Landowners lease roughly 35% of Missouri crop, pasture, and woodland acreage to renters every year. Rented acreage has increased in recent years as more land has transitioned to the next generation, interest rates have incentivized land investments, and interest in carbon markets and working land conservation has grown, said Ben Brown, extension economist with the […]
Tag: agricultural
Farm Service Agency now accepting nominations for county committee members
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency began accepting nominations for county committee members on June 15. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the […]
Climate change triggers rare crop diseases in Missouri
(Missouri Info Corps) – New crop diseases pervading Missouri have been linked to climate change, and they’re directly impacting crop production. Climate change has already made Missouri a little more hot and humid but has also caused some diseases for crops like corn and soybeans to become more prevalent. If not treated properly, farmers could […]
University of Missouri Broadband Initiative outlines community-driven process for local expansion
Adoption of broadband has the potential to boost a community’s economic growth and quality of life. But in much of Missouri, especially rural areas, the high-bandwidth wirelines to connect households and businesses don’t exist. Helping more Missouri communities become digitally connected was the topic of a recent webinar by the University of Missouri System Broadband […]
Missourians need to make their voices heard about the future of the farm and food system
This article is a commentary. The views expressed in this article are those of the author, Tim Gibbons, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of KTTN/KGOZ Radio, management, or staff. (Missouri Independent) – Missouri Rural Crisis Center recently sent in comments to the Biden Administration and USDA in response to their request […]
Eighth-annual Missouri Farm Bureau tractor cruise registration now open
Missouri Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is holding its eighth annual Keep Missouri Farming Tractor Cruise on July 17, 2021. Tractors will travel through Atchison County on a 38-mile loop. The event will begin and end at Liles Enterprises, 31792 State Highway W, Fairfax, MO 64446. “The Foundation Tractor Cruise is one of the best […]
US Department of Labor cites grain facility for workplace safety failures following dust explosion that severely injured worker
Had MFA Enterprises Inc. – operating as West Central Agri Services – addressed potential dust ignition sources, an explosion that seriously injured an employee and caused the destruction of the main elevator at an Adrian grain loading facility might not have happened. OSHA cited the grain-handling facility for one willful and six serious safety violations, […]
Relief payments to black farmers on hold amid lawsuits backed by former Trump aides
(Missouri Independent) – Former Trump administration officials and conservative and libertarian nonprofits have launched lawsuits to block federal relief funds aimed at Black and minority farmers—a development that House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott of Georgia calls “an evil system at work here.” Suits have been filed in Florida, Wisconsin, and Texas that says it’s […]
USDA reminds Missouri producers to file crop acreage reports
Agricultural producers in Missouri who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) office before the applicable deadline. “Many USDA programs require producers to file an accurate crop acreage report by the applicable deadline,” said Jeremy Mosley, State Executive Director […]
Missouri corn and Missouri FFA are helping to build future leaders
Missouri’s top 30 FFA high school seniors completed the seventh annual Helping Youth Prepare for Excellence (HYPE) FFA Academy June 22-24, in Jefferson City, Mo. The three-day intensive program is designed to inform and empower students to effectively engage on pressing agriculture topics. Since 2015, the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council has sponsored and facilitated the […]
Some of Missouri’s largest CAFOs are seeking less stringent state regulation
Eleven of Missouri’s largest concentrated animal feeding operations are working to reduce the state’s oversight of their hog facilities despite a record of manure spills and clean water violations. Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, has 11 CAFOs seeking new state permits. The facilities, dotted across northern Missouri, combined are capable of raising more […]
Missouri Department of Conservation on Missouri’s wild turkey population
Interested in learning more about Missouri’s wild turkey population? Curious how fall harvest is affecting turkeys? The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Wild Turkey Biologist Reina Tyl is myth-busting and shedding light on wild turkey population trends for hunters, landowners, and managers. WHY AM I SEEING FEWER TURKEYS ON THE LANDSCAPE? “The number of turkeys we […]
USDA opens signup for CLEAR30, expands pilot to be nationwide
Landowners and agricultural producers currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program now have a wider opportunity to enroll in a 30-year contract through the Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative, called CLEAR30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding CLEAR30, a water-quality focused option available through CRP – to be nationwide now. Interested producers with […]
Stocker cattle could add value to your operation without breaking the bank
Stocker cattle make up just 12 percent of the 4.25 million head currently part of the beef industry in Missouri. But these cattle could add as much as $78 million to Missouri’s economy, according to the Missouri Beef Value-Added Study, a 2016 University of Missouri Extension report for the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority. […]
USDA announces dates for Conservation Reserve Program general and grasslands signups
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set a July 23, 2021, deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program General signup 56. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications for CRP Grasslands from July 12 to August 20. This year, USDA updated both signup options to provide greater […]
As massive livestock operations move in, fighting them gets harder for rural neighbors
(Missouri Independent) – Jeff Jones has lived on his family’s land east of Columbia, Missouri, his entire life. Some of the family’s farms are more than 150 years old. And Jones, who raises cattle and grows row crops, has no intentions of going anywhere. But after years of fighting, his community is home to a […]
Teachers across the country share FFA and agriculture opportunities
For years, teachers across the country have advocated for their students regardless of their environment – whether it be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Agricultural education teachers are no exception. For the past few years, they have worked together to share the story of FFA and agricultural education in their states and communities. This summer, more […]
Governor Mike Parson appoints fifteen to various boards and commissions
Governor Mike Parson announced fifteen appointments to various boards and commissions. Bryan Atkins, of Rea, was appointed to the Board of Probation and Parole. Mr. Atkins served as the Sheriff of Andrew County from 2009 until his retirement in 2020. Prior to being elected sheriff, he served as a Deputy Sheriff for Andrew County. He also formerly […]
USDA expands aquaculture disaster assistance to include fish raised for food
In response to catastrophic aquaculture losses due to major winter storms that hit states along the U.S. Gulf Coast in February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced a policy change that makes food fish, and other aquatic species eligible for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised […]
MU research shows fungicides in soybean at R3 boost yield, reduce disease
Three years of research in the “MU Certified” Strip Trial Program shows that applying fungicides to soybean at the R3 growth stage reduces foliar disease and increases yield. University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette said the results come from 33 tests across the state from 2018 to 2020. Trials show that fungicide application […]