Farm & Agriculture

Plantings in late May or June put seedlings in summer drought risk.

Spring weather hurt fescue growth, but second cutting may be possible

This may be the year for two cuttings of tall fescue hay. That’s good news. The bad news: The first cutting will make lousy hay, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage agronomist. Erratic weather caused fescue to set seed early. Under stress, grass made seed instead of leaves...

Apprenticeship program in which individuals can work on fruit and vegetable farms.

Growing Growers program cultivates more than plants

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Growing Growers, a program aimed at supporting new fruit and vegetable growers in the greater Kansas City area, has set the dates for its 2017 educational workshops. “The program is a collaborative effort to provide education to new and experienced growers who are or who would...

Understanding cows , advice from the experts.

MANAGING MAMA COWS

While giving cows and their new calves the best possible chance for a healthy and safe experience during calving season, handlers need to be mindful of their own safety. Rob Eirich, Extension Educator/Director of Beef Quality Assurance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, says both pre-calving...

Informational meeting on new feed directive from FDA

New regulations from FDA to be discussed in Hamilton April 10

Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) is a new set of regulations from the FDA which became effective January 1, 2017. Caldwell County Extension Council is hosting an opportunity to learn more about these changes on Monday, April 10, 7:00 p.m. at the Hamilton United Methodist Church. Jim Humphrey,...

MU College of Veterinary Medicine graduate Imogene Latimer uses research from MU Extension to improve cattle herds in northeastern Missouri. Photo by Linda

Veterinarian Imogene Latimer beefs up bovine technology for 30 years

Country veterinarian Imogene Hemeyer Latimer wasn’t born in a barn. However, it is where you will find her during spring calving and weaning season. Latimer serves cattle producers in northeastern Missouri. She joined the General Veterinary Clinic in Monroe City in 1987 after graduating from the...

Beef artificial insemination school set for April 7-9

University of Missouri Extension in Howard County and Select Sires will host a beef artificial insemination school April 7-8. The school is at the MU Beef Research and Teaching Farm, 5151 Old Millers Road, Columbia. The class is $350. Preregister by March 31. “The school is intended to introduce...

Shea Farrell, a graduate student at the MU Division of Plant Sciences, checks pollinator seed mixes for Palmer amaranth seed. MU weed scientists research ways that Palmer amaranth spreads to Missouri fields. Photo by Eric Oseland

MU studies pollinator mixes as one source of Palmer amaranth seeds

University of Missouri researchers, under the direction of MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley, are finding that many popular pollinator mixes contain pigweed seed. More than 60 percent of mixes screened by graduate student Eric Oseland had seeds of Palmer amaranth, the No. 1 weed to watch in...

Palmer amaranth. Photo by Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California

Palmer amaranth invades about 5 more Missouri counties each year

Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are easily confused. They are like ugly distant cousins at a family reunion. They look alike until you see them side by side. Their differences become apparent upon closer examination. Palmer amaranth is the bigger bully of the two. It takes over fields, choking out...

Eradication is needed before planting new novel-endophyte varieties.

Toxic tall fescue resists herbicide but smothers under a cover crop

Killing old stands of tall fescue pastures takes an all-out assault. Kentucky 31, the toxic tall fescue, doesn’t die easy. The K-31 has a good feature. It’s hardy. That lets it withstand hazards from pests to droughts to overgrazing. Herd owners like that. However, K-31’s strength comes from a...

MU Extension offers farm business class for women

University of Missouri Extension will soon begin a new session of Annie’s Project, a farm management class for women. Farm women and women landowners learn new skills in the six-session evening class, said Mary Sobba, MU Extension agricultural business specialist. Classes in Kirksville, Mexico and...