Markets & Ag
LEWIS COUNTY, Mo. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the University of Missouri Extension is emphasizing the importance of mental health in farming and rural communities. Brenda Schreck, a livestock field specialist with MU Extension and based in Lewis County, highlights the challenges faced by Missouri farmers, ranchers and their families. “In 2022,…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — “In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row …. ” So begins “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by John McCrae, a Canadian poet and military physician. “The poem’s powerful imagery of sacrifice, remembrance, and duty helped to make poppy one of the most recognized symbols to…
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Now is the time to be cleaning your flowerbeds, getting them ready for planting in 2025. Killing weeds and keeping them out of your garden and flowerbeds is important, to growing vegetables and flowers. Now is a great time to be doing this. A weed is considered anything that grows where you don’t want it…
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As the global population continues to rise, modern agronomy faces increasing pressures to enhance productivity while maintaining sustainability. Autonomous agriculture has emerged as a promising solution, integrating robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced sensor technologies to transform traditional farming into a more efficient, precise, and sustainable practice. By automating routine tasks and optimizing farm management,…
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MACOMB, Ill. — During my time as an Illinois Extension educator, I have run across many garden myths. Too many to keep track of. But some myths keep on coming up in teaching and talking with Illinoisians. Some myths are more localized, while others are widespread and often touted as garden “hacks” online. Some garden…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Northeast Missouri cattle producers are encouraged to take advantage of the long-standing Missouri Bull Testing Program, an initiative designed to improve the genetic quality, performance and profitability of beef herds across the state. The Missouri Bull Testing program is sponsored by the Northeast Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association and is a cooperation…
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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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