Markets & Ag
LORAINE, Ill. — The Loraine Lions Club announced its annual consignment auction will be held starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tractors and vehicles will sell at noon. Auction services will be provided by Lowderman Auctioneers from Macomb. After taking 2023 off, the Loraine Lions Club brought the auction back for 2024. Many…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri specialists have developed online tools to help farmers estimate their potential payments from the American Relief Act, which was passed by Congress late last year. “Economic assistance payments to Missouri crop producers are expected to provide significant liquidity to the local farm sector,” said Alejandro Plastina, director of the…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Fungicides can be an essential part of an integrated pest management plan, but they do not always provide a positive return on investment for soybean producers, according to University of Missouri strip trial research. Missouri farmers apply fungicides to about 65% of soybean acres, says MU Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish,…
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The first few days of 2025 have been snowy, but we need snow to get into the ground and seal it to help protect the roots of various plants, trees, bushes and shrubs from the cold temperatures. Christmas has passed, but you can keep your poinsettia looking fresh for several more weeks and keep it…
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MILAN, Ill. — It is official, winter is upon us. The holiday season has come and gone, the calendar has turned over to a new year and much of the Midwest is blanketed in snow. On these long winter days, one of my favorite activities to do is to dream about warm summer days. I…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Improving fertility in cows involves leveraging genetic selection and advanced genomic tools to enhance reproductive performance. But genetic potential is only half the battle. Environment is the other half, said University of Missouri Extension state beef genetics specialist Jamie Courter at the recent Missouri Livestock Symposium in Kirksville. “Fertility is a lowly…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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PAYSON, Ill. — Western Illinois University’s School of Agriculture has announced the recipients of this year’s GAST (Growing Agri-Science Teachers) scholarships. Madilynn Barry of Payson was one of eight students selected. Thanks to funding from the Illinois State Board of Education, the program will award $5,000 worth of scholarships to incoming agricultural education majors for…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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