Markets & Ag
LEWIS COUNTY, Mo. — May is officially recognized as Beef Month, shining a spotlight on the dedicated farmers and ranchers who raise high-quality cattle while caring for the land. Missouri is home to more than 53,000 farms, spanning more than 10 million acres, and supports more than 4.3 million head of cattle. Beef production is…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — According to Greek mythology, Iris was a goddess who served as a messenger between the divine world and the human world. The Greek gods never communicated directly with mortals. Instead, they sent Iris, who traveled on a rainbow. “Legend has it that colorful flowers sprung up at the end of the rainbow…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Columbines are popular garden plants. They can be found in various colors, ranging from red, pink, yellow, white, purple and blue, and they can help fill the gap between early spring blooming plants like tulips and daffodils and the summer blooming plants that dominate our landscapes. Columbine flowers are unique and instantly…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — For yield and quality, May is the best time to harvest cool-season grasses, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann. May is when cool-season grasses transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage. Many grasses such as tall fescue, orchard grass and Kentucky bluegrass are already flowering in…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Most flowering annuals in gardens around the U.S. have stood the test of time, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For example, geraniums were planted in Europe in the 17th century and have been an American favorite for more than 200 years. Petunia, as we know it today, appeared in…
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MILAN, Il. — Trees are an essential element of a healthy, vibrant community. Trees, large and small, help clean our air, shade our landscapes, provide wildlife habitat and improve our mental and physical well-being. Planting trees throughout our community, in parks, along streets and trails, at civic buildings and in residential yards is ideal, but…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Lots of trees get planted in April, at least in Illinois. What follows is a “will they, won’t they …survive?” In multiple instances, I’ve come across a tree that gets planted and maybe watered once to a handful of times that year. What most people don’t realize is that it can take…
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QUINCY — Nonprofit educational institutions and organizations in west central Illinois and northeast Missouri are invited to apply for project funding to advance education and innovation in the field of production agriculture. Grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded through a new Community Foundation program, “AgForward,” made possible by the Bob W. Richter Endowment…
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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Plan now to use basic design principals to create a patriotic garden this summer, says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Gwen Funk. “Designing your outdoor living space comes with many opportunities for creativity,” said Funk in a press release. “One might be thinking about themed garden beds, pots and hanging…
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Happy Easter to everyone from Laura, Hillary, Sandra and myself. Pray all of you remembered what Easter is about and enjoyed the day. Now is a great time to be thinking about sowing grass seed on your yard. The first thing to do is to give your yard a good raking. This will allow you to…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is a perennial plant with attractive foliage and has become an increasingly popular ground cover for shaded areas of landscapes. It is native to the woodlands of eastern North America, including Illinois. Wild ginger prefers shady areas with moist, well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter.…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – A master pollinator steward program offered by University of Missouri Extension begins soon. The five-week program focuses on ways to protect and support pollinators, which are declining significantly due to a loss of feeding and nesting habitats, says MU Extension field specialist in horticulture Tamra Reall. Pollinators – including bees, butterflies and…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Few vegetables elicit less excitement from the average gardener than beets, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Once relegated to pickling or making borscht, beet is enjoying greater respect due to its reported health benefits, Trinklein said. Humans have eaten beets for more than 5,000 years, he said. Beets originally…
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QUINCY — More than 50 enthusiastic 4-H members from Adams, Brown, Hancock, Pike and Schuyler counties came together on Saturday, March 22, for the annual Super Saturday, a hands-on learning event coordinated by the University of Illinois Extension in Quincy. Now in its third year, Super Saturday offers youth the chance to explore new interests,…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management has issued its first pest alerts of the growing season. MU Extension state field crops and forage entomologist Ivair Valmorbida says corn and wheat growers should be on the lookout for early season pests, including black cutworm and true armyworm. Significant numbers of black cutworm moths…
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MILAN, Ill. — In addition to the spring flowers blooming outside, many enjoy the fragrant flowers of a Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily) as a symbol of spring and the Christian holiday Easter. For us to enjoy these blooming beauties during a midwestern spring, growers manipulate the growth cycle and force them to bloom. As Easter lily…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension horticulturists ask the public not to plant unsolicited seeds received in the mail. MU Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan says she has had recent reports from Springfield-area residents who have been mailed seeds they did not order. MU Extension, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (www.aphis.usda.gov), Missouri…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The flowering dogwood tree celebrates its 70th birthday as the Missouri state tree in 2025. There is no better place to celebrate than Missouri’s Ozark woodlands from mid-April to early May when the dogwood is in bloom, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “Inconspicuous for most of the year, these…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — A new University of Missouri Extension publication offers corn growers help in identifying Missouri’s newest corn pest, the corn leafhopper. MU Extension state crops and forage entomologist Ivair Valmorbida says “Biology and Management of Corn Leafhopper” offers insights on corn stunt disease and strategies to manage this new pest. In 2024, MU…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Are you daydreaming of future cobblers, crumbles, jams, jellies and pies? If you grow your own cane fruit/brambles in early spring, while the plants are still dormant, it is an important time for plant pruning and care. These tasks need to take place before plants leaf out, which means if you haven’t…
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Spring is here as we begin to see early flowers start to grow out of the mulch in our perennial flowerbeds. We plan on leaving the mulch on them a few more days to protect ladybugs and other helpful insects, as we might still have a few cold nights. When pruning grapes, remember that new…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Educators are planting seeds of knowledge in third-grade classrooms this spring through Agriculture Education on the Move™ (Ag Moves). Missouri Farmers Care, a non-profit coalition of Missouri agricultural organizations, hosts Ag Moves. Passionate educators lead students in fun, hands-on lessons, to show how their lives are connected to agriculture. Ag Moves…
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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — You can look high and low, but you likely won’t find a climbing vine that compares to the clematis, known as the “Queen of the Vines,” says Gwen Funk, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in horticulture. Part of the buttercup family, clematis comprises several species and numerous cultivars. Color, bloom…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — April is National Gardening Month and a good time to plant a garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For those who lacked the motivation in the past to garden, consider these benefits: Economic. Vegetable gardening is an excellent way to save on the food bill. The National Gardening Association…
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