FFA members from across the meet in Columbia on April 20th and 21st for the 95th Missouri FFA Convention to honor fellow members for outstanding achievements, conduct association business, elect new officers, and participate in leadership workshops. Ignite, Embrace, Empower is the theme for this year’s annual convention, which is expected to attract more than […]
Missouri’s net farm income is predicted to fall in 2023 following a record-setting 2022, according to the spring 2023 Missouri Farm Income Outlook report. The report, released by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri, provides comprehensive insights that can equip industry stakeholders and policymakers with information to understand the […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is accepting applications starting on April 1 for $1 billion in grants to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses invest in renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements. USDA is making the $1 billion in grants available under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that beginning in April it will provide approximately $123 million in additional, automatic financial assistance for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial risk, as part of the $3.1 billion to help distressed farm loan borrowers that was provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act […]
Hay producers can learn strategies to grow, harvest, and store high quality hay at the University of Missouri Extension’s upcoming Hay Production School, 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Schuyler County Community Center. MU Extension specialists will teach how to get more quality and quantity hay production during this one-day workshop, says Darla Campbell, […]
A soil test can help forage producers avoid the costly guessing game of how much fertilizer to buy and apply, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. He recommends testing every three or four years. “If you’re not soil testing, you’re already behind,” he said on March 7 at the Christian County Livestock and […]
(Missouri Independent) – A state law prohibiting counties from imposing regulations on industrial hog facilities does not violate the Missouri Constitution, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The unanimous ruling upholds a Cole County Circuit Court judge’s decision to toss the case before trial. It says county ordinances attempting to set rules for industrial farms are invalid. At issue is […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture touts its conservation programs for farmers, but a new study from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy found last year, three of four applications for the programs were denied. The Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program help farmers handle flooding and drought. Michael Happ, the program associate for […]
The University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute will host the annual Abner W. Womack Missouri Agriculture Outlook Conference on April 12 at MU Bradford Research Farm near Columbia. Each spring, FAPRI-MU uses this public forum to unveil its baseline outlooks for agricultural production, prices, and consumption for the next nine years. “Farm […]
Squatty, squishy bales are making their way out of the ditch and into the cow pasture as post-drought supplies dwindle and winter lingers. Bad bales are costly in many ways, says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension agribusiness livestock specialist. Peel spoke at the 39th annual Southwest Missouri Forage Conference sponsored by the University of […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Department received $3 billion in applications from more than 350 independent businesses from 47 states and 2 territories for the first two rounds of a new grant program to add innovative domestic fertilizer production capacity. USDA also announced the first $29 million in grant offers […]
Last August, Zack Smith welcomed a group of farmers, agricultural researchers, and investors to his mid-sized farm just south of the Iowa-Minnesota border for a field day. It was warm out, shorts weather, and around 35 people sat on straw bales listening as the young, fifth-generation farmer—who has gained a devoted audience through Twitter and […]
A proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would change the rules on what foods can be labeled ‘Product of USA.‘ Current laws contain loopholes that allow foreign-raised livestock and produce to receive that designation, which farm advocates say is a disadvantage to U.S. ag producers. The new rule would require the “Product of USA” label to […]
(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday announced new steps the Department of Agriculture is taking to recenter U.S. agriculture and benefit small and midsized operations, including a proposed new “Product of USA” labeling rule and an $89 million expansion of the USDA intermediary lending program. At the National Farmers Union conference […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $89 million across the country to finance the startup and expansion of independent meat processors. USDA also announced initial steps the Department is taking to create a more competitive marketplace for seeds and other agricultural inputs. The $89 million of investments supports […]
While most people do not often stop to consider what goes on underground, this is Groundwater Awareness Week, and officials are encouraging Missourians to take notice. Missouri has more than 400,000 private drinking wells serving more than a quarter of the state’s population, with most located south of the Missouri River. Officials encourage people to test their […]
Missouri cattle producers interested in feeding out their cattle can attend a two-day University of Missouri Extension Feedlot School in Kirksville. The event will be at the Adair County Extension Center on March 22nd and 23rd. MU livestock specialists will discuss nutrition and health management, the performance of calves fed by MU and harvested locally, […]
The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) is accepting applications for funding through its new Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture (SEGA) program. Missouri entities seeking to add value to agricultural products or provide educational opportunities to those seeking to do so should submit their application by Friday, April 28. “Missouri has a long-term […]
(Missouri Independent) – State agriculture officials from across the country sought this month to remind a new crop of lawmakers in Congress of their states’ needs for a robust farm bill to address a host of food issues. Members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture gathered in Washington for their annual winter […]
A petition signed by more than 2,000 farmers, ranchers, and consumers urging enforcement of antitrust laws has been sent to the White House by the Missouri Rural Crisis Center and the Western Organization of Resource Councils. Tim Gibbons, communications director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, called President Joe Biden’s 2021 “Executive Order On Promoting […]
