University of Missouri Extension
LEWIS COUNTY, Mo. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the University of Missouri Extension is emphasizing the importance of mental health in farming and rural communities. Brenda Schreck, a livestock field specialist with MU Extension and based in Lewis County, highlights the challenges faced by Missouri farmers, ranchers and their families. “In 2022,…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — “In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row …. ” So begins “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by John McCrae, a Canadian poet and military physician. “The poem’s powerful imagery of sacrifice, remembrance, and duty helped to make poppy one of the most recognized symbols to…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Northeast Missouri cattle producers are encouraged to take advantage of the long-standing Missouri Bull Testing Program, an initiative designed to improve the genetic quality, performance and profitability of beef herds across the state. The Missouri Bull Testing program is sponsored by the Northeast Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association and is a cooperation…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — According to Greek mythology, Iris was a goddess who served as a messenger between the divine world and the human world. The Greek gods never communicated directly with mortals. Instead, they sent Iris, who traveled on a rainbow. “Legend has it that colorful flowers sprung up at the end of the rainbow…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — For yield and quality, May is the best time to harvest cool-season grasses, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann. May is when cool-season grasses transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage. Many grasses such as tall fescue, orchard grass and Kentucky bluegrass are already flowering in…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Most flowering annuals in gardens around the U.S. have stood the test of time, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For example, geraniums were planted in Europe in the 17th century and have been an American favorite for more than 200 years. Petunia, as we know it today, appeared in…
Read Full Article ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Plan now to use basic design principals to create a patriotic garden this summer, says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Gwen Funk. “Designing your outdoor living space comes with many opportunities for creativity,” said Funk in a press release. “One might be thinking about themed garden beds, pots and hanging…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – A master pollinator steward program offered by University of Missouri Extension begins soon. The five-week program focuses on ways to protect and support pollinators, which are declining significantly due to a loss of feeding and nesting habitats, says MU Extension field specialist in horticulture Tamra Reall. Pollinators – including bees, butterflies and…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Few vegetables elicit less excitement from the average gardener than beets, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Once relegated to pickling or making borscht, beet is enjoying greater respect due to its reported health benefits, Trinklein said. Humans have eaten beets for more than 5,000 years, he said. Beets originally…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management has issued its first pest alerts of the growing season. MU Extension state field crops and forage entomologist Ivair Valmorbida says corn and wheat growers should be on the lookout for early season pests, including black cutworm and true armyworm. Significant numbers of black cutworm moths…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension horticulturists ask the public not to plant unsolicited seeds received in the mail. MU Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan says she has had recent reports from Springfield-area residents who have been mailed seeds they did not order. MU Extension, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (www.aphis.usda.gov), Missouri…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The flowering dogwood tree celebrates its 70th birthday as the Missouri state tree in 2025. There is no better place to celebrate than Missouri’s Ozark woodlands from mid-April to early May when the dogwood is in bloom, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “Inconspicuous for most of the year, these…
Read Full Article ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — You can look high and low, but you likely won’t find a climbing vine that compares to the clematis, known as the “Queen of the Vines,” says Gwen Funk, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in horticulture. Part of the buttercup family, clematis comprises several species and numerous cultivars. Color, bloom…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — April is National Gardening Month and a good time to plant a garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For those who lacked the motivation in the past to garden, consider these benefits: Economic. Vegetable gardening is an excellent way to save on the food bill. The National Gardening Association…
Read Full Article TUSCUMBIA, Mo. — Soil testing and proper fertilization are key to productive warm-season forages in Missouri, says Rudra Baral, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy In a new publication, Baral gives guidelines for soil testing and fertilizer management for warm-season forages in Missouri. “Maintaining healthy forage for livestock requires understanding the specific needs…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – A favorite spring flower, the Easter lily, should be kept away from cats. If ingested, it could kill them. The perennial plant’s white, trumpet-like flowers might not sound the warning that all parts of it are highly toxic to felines. Tim Evans, University of Missouri Extension veterinary toxicologist, said even small amounts…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – You may have seen edamame in grocery stores or on salad bars and not known what it is, says Todd Higgins, University of Missouri Extension specialist in horticulture. Edamame is a type of soybean grown for direct consumption by people. Edamame (pronounced eh-duh-mah-may) translates from Japanese as “beans on a branch” since…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — March is the ideal month to plant two of the hardiest and most nutritious vegetables a home gardener can grow easily: cabbage and kale, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Both are attractive in the garden, with colors ranging from pale green through dark blue to deep reddish purple. Flavors…
Read Full Article TUSCUMBIA, Mo. — Now is the time for forage growers to plan for drought, says Rudra Baral, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy. Diversifying your forage base with warm-season grasses and legumes can provide a buffer against weather-related forage shortages, says Baral in a new MU Extension publication, “Maximizing Summer Grazing: A Guide…
Read Full Article WEST PLAINS, Mo. — For cow-calf producers, it is ideal to have one healthy calf on the ground per cow per year. Producers should also strive to have cows that are productive in the herd for many years. On average, a cow must stay in the herd for six years for the producer to break…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS, Mo. — With a little bit of planning, gardeners can enjoy small amounts of fresh produce throughout the season by succession sowing, says University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Eliza Pessereau. Succession sowing, sometimes called relay planting, means planting seeds of a particular crop at regular intervals so that the plants mature at…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — It is hard to think about gardening when the weather is cool. “However, now is the perfect time to start seeds of certain garden plants indoors so they will be ready for transplant when warmer weather arrives,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist David Trinklein in a press release. By kick-starting…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Drought is costing Missouri agriculture significant amounts of money. Since the 1980s, Missourians have had 16 drought disasters costing $1 billion or more, says University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zachary Leasor. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates the total cost of these disasters is between $10 billion and $20 billion.…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — If you’ve ever seen a cow suddenly collapse in early spring, seemingly out of nowhere, you might have witnessed a case of grass tetany, says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutritionist Eric Bailey. This metabolic disorder, historically linked to magnesium deficiency, can be a problem for cattle grazing lush cool-season grasses.…
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