Markets & Ag
LIBERTY, Ill. — The Adams County Beef Producers and Beef Auxiliary will hold its 49th annual meeting and banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at St. Brigid’s Hall in Liberty. The public is invited to attend. Reservations must be made by Jan. 19. Contact Adam Mowen at 217-430-4352 or Tyler Shaffer at 217-653-1621.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Within parks, streams and native prairies, University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalists serve as environmental stewards in their communities. Illinois Extension is now opening registration for the next training slated for this spring. The course begins March 12. “Our west central Illinois Master Naturalist volunteers put in thousands of hours in 2024 supporting…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann will discuss how sunn hemp can complement tall fescue in rotational grazing systems at the 41st annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference on Feb. 25 in Springfield. Originally grown as a fiber crop, this legume grows as tall as six feet and produces…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — After a lovely winter break, I returned to the office with a stack of seed catalogs begging me to order more seeds. Despite having hundreds of seed packets, I find it hard to throw them away. Indeed, my seed collection is busting at the seams. Good thing they are relatively inexpensive. The…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida expects that growers will see corn leafhoppers again in 2025. MU Extension faculty found corn leafhoppers in Missouri corn crops for the first time in 2024. Corn leafhoppers carry corn stunt disease, which can lead to 100% yield loss, says Valmorbida. MU Extension…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — The McDonough County Community Foundation (MCCF) recently announced a $20,000 donation from the Macomb Agriscience Association (MAA) to support the Macomb agriculture program with the Macomb Agriscience Association Fund at Macomb Middle School. The MAA was created to support the agriculture program in Macomb schools. The Ag Program has grown to include…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), along with the University of Illinois Extension, is hosting certified livestock manager training (CLMT) workshops throughout the state. Two training options are being offered this year: seven in-person workshops and an online training, which will provide Illinois livestock producers the manure management training they need to…
Read Full Article MARSHFIELD, Mo. — Cold weather has moved into Missouri quickly with no plans of leaving soon, according to forecasts. “It is officially winter in Missouri, and our cattle herds in southwest Missouri and beyond are feeling it,” Chloe Collins, University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist, said in a press release. “Whether you’re a pasture-based dairy…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Holiday plants can live to bloom another year with proper care, said University of Missouri Extension state horticulturist David Trinklein. Now is the time to start that care. Plants such as amaryllis and Christmas cactus received as gifts this past Christmas are fairly easy to rebloom next holiday season. They truly are…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Has this cold, dreary weather been making you wish you could get outside and play in the ‘dirt’? Or perhaps you’re looking for ways to improve your garden soil during the winter. Worm composting, or vermicomposting, is a good way to accomplish both. In addition to producing compost, it’s also a great…
Read Full Article QUINCY, Ill. — A public presentation unveiling the plans for the Heritage Farm Pavilion, a legacy project commemorating the county’s bicentennial in 2025, will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the Adams County Farm Bureau office, 330 S. 36th, Suite 2. This pavilion will be at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 2010 E.…
Read Full Article Hoping and praying everyone had a blessed Christmas and remembered the reason for the Christmas season. Happy New Year, too. Let’s review what you can do with your Christmas tree. I still like to have a live Christmas tree to use on the front porch. Here are things you can do with them and any…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — In the heart of the holiday season, the aroma and flavor of peppermint are abundant. For me, this flavor is one of my favorites; it evokes memories of my childhood and is synonymous with winter. From candy canes hung on our Christmas tree to homemade peppermint fudge or the special treat of…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The sixth and final fall sale of Show-Me-Select heifers on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Palmyra set a local record for total cost of heifers sold. The 53 buyers set a northeastern Missouri record $1,162,600 worth of bred heifers exchanging hands in one-and-a-half hours. Thirty-five repeat buyers purchased 192 head, or 59 percent…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Once red crown rot spreads, you cannot unspread it, says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Currently, soybean and disease specialists know of no cure for red crown rot, which can reduce yields by an estimated 80% in severe cases. Seed treatments may reduce symptoms and infection, but these…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — For many, the holiday season would not be complete without evergreens, holly, mistletoe and other traditional plants. But it’s important to exercise care with some of these plants for happy and safe holidays, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “In days of old, people rarely brought holiday greenery into the…
Read Full Article Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone and your families from Laura, Hillary, Sandra and myself. The birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for the season. Saturday, Dec. 21 was the first day of winter and the winter solstice. That means that we will begin to have more minutes of daylight each day…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — You want folks to “ooh” and “aah” when they see your holiday decorations, not “eww” and “ugh.” “There is a risk that fresh trees and garland will bring unwanted gifts – insects – when moved from nature to inside,” said University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff in a press release.…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri soybean farmers should be on the lookout for several species of stink bugs in 2025, says University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida. According to a 2024 survey, green stink bug was the most prevalent in Missouri soybean crops, accounting for a little more than 70% of the stink…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Welcome to astronomical winter. Our calendars mark the beginning of winter as Dec. 21 (sometimes Dec. 22) because of where Earth is in its orbit around the sun. Is it too much of a leap to say that gardeners and those who work outdoors are particularly connected to this astronomical event? I…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension is studying the use of pig manure as a crop fertilizer in research at the MU Bradford Research Farm in Columbia. The study is looking at corn yields and soil health indicators under three separate treatments on 5 acres at Bradford Farm, said Teng Lim, extension professor of…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce recently announced that nominations are open for the Agribusiness of the Year award and the Larry Fischer Ag Educator of the Year award. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6. Winners will be honored at the annual ag banquet on Tuesday, March 11.…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension has partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation on a program to establish white oak seed orchards on private land. These orchards are intended to provide a steady supply of white oak acorns from trees of known quality and growth characteristics, says Brian Schweiss, MU Extension specialist in…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Few plants can boast colorful, long-lasting flowers and attractive foliage the remainder of the year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Florist’s kalanchoe delivers both, making it a versatile houseplant. Its vibrant flowers provide a welcome burst of color during the dreary days of winter, Trinklein said. There is nothing…
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