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Add value, manage market volatility by selling beef directly to consumers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Despite cattle prices being near all-time highs, marketing beef direct-to-consumer still adds value to beef operations. Two updated University of Missouri Extension guides help producers understand the numbers and methods behind marketing your beef to consumers.
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Fight the summer slump with annual lespedeza
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Tall fescue is the backbone of most grazing systems across Missouri, and for good reason, says Caleb O’Neal, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in plant science. Tall fescue is a tough, productive, and well-adapted grass for the region’s climate. “However, even the best cool-season forages share a predictable weakness: the summer slump,” says O’Neal.
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Quick, right response essential after pesticide exposure
BOONVILLE, Mo. – Pesticide handling remains one of the most hazardous tasks on the farm, says Todd Lorenz, University of Missouri Extension agronomist.
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10 tips to keep the romance in relationships
Keep the spark alive with these 10 expert-backed tips to nurture romance, deepen connection, and strengthen your relationship every day.
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Tax changes affecting tips come with limits, paperwork hurdles
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Recent changes to the federal tax code have drawn attention for creating a new tax break for workers who earn tips. While often described as “no tax on tips,” the provision is more limited and more complicated than that phrase suggests, says Andrew Zumwalt, director of the University of Missouri’s Personal Financial Planning program.
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Preparing Missouri's next generation of farmers
Column by University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialists Wesley Tucker, Denice Ferguson and Mary Sobba, and Robert Jones, director of Integrated Marketing Communications for MU Extension.
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100th annual Audrain County Soils & Crop Conference set for March 2
MEXICO, Mo. – The 100th annual Audrain Soils & Crops Conference is 6:20-8:40 p.m. Monday, March 2, at the top floor of the Hart Career Center, 905 Wade St., Mexico.
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MU Ag Lender School offers hands-on training
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Agricultural lenders looking to enhance their expertise can register for the University of Missouri Agricultural Lenders School, June 1-4 in Columbia. This program, tailored for early-career lenders and those new to agricultural loan responsibilities, aims to equip participants with the knowledge and confidence to effectively serve farm clients, said MU Extension agricultural economist Ryan Milhollin.
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Plants begin to stir underground in February
Take heart, plant lovers. Winter rest is almost over, spring renewal begins.
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Monett Agriculture Conference set for Feb. 24
MONETT, Mo. – The Monett Agriculture Conference once again features dairy during the morning session and beef production in the evening. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Monett Armory in Monett will be filled with vendors supporting the education event for agriculturalist of the region, said University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
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Keeping Missouri calves home
Each year, thousands of Missouri calves leave the state shortly after weaning. Leaving with them is the opportunity to add value, strengthen local economies and grow producer profits. University of Missouri Extension is working to change that through its expanded Feedlot School program.
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Born Strong, Stay Healthy supports parents before and after childbirth
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Expecting and new parents can build strength, reduce stress and feel more confident in their changing bodies through Born Strong, Stay Healthy, an exercise program offered by University of Missouri Extension. A new series of online classes begins March 23.
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Show your love with these heart-shaped houseplants
While red roses might be the iconic gift for Valentine’s Day, houseplants with heart-shaped leaves represent a longer-lived expression of affection for a special person in your life, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein, who shares several good candidates for Valentine’s Day gifts.
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MU Extension specialist available for commentary on documentary series ‘Neighbors’
With HBO’s new six-part documentary series “Neighbors” debuting Feb. 13, a nationally recognized University of Missouri Extension specialist and neighboring enthusiast is available to provide interviews and commentary for reporters and broadcasters as part of a larger discussion about what it means to be a good neighbor in the United States.
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Alliance for Grassland Renewal offers free two-part webinar
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Alliance for Grassland Renewal will present a free two-part evening webinar on “Improving the Production Efficiency of Tall Fescue-Based Forage Systems” on Feb. 12 and 26. Participants can attend either or both stand-alone events. A full agenda is on the Alliance for Grassland Renewal website.
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Missouri 4-H dairy judging team finishes 4th in Louisville
Missouri 4-H had an outstanding outing with a fourth place overall team finish at the Dr. George Heersche Jr. NAILE Invitational Dairy Judging Contest in Louisville, Ken., Nov. 8, 2025, according to Karla Deaver, teach coach and University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth development specialist. Twenty youth teams competed.
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'Kissing bug' disease concerning, but not kiss of death
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As Valentine’s Day approaches, many are hoping for sweet chocolate and maybe even a swoonworthy smooch, not a kiss from the triatomine bug. This insect, commonly called the “kissing bug,” transmits Chagas disease by biting and then pooping around the bite, says Emily Althoff, urban entomologist with University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University.
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February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month
COLUMBIA, Mo. – February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, a time to promote vigilance and best safety practices on the farm, said Sam Polly, coordinator of University of Missouri Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program, which has provided commercial pesticide recertification training to about 1,000 Missourians in the past year.
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Civic Muscle Index gauges community strength
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A few years ago, Claire Rippel came across the term “civic muscle,” referring to a community’s capacity to take action to address shared goals and challenges.
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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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Learn to sell at farmers markets in March
MU Extension professionals and representatives from the Missouri Department of Agriculture will teach a five-part online series on “Selling at the Farmers Market” March 9-13 from noon to 1 p.m.
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Feb. 27 program looks at history of Ozarks soil
WEST PLAINS, Mo. – A University of Missouri Extension program will help Missourians improve forage yield and sustainability by understanding soil in the Ozarks. The event is 5:30-6:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at the MU Extension Center in Howell County, 1376 Bill Virdon Blvd., West Plains.
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MU, LU Extension offer free vegetable gardening courses
GREENFIELD, Mo.– University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University, in partnership with the Greenfield City Garden, will offer two series of free spring gardening classes.
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Brewing change one cup at a time
In his seventh grade history class, Noah Temple learned how children in other countries often lack access to quality education, a privilege he enjoyed every day. That led him to launch Junior Java, a business that blends entrepreneurship and purpose.