Farm & Agriculture

Fall is the best time to submit soil samples.

Inexpensive soil tests can save farmers thousands

Soil tests can save farmers thousands of dollars, says Manjula Nathan, director of the University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory. Too often, farmers follow routine fertilization schedules and end up applying too much fertilizer to fields, Nathan said. A simple soil test gives the...

USDA encourages farmers to keep the stubble on their fields.

Farmers Encouraged to ‘Keep the Stubble’ during No-Till November

During a special month-long campaign called “No-Till November,” the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging Missouri farmers to “keep the stubble” on their harvested crop fields and improve soil health. “The No-Till November campaign encourages farmers to keep tillage...

Food Safety Modernization Act Workshops

Produce Growers have been monitoring developments in food safety for many years. There have been a number of tragic episodes, where some type of produce became contaminated with a dangerous microorganism, which led to illness and even death in the people who consumed the product. Produce growers...

Corn specialist Greg Luce is among the MU Extension staff working with farmers on the Missouri Strip Trial Program. MU Extension is seeking farmers to participate in the 2018 strip trials. Photo courtesy of John Lory.

MU Extension seeks farmers for Strip Trial Program

Farmers are being sought to participate in the 2017-2018 University of Missouri Extension Strip Trial Program, which helps farmers and crop advisers compare on-farm management decisions and practices. The program uses on-farm, field-scale research to give growers farm-specific data to guide...

The USDA is issuing approximately $8 billion in payments under the ARC and PLC programs.

USDA Issues Farm Safety Net and Conservation Payments

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2017 – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced that over $9.6 billion in payments will be made, beginning this week, to producers through the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Conservation Reserve (CRP) programs. The United States...

Winter rye, or cereal rye, is a great cover crop to plant in the fall or early winter.

Cover crops improve garden soil

“You don’t need a green thumb to be a good gardener, but it certainly helps to have good soil,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “Unfortunately, many of us are burdened with soils that need help,” he said. One of the best ways to help soils be more productive is...

Missouri cash rent rates drop in latest USDA report

Cash rent rates dropped overall in many Missouri counties, according to a Sept. 8 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rates for cropland and pastureland dropped overall from the previous year, said University of Missouri Extension agriculture business specialist Joe Koenen. Koenen leads...

Purdy, Mo., dairy farmer Charles Fletcher, left, works with MU researcher Danny England, center, and MU Extension dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton, right to learn how to measure and manage forage through the Grazing Wedge. USDA recently awarded MU a grant to create an affordable mobile app to help farmers better manage their forage inventory. Photo by Linda Geist

MU Extension receives USDA tech grant for pastures

University of Missouri Extension has received a $444,000 grant to create a mobile application to help farmers manage forage better. The Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services is one of 33 nationwide. It provides seed money to implement new ideas and...

Hog farmers defy supply and demand; price outlook stays above expectation

This year, hog farmers dodged lower prices when they expanded sow herds and grew the second-largest pork supply since 2008. Prices stayed above expectation, say University of Missouri Extension economists. Growing exports and consumers’ love for bacon helped demand for growing supply. However, the...

Butter prices easily surpass the last record-high price in 2014.

Growing taste for butter drives farm-gate milk prices upward

As consumers relearn to butter their toast, they help dairy prices at the farm gate. Despite growth in the U.S. dairy cow herd, milk prices have stayed above year-ago levels this year, say University of Missouri Extension economists. Looking for causes, they see growing demand for butter, say Scott...