Farm & Agriculture

Spotted lanternfly. Photo courtesy of Penn State Extension.

Hitchhiking spotted lanternfly could become problem in Missouri

Source: Kevin Rice, 573-771-7386; Dean Volenberg, 573-882-0476 COLUMBIA, Mo. – An exotic pest that hitchhikes on train cars, trucks and boats could suck the life out Missouri crops. Spotted lanternfly has the potential to establish populations in Missouri, says University of Missouri Extension...

Dairy farmers gain margin protection before new farm bill passes Congress

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new milk price safety net for dairy producers is in place. To take part farmers must rush to their local USDA farm service center. Milk producers must sign up for the first time or re-enroll by June 1, say University of Missouri Extension dairy economists. Most dairy farmers don’t...

Andrew McCorkill spoke at a recent MU Extension alfalfa tour.

Testing tells alfalfa's worth

by Linda Geist “Cows and horses think alfalfa looks like candy, smells like candy and tastes like candy,” says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andrew McCorkill. However, alfalfa’s proof is in the pudding. Not all hay that looks good is good hay. Not all good hay looks good....

Secretary Perdue Names FSA Administrator

(Washington, D.C., May 11, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today the appointment of Richard Fordyce to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). In his role, Fordyce will provide leadership for FSA and its mission...

Growers who sell over $25,000 of produce covered under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) must attend one of these workshops.

Food Safety Modernization Act Workshop in Grundy County

Last year, we started a series of workshops to train produce growers about food safety. Growers who sell over $25,000 of produce covered under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) must attend one of these workshops to comply with the law. Covered growers must be trained at one of these...

Genetic selection takes a giant step forward with new DNA tests.

MU Thompson Farm advisers see results of 20 years of beef breeding

SPICKARD, Mo. Bred beef heifers, replacements at the University of Missouri Thompson Farm cow herd, lined up at feeding looking like peas in a pod. They came from 20 years research on fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI). Jon Schreffler, MU farm manager, showed the herd at an advisory board...

The winter grain mite, a pest of small grains and grasses, has a black body and distinct reddish-orange legs. Photo by Jill Scheidt

Uncommon mite shows up in SW Missouri wheat fields

LAMAR, Mo. – An unusual pest—winter grain mite—has appeared in southwestern Missouri wheat fields. “I was scouting wheat fields and saw a small black insect with red legs and thought it was a nest of spiders at first,” said University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Jill Scheidt. “Then I...

Herbicide Injury in Horticultural Crops, Part I

Throughout my career with University of Missouri Extension, there have been many occasions where I have seen herbicide injury on horticultural crops. Some of these were slight, but many were very serious, with significant crop loss. There are several types of herbicide injury. One is carryover. ...

ELAP assistance is provided for losses not covered by other disaster assistance programs.

USDA to Immediately Assist Producers for Qualifying Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program Losses

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2018 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will issue $34 million to help agricultural producers recover from 2017 natural disasters through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), which covers losses not covered by certain...

University of Missouri Extension specialist Ted Probert, left, says compost-bedded pack barns provide many benefits for dairy cows. Dwight Fry, right, says one of the benefits has been reduced somatic cell counts, an indicator of higher milk quality. Photo by Linda Geist

SW Mo. dairy and creamery sees positive changes with pack barns

MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Brothers Dwight and David Fry remember the day that they decided to build bedded pack barns for their dairy cows. They visited neighbor David Gray’s barns on a winter day when sleet was pounding down. “His cows were lying there in the barn chewing their cud and making milk,”...