Markets & Ag
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The opportunity to learn livestock farming skills hands-on and be surrounded by their peers – even during difficult circumstances – had a major impact on two women’s lives. The Pearls of Production conference, hosted each year by University of Missouri Extension, is a hands-on educational program for women in livestock production. “The…
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The fall weather is here, and we are dealing with it in many ways. Hopefully, you got much-needed rain. With the cooler temperatures, you know it is fall. I have noticed that people, when they mow, are mowing dirt, weeds and not much else. I have talked about mowing based on the height of the…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Annual geraniums (Pelargonium) are among the most popular flowering plants grown in gardens. These easy-to-grow, low-maintenance plants provide color to landscapes from May until the arrival of frost. While they are often treated as annuals, they can be successfully overwintered indoors to be enjoyed again next year. Preparing geraniums for overwintering Geraniums…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri’s grape harvest this year is, for the most part, early throughout the state. The reason for the early harvest is the low crop yield, which is mainly due to frost last spring, according to Dean Volenberg, interim director of the University of Missouri Grape and Wine Institute and viticulture program leader.…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — This fall, millions of Americans will purchase a vegetable they, unfortunately, are very unlikely to eat, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. In the United States, this colorful member of the gourd plant family is used primarily for decoration, but many people throughout the world use pumpkin as a staple…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Springtime favorites such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths won’t greet you next year if they’re not planted in the fall. “The bulbs of spring-blooming plants need to be in the ground now so they can go through a chilling process in the winter,” said David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for University of…
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MILAN, Ill. — During this first week of October, many of the plants blooming in our landscape are mums, asters, goldenrods, sedums and ornamental grasses. But what if your lilac is blooming? A lilac blooming in autumn is unusual unless you have planted one of the new varieties bred to bloom once in the spring…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Few flowers signal fall’s arrival more than the cheerful chrysanthemum, or mum, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Mums’ long-lasting blooms put on a colorful display for weeks when other flowers have called it quits for the season. Mums are one of the oldest known flowers, Trinklein said. The Chinese…
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BAYLIS, Ill. — High school students from more than 30 Illinois and Missouri schools honed their agriculture skills at John Wood Community College’s Ag Alumni Association’s 21st annual Livestock Judging Invitational on Sept. 20, at the college’s Agricultural Education Center near Baylis, a facility shared with the University of Illinois. The event was sponsored by…
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The first day of fall was Sept. 22. The daylight hours are getting shorter. You have less time to work in your garden, flowerbeds and yard after 5 p.m. I enjoy this time of year and always find things to do every day. The weather has been hot and dry for the past several weeks.…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension’s Frost/Freeze Probabilities Guide tells us that frost is likely coming within two weeks in the northernmost part of the state. That means that it’s time to think about protecting plants from frost, said MU Extension state horticulture specialist David Trinklein. Although near-freezing temperatures are not currently in the forecast, daily…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension’s network of weather stations soon will be updated to provide long-term soil moisture information to help forecast, monitor and respond to flood and drought. MU Extension state natural resources specialist Michael Sunde and state climatologist Zack Leasor will work alongside John Travlos, co-director of the Missouri Mesonet, to…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Sedums, also known as stonecrop, are low-maintenance plants that come with a host of benefits. They withstand extreme heat and drought, yet some are winter-hardy as far north as USDA hardiness zone 3. “In short, sedums are about as low-maintenance as plants can get,” said University of Missouri Extension state horticulturist David…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — After experiencing drought in 2022 and 2023, Missourians were eager for a wet growing season. Missouri saw above-average statewide monthly precipitation from April to July, says University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zachary Leasor. On July 23, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported only 1.1% of the state as abnormally dry, and there…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Habitat was once thought of as something outside of town in the countryside. Today incorporating habitat into home landscaping in and around towns and cities has become a top trend across the United States. However, a naturalistic style of landscape design does not always fit our homeowners association covenants, city codes or…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – As autumn approaches, many garden flowers show the ravages of a long, often brutal, summer. However, it’s at this time that dahlias are most spectacular, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Warm days and cool nights associated with late summer and early fall cause dahlias to produce flowers with intense,…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – When things go bad on the farm during harvest, it is important to act quickly and report later, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. During National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 15-21, Funkenbusch brought attention to reporting methods. Learn more at https://www.necasag.org/NationalFarmSafetyandHealthWeek. The U.S. Department of Labor…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — It is difficult to make blanket recommendations on fall nitrogen fertilizer rates to pastures because of the variability in how forages are managed in the Fescue Belt, says University of Missouri Extension state nutrient management specialist John Lory. But fescue pastures need a source of nitrogen to thrive, he says. “Judicious use”…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — When it comes to bulbs this time of year, much of our attention is focused on getting ready to plant spring-blooming bulbs, and rightfully so. From crocus and daffodils to tulips and alliums, these plants provide a burst of color early in the year before many of our landscape plants begin blooming.…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Flying monkeys, creepy crawlies and monsters under the bed need to make way for the Joro spider. But Missouri arachnophobes can rest easy for a bit, says University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff. Introduced to the United States a decade ago, the Joro spider is a slow traveler. To date,…
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MILAN, Ill. — The recent turn in the weather has me feeling all the fall vibes. I’m ready for leaves to turn, for pumpkin spice to be in everything, and for sweater weather. Although as a kid and young adult, Halloween hasn’t traditionally been my favorite holiday, but my kids love it which means I…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Everyone loves seeing social media posts of smiling farm kids with their animals at local fairs. But no one enjoys seeing these photos more than criminals who could put your family’s safety and property at risk, says Brenda Schreck, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in livestock. Wait until you return home…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Six regional sales are scheduled later this year, including one in Palmyra, for heifers enrolled in the University of Missouri Extension’s Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program. “Show-Me-Select is a program that benefits sellers and buyers,” Thiago Martins, state extension beef reproduction specialist, said in a press release. “Sellers are rewarded for raising heifers…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Good livestock handling practices can improve animal comfort and make livestock management safer for people and animals, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Brenda Schreck. Accidents happen most often during common activities such as feeding, handling, loading and transporting. Schreck says animal behavior specialist Temple Grandin teaches that it is important…
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MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. — Breeding season will be here before we know it. Is your herd prepped for success? Here are steps you can take to maximize your breeding season. Schedule pre-breeding exams The easiest thing you can do to prep for breeding season is make sure you have healthy, reproductively sound cattle. Have your…
Read Full Article April 20, 2025
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