Markets & Ag
MILAN, Ill. — According to songwriters and composers Edward Pola and George Wyle, this is the most wonderful time of the year, but research indicates it may be that and more. According to the American Psychological Association, two in five adults experience an increase in stress levels between November and January. A nearly equal number…
Read Full Article Merry Christmas to everyone from Laura, Hillary, Sandra and me. This is a time of year to remember that Jesus was born to save us all. You should spend time celebrating the birth of Jesus with your family. Spring must be around the corner, because the South Shelby Adult Vo-Ag Class is starting at 5:30…
Read Full Article QUINCY — “Your Land, Your Legacy” is a landowner workshop series on conservation programs and techniques. According to a recent Illinois Extension survey, western Illinois landowners want to learn more about establishing pollinator plots, managing their forests properly for ecological and financial benefit, controlling invasive plants, prescribed burning and restoring streams and ponds through skill-based,…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The holiday season is here, which means evergreens, poinsettias, amaryllis and other holiday plants have arrived in stores. Plants are often at the center of our holiday decorations and traditions and are frequently given as gifts. Whether buying them as gifts or for yourself, following a few tips can help you or…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its Agribusiness of the Year and Larry Fischer Ag Educator of the Year awards until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, with the winners set to be recognized at the ag banquet scheduled for Tuesday, March 12. Bruce Guthrie, president/CEO of the Quincy…
Read Full Article KINGSTON, Mo. — The “Leave the Leaves” movement could just as easily be called “Save the Pollinators,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Manoj Chhetri. Chhetri, who serves northwestern Missouri from his base in Caldwell County, agrees that letting leaves do their thing is better than carting them off to a landfill. That has…
Read Full Article Hopefully everyone enjoyed a great Thanksgivings Day with family and friends. This is a time of year when we need to be thankful for everything we have in this world. If you are like me, you overate and need to lose weight. The snow we had the other day has really helped the soil get…
Read Full Article KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri gardeners will find new guidelines in the updated USDA plant hardiness zone map. The map helps growers zero in on which vegetables and flowers will do best in different parts of the state, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall. Perennial flowers and bushes can be a big investment…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Pecan trees are shaking and shimmying as growers harvest pecans in Missouri, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund. During harvest, mechanical shakers are clamped around the trunk of pecan trees. They generate a vigorous vibration that causes the pecans to drop from the tree. After harvest, nuts are sorted from…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Silky smooth potatoes, snappy green beans, bright sweet potatoes, deep green collards and turkeys the size of Volkswagens. It is that time of year when someone in your family cooks like a chef on a reality TV show. Once the yelling ends and smoke alarms are silenced, standing back from the table…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The annual University of Missouri Crop Management Conference, Dec. 6-7, will offer insight into how the 2023 drought will affect crops in the year ahead. MU Extension state climatologist Zack Leasor will give an update on weather and climate conditions that led to the onset and persistence of the 2023 drought across…
Read Full Article Congratulations to all the local FFA Chapters represented their schools at the National FFA Convention Nov. 1-4 in Indianapolis. These schools competed at the national level against schools from all over the country. Many people may not know there are no different classes for the FFA and Vo-Ag contest. A school like North Shelby competed…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Cranberries have long been considered the crown jewel of Thanksgiving dinners, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. In a press release, Trinklein said, “This comes at somewhat of a surprise, since cranberries likely were not served at the first Thanksgiving in 1621.” Although the pilgrims undoubtedly were aware of the…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – Buyers paid more for Missouri farmland in 2023, according to the annual Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey from University of Missouri Extension. More than 300 responses were collected from Missouri lenders, farmers, rural appraisers and others familiar with Missouri land values in October 2023. Survey respondents gave estimates of land values for…
Read Full Article KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Feeder Flash livestock market analyst Corbitt Wall will be the featured Friday night speaker at the 24th annual Missouri Livestock Symposium, Dec. 1-2 at William Matthew Middle School in Kirksville. Wall, a fourth-generation cattleman, reports daily market information and shares commentary on current livestock markets on National Beef Wire, says Garry L.…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — As the holiday season approaches, many of us will indulge in an alcoholic beverage or two as a part of the celebration. My preferences vary depending on the season, but during the winter I strongly favor a bottle of red wine. If you are like me and enjoy the vino, let’s explore…
Read Full Article URSA, Ill. — Sharon Tenhouse, a 4-H Leader of Burton Flyers 4-H Club, has served as a volunteer leader for 50 years. She was one of many volunteers and 4-H members celebrated during the 86th annual Adams County 4-H Achievement Day at Ursa Farmers Cooperative on Oct. 15. Current Adams County 4-H program coordinator Siera Duesterhaus…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The leaves are dropping off trees, and many of us are putting our gardens to bed for winter. While preparing the garden for winter, spend a little time preparing your trees and shrubs. Doing a few things this fall can help protect our trees and shrubs from winter damage. Watering doesn’t stop…
Read Full Article In the past few days, we saw the first killing freeze of the year. Many of you have picked your last tomato and other vegetables this past weekend. The flowers will quit blooming too. However, many days of decent weather are ahead for you to be doing many projects outside. You can start thinking about…
Read Full Article OSCEOLA, Mo. — Fall is the natural mating season for sheep and goats, and University of Missouri Extension has a new publication for producers: Breeding Season Considerations for Sheep and Goats. MU Extension small-ruminant specialist David Brown said peak fertility for sheep and goats is late September through November, but some breeds will cycle in…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — On Saturday, Nov. 4, several Illinois Extension offices will be offering pumpkin smashes with local partners in communities across the state. A pumpkin smash gives a community an option to turn their spooky Jack-o’-lanterns into compost. In western Illinois, the nearest pumpkin smash will be in Macomb at Veterans Park in partnership…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Americans are projected to spend more than $800 million on Halloween pumpkins this year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. The U.S. pumpkin industry can thank Irish immigrants and a mythical character named “Stingy Jack” for Americans’ rush to buy carving pumpkins in October. According to Irish legend, Stingy Jack…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — Two separate serendipitous events occurred recently that brought a plant back to the forefront of my attention. First, a few weeks ago a colleague asked me to confirm the species of a tree growing near a public garden. The garden was struggling to grow, and a cursory identification of the tree marked…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Department of Agriculture are helping livestock producers find hay. Their websites are seeing increased interest from buyers and sellers post-drought, says Tony Hancock, MDA market news manager. Many of the listings come from sellers in states that have not seen back-to-back drought years. In a…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund invites you to explore the weird world of plants with terrifying names and demonic smells. In a press release, Warmund said, “Enter, if you dare, into the ghoulish side of the plant world.” Some of Warmund’s wicked good greenies: Brain cactus. This wonder looks like…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — With the arrival of color temperatures and shorter days, plants have begun the process of preparing themselves for the coming winter. One of the most notable ways this happens is the changing colors of our trees. From yellows, golds, oranges, reds, and purples, our landscapes will soon be, or perhaps already are,…
Read Full Article PERRY, Ill. — Trent Loos, the United Kingdom’s Andrew Henderson and Jim Ferguson will share the microphone and engage in a discussion about the future of food production around the world as they record “Loos Tales” from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, at the John Wood Ag Center. The actual recording of “Rural Route Radio”…
Read Full Article The fall weather is really in full swing now. With the daylight hours getting shorter each day and the nights getting cooler, many of your vegetables and flowers have stopped producing. Laura and I are still watering flowers, tomatoes and green beans. I like seeing how long each fall we can have fresh vegetables and…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo.— Our ancestors couldn’t go to the hardware store or shopping mall to buy utensils and other household essentials. Instead, they improvised with items found in nature. The dried fruit of several members of the cucumber family proved useful for many purposes, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. We call these plants…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — To some, “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” isn’t just a quaint good-night wish. Bedbugs are a nightmare for people in the hospitality and housing industries, says Sam Polly, coordinator of University of Missouri Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program. With zero tolerance for these tiny pests, it is important to hire the right…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Autumn has arrived, and somehow I have more houseplants than I started with in the spring. As temperatures fall, I find myself hunting around my home for bright windows and saucers to go under the pots. With a home full of plants, you may think this must be good for our air…
Read Full Article The first day of fall was Saturday, Sept. 23, and we are getting fewer hours of daylight every day. This will continue until Thursday, Dec. 21, the first day of winter when the number of daylight hours will start to increase. With the hours of daylight after 5 p.m. decreasing each day, we need to…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — A forestry field day might seem like an unlikely place to spend a wedding anniversary, but a northeastern Missouri couple thought it sounded like “a good outing to someplace we had never been before” to celebrate 55 years of a marriage as strong as the forest’s trees. Ed and Janet Watson live…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first detection of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma deliculata) in Illinois. Following a report of a live adult on Sept. 16, state, federal and local officials coordinated a site visit near the area of the report and identified a moderately populated area of spotted lanternfly (SLF)…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — With the arrival of fall, many of us will be heading outdoors for various activities, from visiting the local pumpkin patch or apple orchard, attending football games or enjoying fall colors. People aren’t the only thing on the move, though. As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, uninvited house…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — This week marks the official beginning of autumn as far as our calendar is concerned, but the natural world began the transition toward fall weeks ago. I recently had the pleasure of sharing a part of this transition with my son when I was able to join him on a prairie seed…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s northernmost counties could soon see the first frost of fall, says University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zack Leasor. Although near-freezing temperatures are not currently in the forecast, daily temperature normals are dropping about one-half degree daily, and daylight is dwindling at a rate of 2-3 minutes less per day. The…
Read Full Article SALEM, Mo. — Kevin Crider knows a troublemaker when he sees one, whether it be two-legged or four-legged. Before joining University of Missouri Extension as a feral hog outreach educator, Crider spent 28 years as a Colorado state trooper and as a U.S. park ranger. He also was a Missouri Department of Conservation feral hog…
Read Full Article SEDALIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H community honored this year’s inductees into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame in August at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Local Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame inductees include: In a press release, Rachel Augustine, senior director of advancement for the Missouri 4-H Foundation, said, “This year’s inductees represent…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Oct. 2 is National Nematode Day and marks a good time to test fields for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the No. 1 pathogen of soybean in the United States. In a press release, Mandy Bish, University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist and director of the SCN diagnostics clinic said, “We anticipate the…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — As summer transitions to fall, many Illinoisians are looking forward to everything pumpkin-spiced, hoodie weather and the fall color of our trees. However, even at the tail end of summer heat, there are trees already rewarding us with some fall color. But is it a reward or a call for help? Some…
Read Full Article Pearls of Production, taught by University of Missouri Extension women specialists to women producers, is celebrating its 10th year and offering one-day events on Sept. 30 and Nov. 4. Pearls began in 2013 to offer women hands-on training in agriculture production practices. In a press release, MU Extension livestock field specialist Heather Conrow said, “With…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — As the day lengths shorten, our family has been spending the last fading moments of sunlight on our patio, trying desperately to hang on to summer amid the start of the school year. During these last moments of daylight, I am reminded of the beauty found at the edges of our landscape.…
Read Full Article It looks like we will be having nice weather in the coming days, so enjoy it. Working in your garden, flowerbed and yard during this time of year can be really rewarding. There are many things to be doing with the weather the way it is now. The other day I did a podcast with…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — As summer transitions to fall, our landscapes also transition. The bright-colored flowers of summer begin to fade, and many plants begin to look ragged. Goldenrod and asters often provide much-needed color to the landscape. However, another plant that can add some color to our landscapes is Tithonia, also known as Mexican sunflower.…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension specialists urge producers to closely watch cattle grazing pastures with Johnson grass and other sorghum species. Cattle producers in several drought-stressed parts of Missouri have recently reported cattle deaths from suspected prussic acid or hydrocyanic acid (cyanide) poisoning, says Tim Evans, an MU Extension state specialist in animal…
Read Full Article MEXICO, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension agriculture business specialists will offer a program on Missouri farm leases in September. Participants may attend Tuesday, Sept. 12, or Wednesday, Sept. 13, in person at sites throughout the state or through Zoom. There will be numerous timely topics of interest to Missouri landowners, said MU Extension ag…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein said, “Some perennials can suffer from too much of a good thing.” As it grows, year after year, a perennial’s growth clump, or crown, gets so big the plant begins to compete with itself for light, water and nutrients. Eventually this self-struggle leads to fewer…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Unlike most of Missouri’s native trees, the American smoketree displays spectacular colors throughout the growing season, says University of Missouri Extension state horticulturist Michele Warmund. American smoketree is a hardy and adaptable small tree or shrub that grows 15 to 30 feet at maturity. It thrives in full sun and in alkaline…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — It is late August. Do you know what that means? Apples! Yes, our apple trees are beginning to yield their bountiful fruits. A few days ago, I walked over to a friend’s apple tree and pulled down on a low-hanging apple with no signs of blemishes or damage. The fruit slipped off…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — This is the time of year when cattle producers need to pay extra attention to heat stress in their operations, says University of Missouri Extension beef specialist Eric Bailey. Unlike many other animals, cattle can’t rid their bodies of heat by sweating. Instead, they pant. Heat-stressed cattle show symptoms such as open-mouth…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Livestock producers are sweating, and it’s more than just the heat of summer, says Katie Neuner, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agricultural business. Hay shortages caused by drought have forced producers to buy and transport hay from long distances, adding to feed input costs. Additionally, many producers have had to…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish says tar spot of corn has spread into many new counties in 2023. Bish recently confirmed tar spot in five more counties. This brings to 31 the number of Missouri counties in which tar spot has been confirmed between 2019 and 2023. Bish…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Lady beetles are widely considered a gardener’s friend. Sure, multi-colored Asian lady beetles can be a nuisance when they enter our homes during the fall. But they are all predatory, beneficial insects that feed on various pest insects such as aphids and mealy bugs, right? Two species of lady beetle, the Mexican…
Read Full Article BOLIVAR, Mo. — It’s pretty simple math: Too little grass + too many cows = too little cash. Missouri livestock producers love their cows and never want to sell them, even when grass and water dry up, says University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist Wesley Tucker. Instead of culling cows, they will go to…
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