Markets & Ag
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Once you’ve picked the last of your fruits this season, you may think your work with your fruit plants is over until spring. However, a few tasks can be done in the fall to set yourself up for a successful growing season next year. Tree Fruit One of the most important things…
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Applications for funds are due November 29th SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) plans to award more than $783,000 in Specialty Crop Block grants over a three-year period under federal House Resolution 133 (H.R. 133 Stimulus Funding). The additional funds are available in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the food system,…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – While 2023 might seem a long way off, it’s not too early for livestock producers think about how recent Food and Drug Administration guidance might affect their operations, says University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Craig Payne. On June 11, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine published Guidance for Industry No. 263 (GFI #263) in…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — As the gardening season winds down, many of us will begin cleaning up our landscapes for the winter. While cutting back dead plants and raking leaves can make for a clean-looking yard, it may not be the best thing for pollinators and other wildlife that inhabit our landscapes. How should we approach…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Citizen scientists are needed to hunt for stink bugs that damage vegetables, field crops and landscape ornamentals. The Great Stink Bug Challenge team seeks citizen scientists ages 12 and older to trap stink bugs and record information about them, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice. Citizen scientists set out sticky…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new manual, Whole System Management of Beef Cattle Reproduction, is available through University of Missouri Extension, said Jordan Thomas, extension state beef reproduction specialist. Spiral-bound copies are available for purchase, but PDFs of each chapter are also available for free download, said Thomas. The manual will be used in several MU Extension…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The best time to test for soybean cyst nematode is right after soybean harvest, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette. Missouri farmers can submit two free tests to SCN Diagnostics through county University of Missouri Extension centers or directly to the SCN Diagnostics laboratory, Bissonnette said. SCN Diagnostics is a plant…
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SPRINGFIELD, IL – Relief is coming for farmers who experienced excessive moisture and flash flooding this spring and summer in 12 Illinois counties. The United States Department of Agriculture reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – This fall, millions of Americans will make an annual pilgrimage to a retail outlet to purchase a vegetable they, unfortunately, are unlikely to eat. In the United States, pumpkins sell mainly for decoration. But this verse from about 1630 suggests that American colonists relied heavily on pumpkin for food: For pottage and…
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With an effective state and local tax rate of 15 percent, Illinois has the highest state and local taxes — almost 39 percent higher than the average U.S. household. It’s no surprise then, that Kiplinger voted Illinois the least-friendly state for middle-class Americans to move to. According to Illinois Policy’s August jobs data analysis, Illinois’…
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