experimenting with ways to use scrapped milo stalks to keep beef producers from turning to low-quality, high-priced hay as a last resort to feed herds during Missouri droughts.
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Building resilient, profitable farms
CEDAR HILL, Mo. – In the hills outside St. Louis, creeks swell fast after hard rains, and fields can pay the price. At Big River Grain and Cattle, Daniel Bonacker recalls, repeated flooding was carrying away topsoil. In 1983, Bonacker’s grandfather switched to no‑till farming, which minimizes disturbance of the soil. This reduces erosion by improving the soil’s ability to absorb and hold water.
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Get better hay, better returns with small changes
Hay quality has a direct impact on livestock performance and feeding costs, yet many producers lose value long before hay reaches the feeder, says University of Missouri Extension field agronomist Rudra Baral. The good news: Most quality losses are tied to management decisions that producers can control.
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Grazing too soon sets up pastures up for yearlong failure
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers often grow tired of feeding hay by late February and early March. Most can’t wait to get back to grazing. But no so fast, says University of Missouri Extension state grazing specialist Harley Naumann. “Late winter grazing pressure on cool-season pastures can compromise spring regrowth,” he says. “It is important to not begin grazing too early – at spring green-up, for example.”
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Grazing during spring green-up
Seeing the bright green new growth pop up in our pastures signals the end of winter and the transition into spring. As that short green carpet starts to come up, cattle start chasing that short growth and may turn their noses up to hay they were previously eating well. However, allowing cattle to nip off this short regrowth can slow down the pasture growth moving into the spring.
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Stretch your winter feed supply by renting acres for stockpiled fescue
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – A well-stocked hay inventory is one of the best forms of insurance a livestock producer can have, says Caleb O’Neal, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in plant science. By renting additional acres dedicated to stockpiling forage, producers can improve their chances of maintaining a dependable supply of high-quality feed at a predictable cost throughout the year, O’Neal says.
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Why rotational grazing isn’t working
Rotational grazing promises healthier pastures and higher returns, but labor, water limits and rigid plans often derail it. MU Extension forage specialist Carson Roberts explains why it fails—and how smarter rotations, better water access and flexibility can make it work.
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Three ways to be more profitable making hay
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Haymaking is a game of threes, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Carson Roberts. To be profitable, producers must manage three key factors: equipment expenses, quality and yield.
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New forage budgets help Missouri farmers plan for 2026
Updated 2026 forage-budget tools help Missouri producers estimate costs, yields and break-even prices for alfalfa, corn silage and native warm-season grasses.
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Southern rust can affect nutrient value of winter feed
Southern rust, a fungal disease, can reduce nutrients and lower digestibility in infected corn fed to livestock, says MU Extension agronomist Nick Wesslak. Early dry down caused by southern rust can cause problems with proper silage packing, which increases risk of poor fermentation and higher mold and yeast populations.
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Seeding cover crops aerially can boost grazing potential
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Stored hay can be a livestock producer’s best insurance, says University of Missouri Extension plant science specialist Caleb O’Neal, who is also a cattle producer. It provides flexibility for cattlemen to rest pastures in the event of drought and is often the feed of choice for winter herd maintenance.
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More than 90% of state in drought as harvest nears
As harvest nears, MU Extension agronomists see signs of flash drought threatening Missouri crop yields. The U.S. Drought Monitor map for Missouri released on Sept. 4 shows that 93.68% of Missouri is at least abnormally dry following an unusually wet spring.
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Fall is prime time to establish cool-season forages
Fall offers the best opportunity to establish or renovate cool-season forages like tall fescue, orchardgrass and winter annuals such as brassicas, oats, wheat, rye and triticale. With strong cattle prices and improved cash flow, now is a smart time to invest in your forage base.
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Johnsongrass appears in NW Missouri crops, pastures
Johnsongrass is spreading in northwest Missouri's crops and pastures. Experts recommend early fall herbicide applications and integrated control methods.
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Ozark Empire Fair Hay Show draws 49 entries
Missouri hay producers showcased their work at the Ozark Empire Fair Hay Show, featuring 49 entries from 30 participants, highlighting top-quality hay.
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10 reasons you should quit making hay
High equipment costs, time constraints, and soil degradation make hay production less profitable. Explore alternatives like grazing and stockpiling forage.
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Cattle and forage management for grazing success
Implement strategies to improve cattle and forage management for year-round grazing success.
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Making hay to reduce ergot infestation
Learn how to manage ergot infestations in pastures to protect livestock health. Tips on mowing, haymaking, and recognizing symptoms of ergot poisoning.
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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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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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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.