Markets & Ag
COLUMBIA, Mo. – September is prime apple picking time in the lower Midwestern states. Not only are new cultivars available in stores during September, but many heirloom apple cultivars are at their peak in farm markets and U-pick operations, says Michele Warmund, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist. Some of the heirloom apples – grown for…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Gardeners might notice their tomatoes are cracking or splitting now. “This is a common problem when there are widely varying soil moisture conditions, especially during the hot, dry days of late summer,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Too much irrigation or heavy rainfall after a dry period results in…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole is “looking for a few good heifers” to help beef producers through the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program. SMS recently changed its fee structure. The enrollment fee, formerly $5 per head, now stands at $2 per head. “Previously, we felt some producers were not willing to…
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PARIS, Mo. — Entries will be accepted through Oct. 10 for the next Missouri Steer Feedout, with weigh-in on Nov. 2. An entry consists of five or more head of steers born after Jan. 1, 2021. At delivery, they should be weaned at least 45 days, weigh over 500 pounds, be dehorned, castrated and healed,…
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NOVELTY, Mo. – A recent report through the Transforming Drainage project shows that drainage water recycling systems can improve corn yields and the environment, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Kelly Nelson. Nearly two-thirds of the site-years evaluated in the study saw an increase in yield compared to free drainage, with an overall average yield increase of 19 bushels…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Irises are some of the most popular flowers in gardens. They are easy to grow, long-lived and relatively carefree perennials. They also can be found in a variety of colors — pink, purple, yellow, peach, green, white, tan, bronze, almost black and bi-color. If you grow bearded irises, you may have noticed that…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Few things are more enjoyable than watching deer in your backyard or listening to squirrels chatter at dusk or dawn from your patio. That is, until you find that they have inflicted costly damage to your home, patio furniture, flower bed or garden. In some cases, such as bird droppings, wildlife can…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Working for Illinois Extension, I get to travel quite often, mostly throughout west-central Illinois, and 2021 has brought a significant decline in ash trees in this area. Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a non-native insect that attacks healthy ash trees. EAB is nothing new. I have written about this insect before, mainly…
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Longtime volunteers and former staff members across the state recently were honored by the Illinois 4-H Foundation for their selfless dedication to the University of Illinois Extension 4-H youth development program. Seventy-one individuals received the Foundation Hall of Fame Award during a virtual ceremony Aug. 17. Four of the honorees are being named posthumously. Local…
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The John Wood Community College Board of Trustees heard a report from JWCC President Michael Elbe regarding the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Orr Multipurpose Agriculture Facility at its meeting Wednesday night. The event will be held on August 24, at 10:00 a.m., at the JWCC Agricultural Education Center in Baylis, IL. “The official groundbreaking…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Nearly empty meat aisles are a burden producers, processors and consumers don’t want to face again. To prevent that, the Missouri Department of Agriculture awarded $16.7 million to keep 150 meat and poultry processors throughout Missouri going strong. The Missouri Meat and Poultry Processing Grant helped bring 27 businesses into state-inspection status. It also…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Several types of caterpillars damage tomato plants in Missouri, but the tomato hornworm and the tobacco hornworm usually get the most attention because of the prominent horn on the last segment of their bodies. These insects are big, green, and hungry, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund. Measuring up to…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension recently released an updated cost analyzer to help farmers estimate the breakeven price to justify harvesting corn as silage rather than grain. “Frequently, corn harvested for silage was planted for harvest as a grain crop,” says Joe Horner, an MU Extension agricultural business and policy specialist. Reasons for…
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