USDA extended the deadline to May 17 from May 1 for agricultural producers to certify 2018 crop production for payments through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), which helps producers who have been significantly affected by foreign tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional exports. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) extended the deadline because heavy rainfall […]
Holt County Commissioner Carla Markt says the county will lose tax revenue if farmers cannot plant a crop this year, and is already losing tax revenue because Interstate 29 has been closed to traffic in northwest Missouri. Floodwaters still cover large sections of farmland in northwest Missouri, more than a month after the […]
The Missouri FFA Association recognized Garret Cramer of the Chillicothe FFA Chapter as the State Star Farmer at the 91st Missouri FFA Convention. His parents are John and Janet Cramer of Ludlow. His advisors are Lance Martin, Randy Plattner, Leda Schreiner, and Neal Wolf. Area Star Farmers are chosen based upon outstanding production agriculture in […]
During the 91st Missouri FFA Convention, Kaylee Lewis of Chillicothe was named a 2019-20 state FFA vice president. Lewis is a member of the Chillicothe FFA Chapter. Her advisors are Lance Martin, Rhonda Oesch, Randy Plattner, Leda Schreiner, and Neal Wolf. Lewis is the daughter of Clinton and Angela Lewis. Lewis’ diversified supervised agricultural experience […]
Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) have formed a joint venture called Monarch Bioenergy to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) across Smithfield’s hog farms in Missouri. This partnership converts manure collected from Smithfield farms into RNG, while simultaneously delivering ecological services and developing wildlife habitat. Once complete, all Smithfield company-owned finishing farms in […]
Missouri Soybean Hall of Fame 2019 inductee Gary Riedel says demand for soybean increased greatly since farmers approved checkoff dollars to fund research and promotion. Riedel served as head of Missouri Soybean Association in the early 1980s and was president of the American Soybean Association when the national soybean checkoff went into effect. This year, […]
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is making $2 million available to interested farmers to help install voluntary edge-of-field monitoring stations on agricultural land in five states, including Missouri. “Edge-of-field water quality monitoring provides quantifiable data that supports voluntary-based conservation efforts aimed at reducing the movement of sediment and nutrients off Missouri farms,” State Conservationist […]
The next deadline for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) applications to be considered for funding this year is May 10, 2019. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to invest up to $700 million for new enrollments and contract extensions in the fiscal year 2019. The 2018 Farm Bill made several changes to this critical […]
Spring is here and temperatures are warming up, meaning farmers throughout Missouri will be busy planting crops and moving livestock. Drivers are reminded to expect heavier farm machinery traffic, especially on two-lane highways in rural parts of the state. Please obey all traffic laws and remain vigilant. Most importantly, everyone is encouraged to share the […]
A farmer from northwest Missouri’s Langdon says the flooding there is the worst he’s ever seen. Former Missouri Farmers Union President Richard Oswald says the flooding has damaged dozens of levees near the Missouri River. With more than 40 levee breaks between Kansas City and Omaha, northwest Missouri farmer Richard Oswald is NOT […]
The Missouri Strip Trial Program continues to seek farmers for the upcoming growing season, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory. MU Extension works with farmers to use their equipment to compare treatments on their fields using aerial imagery and GPS-referenced yield monitor data. The MU team works with the farmers so […]
For as long as man has been measuring the Missouri River, the stretch flowing through northwest Missouri has never been this high. The third week of March, farmers watched helplessly as their homes, land, buildings and stored crops went under water. With very little warning, the river went from normal levels to breaking all-time records. […]
Thompson Farm, Spickard, makes a home for beef reproduction research from the University of Missouri. That doesn’t protect it from harsh weather of hot droughts and frigid calving season faced by all beef farms recently. Weather cut beef herd size and boosted costs for labor and feed, farm manager Jon Schreffler told a meeting of […]
Missouri’s governor is expected to discuss flooding during an Ag Day event Thursday in northern Missouri’s Nelson. Governor Mike Parson will be hosting his first “Farmer’s Talk” of the 2019 season today at the Christy Farm in Nelson, which is in Saline County. It’s part of the 34th annual KMMO Ag Day hosted […]
Northwest and northeast Missouri farmers are feeling the pain caused by major flooding in the region. In northwest Missouri, Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst thinks most of the farmers impacted by the flood waters were able to get their tractors and combines to higher ground but not their grain. Hurst says record-breaking flooding […]
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has set an April 15 deadline to apply for wetland and agricultural land easements in Missouri. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help private landowners, tribes, land trusts and other groups protect valuable lands through easements. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program focuses on restoring and protecting wetlands as […]
Bacon is popular, but living near a hog farm is not. Bacon isn’t possible without hogs, so if we want bacon, we’re going to have to raise pigs. Missouri Senate Bill 391 is opposed by people who either don’t like bacon or don’t realize how it’s made. The bill would require that county regulation aimed […]
Two Trenton FFA members qualified for State Proficiency Awards after receiving first place in competition at the area level Wednesday night. Teresa Burkholder placed first in Agricultural Processing, and Karli Provorse received first place in Small Animal Production. They will participate at the state level during the FFA Convention in Columbia in April. Trenton FFA […]
In a paper to be released soon, researchers tell how they used drones to track migration patterns of pests. “This research will help us quickly determine habitat preference and dispersal patterns for newly detected invasive insect species,” says University of Missouri Extension field crops entomologist Kevin Rice. That information can help farmers decide how to […]
The Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is carrying out an open bidding process to determine who will farm 2 units on the refuge from the Spring of 2019 to the Fall of 2021. Unit 1 is 564 acres and will be farmed with a soybean cover crop rotation. Unit 2 is 164 acres and […]
